POLITICAL IDEOLOGIES

Ideology was used to refer to a new science of ideas which in the language of
Destutt De Trucy, a French philosopher and father of ideology, would be of the same
standing as established sciences like botany and chemistry in gradual process.
Ideology is basically defined as political statements that aim to call upon
massive mass or government action to achieve a relatively better political and
economic condition. Ideologies are goal- oriented, they are for or against certain
configuration of a political community.
A political ideology is a set of ideas, beliefs, values, and opinions, exhibiting a
recurring pattern, that competes deliberately as well as unintentionally over providing plans
of action for public policy making in an attempt to justify, explain, contest, or change the
social and political arrangements and processes of a political community.

CLASSIFICATIONS OF IDEOLOGY

1. LIBERALISM
Humans are largely rational beings and capable of personal development,
rational action, and mutual aid, but they are often caught in difficult situations. Bad
human behavior and social evils are socially rooted, and caused by evil institutions
or the environment. In other words, liberals hold a more optimistic view of human
nature and human beings can be made “good” if their social conditions are improved.
For example, to reduce crimes, society must mitigate the conditions of poverty,
racism, and despair that breed bad behavior and social evils. As a result, institutional
transformation or governmental “help” is necessary for improving environment,
correcting the market failures, and resolving difficult situations
Characteristics:
A. Freedom
It is the centerpiece value of liberalism. It emanates from the belief that man
by nature is free and has the desire to do things tht would make him happy.
B. Equality
All men are equal, at least in their moral sense but differences lie on their
abilities to perpetuate richness, wealth and influence. Liberals advocate equality
before the law and political equality.
C. Individualism
Liberals judge that man is unique unto himself, that man is essentially
supreme over and above any collective body. Human beings are regarded rational
and moral individuals capable to enrich themselves but only through lawful and
rightful means. The goal of liberal community is to build a liberal society where
individuals can develop and mature each pursuing a good act unto their best
interest.
D. Reason
Liberals consider that man as a rational being is endowed with intellect and
reason, a judgment of good act or bad act.

E. Consent
Liberals agree that any human relationship should be founded on trust,
willingness and consent. Governmetn must be based on the consent of the
governed. It encourages liberals to favor representation and democracy.

F. Toleration
Liberals consent that people should allow others to think, act and speak in
ways of which they oppose or differ. They believe that pluralism in the form of
cultural, political or moral diversity is democratically encouraging and conflicting
beliefs are tried and evaluated in an open exchange of ideas.

THE TWO KINDS OF LIBERALISM

POINT OF CLASSICAL LIBERALISM
COMPARISON
Distinguishing Feature Atomism, society is made
up of a set of largely self-
sufficient individuals who
owe little or nothing to one
another.
Intervention by the State intervention in
government people’s economic
activities is justified only
when government assumes
minimal role with their
guiding belief that market
and wealth workers works
best when left alone by the
state.
MODERN LIBERALISM
Postulates liberal
participation of the state
over the economic affairs of
the people.
Allows interventionism by
the government over the
economic affairs of the
people. Intervention is a
mechanism of control
particularly in the form of
social welfare

2. CONSERVATISM
Conservatism explains that Humans are essentially limited rational creatures,
and they differ in motivation, ability, and moral character, and such differences
contribute to the disparities in wealth and privilege. Bad human behavior and social
evils are humanly or innately rooted, and can not be simply attributed to
environmental factors, but to the selfish human nature, individual differences, or
breakdown of law and authority. In other words, conservatives hold a pessimistic
view of human nature and human beings are both imperfect and unperfectible. As a
result, instead of institutional change or governmental “help,” “trade-off” between
minuses and pluses within the existing system or enforcement of law and
punishment by government is the way to minimize the problems. The net result is
good.
CHARACTERISTICS OF CONSERVATISM
EXPLANATION
TRADITION It is anchored on the preservation of tradition, reliance in
institution and respect for acceptable norms/ culture
AUTHORITY Authority emanates from the hierarchy, providing leadership,
guidance and support for those who lack the knowledge,
experience and education that cannot be acquired though
effort
PRAGMATISM Conservatives thought on practical circumstances and goals
and distrusts abstract ideas. They bank on their own beliefs as
what they thought were principled
ORGNICISM View society as a living organism(lebensraum), a biological
entity capable to grow and be nurtured. Change is practicable
only when it leads to a desired transformation rather than
disintegration.
HUMAN Man is not perfect because man is free to do whatever he
IMPERFECTION pleases or chooses
PROPERTY Property ownership is principal because it gives them comfort
of security, stability, and a profound measure of independence
from the state.

