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