FUNDAMENTALISM

and the
CRISIS OF IDEOLOGY
 Ideologies emerged alongside
the modern secular state in
many ways as an alternative or
rival to religion.
 IDEOLOGY & RELIGION

 > Assertion about the fundamental

nature of humans and society;
 > A host of core texts and prophets
 > The key to good life and an ideal
community;
 > A promise of salvation;
Ideology and Political Attitudes
Corresponding
Political
Ideology Tenets
Attitude in
North America
Liberalism Conservative
Favors a limited state role
in society and economic
activity;
Emphasizes a high degree
of personal freedom over
social equality.
 Ideology and Political Attitudes
Corresponding
Ideology Tenets Political Attitude
in North America
Communism Emphasizes limited Radical
personal freedom and a
strong state in order to
achieve social equality;
Property is wholly owned
by the state and market
forces are eliminated; State
takes on task of production
and other economic
decisions.
 Ideology and Political Attitudes
Corresponding
Ideology Tenets Political Attitude
in North America
Social Support private Liberal
democracy property and markets
but believes that state
has a strong role to play
in regulating the
economy and providing
benefits to the public;
Seeks to balance
freedom and equality.
 Ideology and Political Attitudes
Corresponding
Ideology Tenets Political Attitude
in North America
Fascism Stresses a low degree of both Reactionary
personal freedom and quality
in order to achieve a powerful
state.
Anarchism Stresses the elimination of Radical
this state and private property
as a way to achieve both
freedom and quality for all;
Believes that a high degree of
personal freedom and social
equality is possible.
 In the past few decades,
the claims and the power of
ideologies have themselves
come under attack.
 *

COMMUNISM
FASCISM
Communism
Fascism
Liberalism
 FUNDAMENTALISM
-Often to describe someone
holding strong views that repel
us.
-Described a particular kind
of movement among Protestant
Christians.
 Bruce Lawrence
“Affirmation of religious authority as
holistic and absolute, admitting of neither
criticism nor reduction.”
>Fundamentalism seeks not to return
to a premodern role of faith, but rather
restructure religion as an ideology to make
faith the sole of foundation for the modern
regime and guide for the politics in
temporary world.
 How does fundamentalist fit the
relationship between freedom and
equality?
>Political ideologies differ
according to where they believe the
proper balance between freedom
and equality lies and what role state
should have in achieving that
balance.
 High freedom

Anarchism Liberalism

High Low
equality Social democracy
equality

Communism Fascism

Low freedom
 Political Culture

 Culture – comprises those basic

institutions that help define a society.
- acts as a kind of social road
map, telling people what is and is not
acceptable and providing guidelines
and priorities for how people should
organize their lives.
In short, ethnicity or nationality or
citizenship is the definition of what
group an individual belongs to,
then the culture is the activity that
group considers proper and normal
for its members.
 POLITICAL CULTURE

 The basic norms for political activity in a

society;
 A determining factor in what ideologies will
dominate a country’s political regime.;
 Unique to a given country or group;
 Distinct from political attitudes and
ideologies.
 Political scientist believe
that political culture is an
important factors in comparative
politics, expect that different
cultures will continue to transform,
perhaps even merging into a
common global culture.