Political Science 1020E Lecture Notes - Lecture 8: Equal Opportunity, False Consciousness, John Maynard Keynes
19 Sep 2018
School
Department
Course
Professor
Political Ideology and Ideologies
Thinking Determines Action
“It is what men think that determines how they act” - John Stuart Mill, 1861
•
“The ideas of economists and political philosophers, not when they are right and when they are
wrong, are more powerful than is commonly understood. Indeed the world; is ruled by little else” -
John Maynard Keynes
•
Ideas and Ideologies in Politics
Ideas and ideologies structure political understanding, set goals, shape political systems, and act as
a form of social cement
•
Ideologies aim to understand, interpret, explain, and evaluate the social world
•
They unify groups or classes around a set of beliefs and values
•
Ideologies are systems of ideas with their own histories
•
French Revolution 1789
Ideology: Origin and Development
For Destutt de Tracy (1795) , ideology is the science of ideas: the study of the origin of our ideas
and their laws of operation
•
The aim is to improve the rationality of public discourse in the name of progress and truth
•
Ideology: Origin and Development
Early 1800s: Napoleon supports a return to an alliance with the Catholic Church and tradition
•
Ideology becomes a dirty word
•
Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels’ critical perspective on ideology (1846)
The ruling ideas of every age are the ideas of the ruling class
•
Ruling illusions that conceal exploitative social relations and provide a rationale for class
oppression
•
False consciousness: makes the status quo seem natural
•
Ideology: A Value- Neutral Definition
A set of ideas that provides the basis for organized political action, whether aimed at preserving,
modifying, or overthrowing the existing system of power
•
Any ideology has three parts:
(1) a worldview of the existing order,
○
(2) a vision of the future good society, and
○
(3) an explanation of how political change can and should happen
○
•
Ideologies describe
what is, explain why it is, propose what should be and provide a program of action
○
•
Ideologies: Classical and New
Classical ideologies include liberalism, conservatism, socialism and fascism
•
New Ideologies include feminism, ecologism, religious fundamentalism, and multiculturalism
•
Classical ideologies emphasize economics, interests, and social class
•
New ideologies emphasize culture, identity, and individual self-definition
•
Ideologies: Left and Right
Ideologies are often placed on a scale gain left to right, referring to three types of disagreement
•
Values:
Left (liberty, equality, community)
○
Right (order, authority, hierarchy)
○
•
Human Nature:
Left (optimism, social progress)
○
Right (pessimism, skepticism about change)
○
•
State Intervention:
Left (economic regulation
○
Right (deregulated markets)
○
•
Multiple definitions
Economic: left and right
•
Social: progressive and conservative
•
Constitutional (a third dimension in Canada): reformist and status quo
•
How Do You Fit in the Ideological Landscape
Economic: state regulation of the economy, trade, redistributive taxation, labour relations,
healthcare, childcare
•
Social: religion and politics, abortion, immigration and multiculturalism, law and order drugs,
assisted death
•
Government Institutions: Quebec, First Nations, Monarchy, Senate, French and English on the
Supreme Court
•
Environmental: greenhouse gas emissions, carbon pricing, pipelines
•
Liberalism 1
Origins and Development
Central Themes
The Liberal State
What is Liberalism?
