A Brief Introduction to Political Ideologies (beliefs)
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Transcript of A Brief Introduction to Political Ideologies (beliefs)
A BRIEF INTRODUCTION TO POLITICAL IDEOLOGIES (BELIEFS)
LIBERALISM “Liber” means free – Latin Economist John Maynard Keynes (1883-1946)
Belief that individuals could be free with limited government
LIBERALISM - VALUESIntellectual Values
Strong commitment to intellectual freedom
Economic Values
Generally, economic freedom. Stronger commitment to economic equality
with limited govt. intervention in economy
CONSERVATISM “conservare” – to save Emerged in Britain as reaction to the
excesses of liberalism Major thinker: British statesman Edmund
Burke (1729-97)
Strong belief in tradition Against radical change
CONSERVATISM - VALUESIntellectual Values Commitment to intellectual equality through
censorship A bit of freedom
Economic Values Strongly believe in economic freedom
SOCIALISM Associated with human rights First ideas date back to Plato, famous Greek
philosopher of the fourth century B.C.E. Modern socialist ideas – more closely linked to Jean-Jacques Rousseau of the Enlightenment
(SOCIALISM CONT’D) And to Robert Owen of the Industrial
Revolution
Belief that humans - basically good Belief that progress and innovation – good Belief that government itself could make
individuals free
SOCIALISM - VALUESIntellectual Values Support intellectual freedom
Economic Values Support economic equality (community&
govt. ownership of resources)
COMMUNISM Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels co-wrote “The
Communist Manifesto: in 1848 Like socialists, they believed in economic
equality, but thought it would come about by violence, not cooperation
In theory, a truly communist society would abolish private property, and government would disappear
In reality, communist regimes have governments that intrude into every aspect of economic and intellectual life
Ideology is linked to a vision of the future
COMMUNIST LEADERSKim Jong-Il (North Korea)
Fidel Castro (Cuba)
COMMUNISM - VALUESIntellectual Values Intellectual equality (censorship used
heavily)
Economic Values Economic equality (sharing of property &
resources)
FASCISM “fasces” – Latin, denotes a bundle of rods
bound together around an axe
Rods symbolize government’s power to keep law & order/control
Axe symbolizes their authority to mete out punishment & death
Ideology is linked to the past Individual freedoms permitted only if they
contributed to the good of the nation
FASCISM CONT’D Based on idea that a mythical, ideal age once
existed which could be reborn In this mythical era, citizens were racially
“pure” and ranked in a strict social order ruled by a strong father figure
Benito Mussolini
Nazis under Adolf Hitler
FASCISM - VALUESIntellectual Values No room for intellectual freedom
Economic Values Limited freedom Tightly regulated businesses & property that
must be run in the interest of the country