Chapter 12: Ideology Without End? §

(F) Day of the week: Sunday Class: IS301 Created Time: January 31, 2021 11:21 PM Database: Class Notes Database Date: January 31, 2021 11:21 PM Days Till Date: Passed Last Edited Time: June 9, 2021 10:42 AM Type: Reading Notes

Introduction §

Ideologies had shaped social transformations and political development

Endism: idea of the ‘end of ideology’ (50s-60s)

• No Normative Issues: Large scale division of how society should be doesn’t exist anymore
• Delivery of Prosperity: Focus more on how to deliver the common goal most effectively

What is the role of ideology play in human history?

Is ideologies irrelevant today?

1. Endism (50s-60s) §

‘End of Ideology’: broad argument of how ideology became irrelevant for politics, pushed by Daniel Bell (more extreme)

Characterized by WW2:

• Economic has triumphed over politics
• Broad agreement by major powers in one common ideology
• Fascism and communism lost their appeal
• Debated about how to best deliver on economic growth and prosperity

Rebuttal to Daniel Bell

1. The agreed upon common goal of managed capitalism is a ideology
   • Value of private property, material incentive
   • Kept in check by social welfare and economic intervention

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The common ideology was only temporary

• 2. 1960s rise of New Left Ideas: revival of leftist ideologies
  • Anarchism
  • Feminism
  • Marxism
  • Ecologism
• 3. 1970s rise of New Right Theories: revived interests in
  • Free-market doctrines
  • Stimulated development

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• 4. Daniel Bell neglected strong communism in the East only focused on the west
  • Soviet Union
  • Eastern Europe
  • China

1.1. End of History §

A broader perspective of ’The End of History and the Last Man’ by Francis Fukuyama growing confidence of the West

• Western Liberalism won the ideological debate: the common desirability of liberal concepts as the only ideology/political system
  • Liberal democracy
  • Market economy
  • Open & competitive political system
• Liberal democracy made impressive progress in 20th century

Rebuttal to Francis Fukuyama: biased to western values

• End of 20th century: revival of Islamism in (only temporary democracy victory)
  • Asia
  • Africa
  • Soviet Union
  • Industrialized West
• ‘Good Society’ is one that fulfil asperations of all major groups of citizens
  • Capitalist market does not benefit all class equally
• Marxism and communism still existed

1.2. Irrelevancy of Left and Right §

Another form of ‘Endism’ is Postmodernity

🏢 Modernism: is foundationalism through the enlightenment ideas and theories offer rival conceptions of a good life. Postmodernity: doubts meta-narratives

beliefs that can be concretely proven through rational and logical reasoning and premises

19th & 20th century: Competing ideological positions and arguments offered different solutions to essentially the same problem.

Ex: issue of industrial society solved by balance between

$$\{\begin{array}{l}\bullet \text{ Market Autonomy}\\ \bullet \text{ State control}\end{array}$$

Why the decline of left/right divide?

1. End of Cold War: Left (US) winning over Right (Soviet)
   • Politics started to be more about culture rather than ideologies
   • Fall of Soviet led to rise of Islamism, China, and India threatening the West culture
2. Globalization:
   • People’s lives effected by events far from them
   • Emergence of ‘post traditional’ social order and social reflexivity
   • No ideology can fully explain the complex reality created by globalization

1.3. Triumph of Reason §

🔬 Scientism: the method of acquiring knowledge through a process of careful observation and the testing of hypotheses by reproducible experiments

Ideology may be in the process of being replaced by scientism

• Ideology only serves as a vehicle for advancing class interests
• Science: advances human knowledge from irrational beliefs and political ideologies

Is Science an Ideology?

it can be viewed as a ideology.

• Science links to powerful social forces
• Shape peoples attitude to truth, justice, and knowledge

Beneficiary: transnational corporations who are increasingly responsible for funding scientific and technological development

2. The Resilience of Ideology §

Each version of Endism works on an ongoing framework of ideological thinking

Supports the end of ideology in replacement of Endism as another ideology

• Scientism replacing ideology would also be another ideology

What is the source of ideology’s survival and success?

1. Flexibility: ideologies changes or replaced in response to changing social and historical circumstances
2. Broader Historical Narrative: ideology gives people a reason to believe something larger than themselves, hope, vision, ideal society.
3. Attachment to Ideological Roots: without ideology, parties left/right sells leaders/policies rather than emotional attached idealized state.

Questions §

Chapter 12 Ideology - Discussion Questions