KINDS OF CONSERVATISM

Comparison CLASSICAL MODERN CONSERVATISM

CONSERVATISM
Distinguishing Maintains the belief of
feature preserving the tradition of
existing state of affairs and
institutions, or keeping the
status quo with very minimal
or no change at all in its
structures and beliefs
Allows a certain degree of
change in the organization and
institutions yet keeping the
essence of its belief system in
high spirit.

A COMPARISON BETWEEN LIBERALISM AND CONSERVATISM

Comparison LIBERALISM CONSERVATISM
 Human Nature Bad human behavior and social
evils are humanly or innately
rooted, and can not be simply
attributed to environmental
factors, but to the selfish human
nature, individual differences, or
breakdown of law and authority
Bad human behavior and social evils
are socially rooted, and caused by evil
institutions or the environment. In
other words, liberals hold a more
optimistic view of human nature and
human beings can be made “good” if
their social conditions are improved

Human Rights

3. SOCIALISM
Socialism became a political ideology in the nineteenth century. It came to
exist as a response against the emergence of industrial revolution. It primarily aimed
to wrestle the fate of ordinary artisans and craftsmen who were threatened by the
onset of industrial capacity or the ability of the factories to flood the market of
maximum production; later, it centered on the working conditions of the industrial
workers.
It is a social organization that adheres to ownership and control of capital,
industry and land by the community as a whole. Karl Marx believed that human
society is evolving toward a perfect state in which everyone would be on equal
footing and eventually the economy of capitalist state would be dispensed with.
CHARACTERISTICS
Economic Workers produce things but get paid only a fraction of the value of
s what they produce. Thus, the worker cannot go out on the market and
buy all the products.
Social Each society is divided into two classes, a small class of those who
Class won the means of production and a large class of those who work for
 the small class.
Common The socialist case for common ownership is that it is a means of
Ownership harnessing material resources to the common good.
Social Central concept of socialism. It is regarded as a form of egalitarianism
Equality (the belief in the primacy of equality over other values)

Countries Declared As Socialist

1. People's Democratic Republic of Algeria

2. Republic of India
3. United Republic of Tanzania
4. Republic of Angola
5. Portuguese Republic
6. People's Republic of Bangladesh
7. Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka
8. Cooperative Republic of Guyana
9. Republic of Mozambique

4. MARXISM
A. Communism
Communism refers economic system where abolition of private property
ownership is the goal of ideology in achieving classless society. It is classless in the
sense that wealth would be owned in common by all and the system of commodity
production would be replaced by one of production for use geared to the satisfaction
of genuine human needs.
B. Proletariat Revolution
A violent one which the proletariat will topple down the elite class and all the
systems they have made. The working class would finally show their resentment and
discontentment over the ruling bourgeoisie through a revolution of class
consciousness.
Marx considered revolution as a good and inevitable process that will lead to a
classless ideal society
C. Class Struggle
The ruling class holds not only the rein of economic power and the ownership
of wealth but also dominates political power via the agency of the state and
possesses ideological directives since its thoughts and systems were the prevailing
mandates of the time, while leaving the working class merely the product of spoils of
economy because labor is regarded only as a mere commodity.
D. Surplus Value
 Capitalist profit favorably by extracting the so- called surplus value from their
workers by paying them below than the value of their labor. Thus in capitalism it
would show how the interests of the working and ruling classes conflict with each
other.
5. SOCIAL DEMOCRACY
Social democracy at the turn of the 19 th century championed the cause of
balancing the interests of the markets and the state, between the individual and the
community since it lacks persuasion toward liberalism and fundamental socialism.