All liberals aim to promote individual liberty
•
Liberals value liberty
•
But liberals disagree about the nature of liberty
•
Brian Barry on Liberal States
Religious toleration
•
Freedom of the press
•
Abolition of servile social status
•
Brian Barry on Liberal Ideas
No religious dogma can reasonably be held with certainty
•
Every doctrine should be open to critical scrutiny
•
Fundamental equality of all human beings: inequality is an artifact
•
Origins and Development of Liberalism
Medieval Europe
Religious conformity
•
Feudalism
•
Ascribed Status
•
Political Absolutism
•
Challenging the Medieval Order
Questioning religious conformity
•
Rejecting ascribed status in favour of achieved status and equal opportunity
•
Overthrowing absolute monarchy
•
Martin Luther 1483- 1546
Protestant Reformation
Luther against Church corruption and priestly authority
•
Unintentionally paves the way for religious pluralism and , eventually, toleration
•
Luther and John Calvin: non-resistance to political authority
•
Later Calvinists: right to overthrow rulers who do not tolerate free excessive of their religion
•
Revolutions
England 1688:
Constitutional monarchy
•
Freedom of worship for dissenters,
•
Religious toleration
•
America 1776:
No taxation without representation
•
All men are created equal
•
Legitimate government protects our natural rights
•
France 1789:
The rights of man and the citizen
•
Equal opportunity
•
Constitutional government
•
Religious toleration
•
Central Themes of Liberalism
Individualism
•
Freedom
•
Reason
•
Justice
•
Toleration
•
Individualism
The primacy of the individual
•
Immanuel Kant: enlightenment, morality, freedom, dignity
•
Kant: Treat human beings never merely as means but always at the same time as ends in
themselves
•
Freedom (Liberty)
John Stuart Mill’s harm principle
•
Negative and positive freedom
•
The three-part concept of freedom: A is free from B to do or become C
•
Reason
The Enlightenment and Progress
•
Against paternalism
•
Promoting discussion and argument
•
Justice
What justice is
•
Moral equality
•
Equal citizenship
•
Equal opportunity
•
Toleration
What toleration is
•
Pluralism
•
Toleration and autonomy (two types of liberalism)
•
The Liberal State
The state and the rule of law
•
The social contract argument for the state
•
John Locke on political authority and the state
•
Constitutionalism
Constitution, Bill or Rights, Rule of Law, Prevention of majority tyranny
•
Separation of powers: executive, legislative, and judicial
•
Other ways to check power: cabinet, parliament, bicameralism, federalism
•
W8L$Political$Ideology$and$Liberalism$1
Friday,)December) 15,)2017
12:35)AM
Political Ideology and Ideologies
Thinking Determines Action
“It is what men think that determines how they act” - John Stuart Mill, 1861
•
“The ideas of economists and political philosophers, not when they are right and when they are
wrong, are more powerful than is commonly understood. Indeed the world; is ruled by little else” -
John Maynard Keynes
•
Ideas and Ideologies in Politics
Ideas and ideologies structure political understanding, set goals, shape political systems, and act as
a form of social cement
•
Ideologies aim to understand, interpret, explain, and evaluate the social world
•
They unify groups or classes around a set of beliefs and values
•
Ideologies are systems of ideas with their own histories
•
French Revolution 1789
Ideology: Origin and Development
For Destutt de Tracy (1795) , ideology is the science of ideas: the study of the origin of our ideas
and their laws of operation
•
The aim is to improve the rationality of public discourse in the name of progress and truth
•
Ideology: Origin and Development
Early 1800s: Napoleon supports a return to an alliance with the Catholic Church and tradition
•
Ideology becomes a dirty word
•
Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels’ critical perspective on ideology (1846)
The ruling ideas of every age are the ideas of the ruling class
•
Ruling illusions that conceal exploitative social relations and provide a rationale for class
oppression
•
False consciousness: makes the status quo seem natural
•
Ideology: A Value- Neutral Definition
A set of ideas that provides the basis for organized political action, whether aimed at preserving,
modifying, or overthrowing the existing system of power
•
Any ideology has three parts:
(1) a worldview of the existing order,
○
(2) a vision of the future good society, and
○
(3) an explanation of how political change can and should happen
○
•
Ideologies describe
what is, explain why it is, propose what should be and provide a program of action
○
•
Ideologies: Classical and New
Classical ideologies include liberalism, conservatism, socialism and fascism
•
New Ideologies include feminism, ecologism, religious fundamentalism, and multiculturalism
•
Classical ideologies emphasize economics, interests, and social class
•
New ideologies emphasize culture, identity, and individual self-definition
•
Ideologies: Left and Right
Ideologies are often placed on a scale gain left to right, referring to three types of disagreement
•
Values:
Left (liberty, equality, community)
○
Right (order, authority, hierarchy)
○
•
Human Nature:
Left (optimism, social progress)
○
Right (pessimism, skepticism about change)
○
•
State Intervention:
Left (economic regulation
○
Right (deregulated markets)
○
•
Multiple definitions
Economic: left and right
•
Social: progressive and conservative
•
Constitutional (a third dimension in Canada): reformist and status quo
•
How Do You Fit in the Ideological Landscape
Economic: state regulation of the economy, trade, redistributive taxation, labour relations,
healthcare, childcare
•
Social: religion and politics, abortion, immigration and multiculturalism, law and order drugs,
assisted death
•
Government Institutions: Quebec, First Nations, Monarchy, Senate, French and English on the
Supreme Court
•
Environmental: greenhouse gas emissions, carbon pricing, pipelines
•
Liberalism 1
Origins and Development
Central Themes
The Liberal State
What is Liberalism?
