POL 1101 Lecture Notes - Lecture 2: Mao Zedong, Political Spectrum, Social Conservatism
6 Apr 2016
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At the end of the week, you must be able to: Define the term ideology and outline its functions. Explain the notion of ideology as a style of thought and discuss the meaning of the term ideologue. Differentiate between the political left and right. Outline the different views of equality put forward by conservatives, liberals, and socialists. The writings of jean-jacques rousseau (1712-1778) about freedom and equality inspired the french revolution. The radical ideas of karl marx (1818-1883) aroused political movements such as socialism and communism. Mao zedong (1893-1976) adopted a marxist notion of the state and the cultural revolution in china. The ideas of mahatma ghandi, martin luther king jr. , and nelson mandela were instrumental in decolonization and civil rights in india, us, and south africa. Thinkers on the political left believe that human nature is good and inherently perfectible if the right environment is created.