6. ANARCHISM

Peter Kropotkin is sometimes dubbed

the father of Russian
Anarchism.He became involved in the
revolutionary activity that swept across
Russia in the second part of the 19th
century, and was imprisoned but
managed to escape. Afterwards, he
lived abroad for decades and
developed the tenets of his anarchist
theory. In 1910, he gave the following
definition of anarchism to the
Encyclopedia Britannica: It is “the
name given to a principle or theory
of life and conduct under which
society is conceived
without government – harmony in
such a society being obtained, not
by submission to law, or by
obedience to any authority, but by free agreements concluded between the
various groups...”
Anarchism has a rather drastic ideology that calls for the abolition of
government restraints as indispensable requirement toward total political and social
freedom. Absolute individual freedom can be attained following an aggressive
overthrow of the state and government. Anarchism means “without rule”. It
opposed centralized government and favored the poor and working class
Although neither violent nor strictly anarchist, members of the American
Libertarian Party believe that government should be so small that it hardly ever
interferes in citizens’ lives, thereby best preserving individual liberty.
Russia has had a long association with anarchism and nihilism. Many prominent
members of both movements were Russian, including Mikhail Bakunin, considered
the father of anarchism. Russian nihilists engaged in a number of terrorist attacks in
the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, including the assassination of Czar
Alexander II in 1881.
Peter Kropotkin is sometimes dubbed the father of Russian anarchism.

7.FASCISM
Fascism is a political ideology with strong centralized power permitting no
opposition or criticisms against the constituted government, controlling the affairs of
the nation, emphasizing an aggressive nationalism and anti- communism. It came as
a government system through Benito Mussolini of Italy. He allied with Adolf Hitler of
Germany in propagating extreme nationalism through advancing their borders to
cover Europe.

Fascism encourages racism, the conflicting philosophy between rare

superiority and rare mediocrity, under a totalitarian government system led by a
strong ruler who promotes nationalism for both national pride and honor and
international recognition. The development of fascism is largely dependent on the
national consensus of the people. To persuade the people into total submission to
the leader requires unquestionable charismatic appeal that as a totalitarian ruler he
possesses a resounding stance on national issues with infallible decision- making
qualities with which the followers render untainted obedience.

8. FEMINISM

2 I MAGE : INSPIRING WOMEN WHO SHAPED FEMINISM

Celebrate these historic change-makers in honor of Women's History Month.
BY LAUREN ALEXIS FISHER AND CHELSEY SANCHEZ
 MAR 2, 2020
https://www.harpersbazaar.com/culture/features/g4201/famous-feminists-throughout-history/?
slide=1

In his classic Republic, Plato advocated that women possess “natural

capacities” equal to men for governing and defending  ancient Greece. Not
everyone agreed with Plato; when the women of  ancient Rome staged a
massive protest over the Oppian Law, which restricted women’s access to
gold and other goods, Roman consul Marcus Porcius Cato argued, “As soon
as they begin to be your equals, they will have become your superiors!”
Despite Cato’s fears, the law was repealed.)
Feminism as a political ideology developed numerous teachings and
philosophies but with common denominator that is to enhance through whatever
means the social and political role of women. Feminism believe that the society is
characterized by sexual and gender inequality, and the dominance of male power
over women should be reversed.
Feminist activists have campaigned for women's legal rights (rights of
contract, property rights, voting rights); for women's right to bodily integrity and
autonomy, for abortion rights, and for reproductive rights (including access to
contraception and quality prenatal care); for protection of women and girls from
domestic violence, sexual harassment and rape;for workplace rights, including
maternity leave and equal pay; against misogyny; and against other forms of gender-
specific discrimination against women.