All liberals aim to promote individual liberty
•
Liberals value liberty
•
But liberals disagree about the nature of liberty
•
Brian Barry on Liberal States
Religious toleration
•
Freedom of the press
•
Abolition of servile social status
•
Brian Barry on Liberal Ideas
No religious dogma can reasonably be held with certainty
•
Every doctrine should be open to critical scrutiny
•
Fundamental equality of all human beings: inequality is an artifact
•
Origins and Development of Liberalism
Medieval Europe
Religious conformity
•
Feudalism
•
Ascribed Status
•
Political Absolutism
•
Challenging the Medieval Order
Questioning religious conformity
•
Rejecting ascribed status in favour of achieved status and equal opportunity
•
Overthrowing absolute monarchy
•
Martin Luther 1483- 1546
Protestant Reformation
Luther against Church corruption and priestly authority
•
Unintentionally paves the way for religious pluralism and , eventually, toleration
•
Luther and John Calvin: non-resistance to political authority
•
Later Calvinists: right to overthrow rulers who do not tolerate free excessive of their religion
•
Revolutions
England 1688:
Constitutional monarchy
•
Freedom of worship for dissenters,
•
Religious toleration
•
America 1776:
No taxation without representation
•
All men are created equal
•
Legitimate government protects our natural rights
•
France 1789:
The rights of man and the citizen
•
Equal opportunity
•
Constitutional government
•
Religious toleration
•
Central Themes of Liberalism
Individualism
•
Freedom
•
Reason
•
Justice
•
Toleration
•
Individualism
The primacy of the individual
•
Immanuel Kant: enlightenment, morality, freedom, dignity
•
Kant: Treat human beings never merely as means but always at the same time as ends in
themselves
•
Freedom (Liberty)
John Stuart Mill’s harm principle
•
Negative and positive freedom
•
The three-part concept of freedom: A is free from B to do or become C
•
Reason
The Enlightenment and Progress
•
Against paternalism
•
Promoting discussion and argument
•
Justice
What justice is
•
Moral equality
•
Equal citizenship
•
Equal opportunity
•
Toleration
What toleration is
•
Pluralism
•
Toleration and autonomy (two types of liberalism)
•
The Liberal State
The state and the rule of law
•
The social contract argument for the state
•
John Locke on political authority and the state
•
Constitutionalism
Constitution, Bill or Rights, Rule of Law, Prevention of majority tyranny
•
Separation of powers: executive, legislative, and judicial
•
Other ways to check power: cabinet, parliament, bicameralism, federalism
•
W8L$Political$Ideology$and$Liberalism$1
Friday,)December) 15,)2017 12:35)AM
Document Summary
It is what men think that determines how they act - john stuart mill, 1861. The ideas of economists and political philosophers, not when they are right and when they are wrong, are more powerful than is commonly understood. Indeed the world; is ruled by little else - Ideas and ideologies structure political understanding, set goals, shape political systems, and act as a form of social cement. Ideologies aim to understand, interpret, explain, and evaluate the social world. They unify groups or classes around a set of beliefs and values. Ideologies are systems of ideas with their own histories. For destutt de tracy (1795) , ideology is the science of ideas: the study of the origin of our ideas and their laws of operation. The aim is to improve the rationality of public discourse in the name of progress and truth. Early 1800s: napoleon supports a return to an alliance with the catholic church and tradition.