Feminists and scholars have divided the movement's history into three
"waves". The first wave refers mainly to women's suffrage movements of the
nineteenth and early twentieth centuries (mainly concerned with women's right to
vote). The second wave refers to the ideas and actions associated with the women's
liberation movement beginning in the 1960s (which campaigned for legal and social
rights for women). The third wave refers to a continuation of, and a reaction to the
perceived failures of, second-wave feminism, beginning in the 1990s.
The women’s movement introduced gender equality before the law and
sociopolitical and economic opportunities. With the growing concerns of the feminist
groups, many employees gave women fairer chance. Women moved up to a higher
position. Working wives became the norm.
Gender equality proclaims sexual evolution, a revolution that will restructure
personal domestic and family life of women who in the past were pinned as the
weaker and submissive group.

9. ENVIRONMENTALISM
Rapid industrialization, urbanization and globalization breed a new dimension
of emerging ideology, this time the care and protection of the environment( ecology)
for the future
generation. Green Earth Advocacy came at the height of global warming, depletion
of ozone layer, acid rain, pollution, garbage disposal, nuclear threat, and other man-
made
Calamities.
The ecologism as political doctrine or ideology is developed on the grounds of
ecological assumptions, notably about the essential link between human kind and
the natural world. Environmentalism reflects concern about the damage done to the
natural world by the increasing pace of industrialization, technological advancement
and global warming

10. RELIGIOUS FUNDAMENTALISM

 From the Latin word meaning, base, fundamentalism as an emerging ideology
is a system of thought in which certain beliefs or principles are regarded as essential
knowledge or truths that have infallible and overlapping authority regardless of their
contents. Although it is usually associated with religion and the literal truth of sacred
texts, fundamentalism can also be found on political creeds.
The emergence of Christian fundamentalism in the 1970s called for the abolition of
legal abortion, campaign against same sex- marriages, death penalty and human
cloning.
PRETEST
Instruction: Analyze the questions. Choose the letter which corresponds to the
correct answer then write it on the box before the number.
______ 1. It is more or less a coherent set of ideas that provides a basis for
_ organized political action.
A. Ideology B. Governance
C. Government
D. Politics
______ 2. Which is not a characteristic of Liberalism?
_ A. Consent B. Equality
C. Heirarchy D.
Reason
______ 3. It adheres to ownership and control of capital, industry and land by
_ the community as a whole.
A. Conservatism B. Fascism
C. Feminism D.
Socialism
______ 4. It is a political ideology with strong centralized power, permitting no
_ opposition or criticism against the government.
A. Conservatism B. Fascism
C. Feminism D.
Socialism
______ 5. It is a political ideology that has developed teachings to enhance the
_ social and political role of women.
A. Conservatism B. Fascism
C. Feminism D.
Socialism
______ 6. What is the difference between Fascism and anarchism?
_ A. Fascism encourages racism while anarchism advocates stateless
society in which individuals are licensed to direct and manage their
own affairs.
B. Anarchism encourages racism while Fascism advocates
stateless society in which individuals are licensed to direct and
manage their own affairs.
C. Fascism wants to enhance the social and political role of women
while anarchism calls for the abolition of the government.
D. anarchism wants to enhance the social and political role of
women while fascism calls for the abolition of the government.
______ 7. The following; Freedom, equality, individualism, Reason, Consent
_ and toleration are characteristics of _____.
A. Conservatism B. Fascism
C. Liberalism D.
Socialism
______ 8. What is the difference between conservatism and liberalism?
_ A. Liberalism prefers more freedom while conservatism is
characterized by resistance of change and adherence to limited
human freedom
B. Conservatism is characterized by resistance of change and
adherence to limited human freedom while liberalism prefers more
freedom.
C. Conservatism advocates civil liberty while liberalism advocates
authority.
D. Liberalism and Conservatism has the same advocacies.
______ 9. Economics, Common ownership, social class and social equality are
_ characteristics of ___.
A. Conservatism B. Fascism
C. Liberalism D.
Socialism
______ 10. Rapid industrialization, urbanization and globalization bred a new
_ dimension of ideology which cares and protects the environment.
This is the ____.
A. Environmentalism B. Religious fundamentalism
C. Social Democracy D.
ACTIVITY I: WHAT IDEOLOGY AM I?
Identify the ideology being depicted by each picture.
1.

ACTIVITY 2: WHAT ARE MY DISTINGUISHING FEATURES?

Write the distinguishing feature of each ideology.