This document discusses several political ideologies including conservatism, liberalism, Marxism, anarchism, and libertarianism. Conservatism favors tradition and gradual change while liberalism prefers more freedom and optimism in human progress. Marxism focuses on concepts like alienation of labor, class struggle between the bourgeoisie and proletariat, and revolution. Anarchism believes power corrupts and advocates for voluntary cooperation without coercion. Libertarianism supports minimal government role in ensuring safety and fair contracts. Understanding political ideologies provides context to different political events and movements.
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From Classical to Modern Political Ideologies: Understanding Theories of Governance
1. Classical to Modern Political Ideologies
Each theory or ideology in the study of politics has an underlying
historical factor that affected its development. We have to study these factors
to understand how each theory , framework, or ideology is applied in modern
context.
3. The goal of every government is mobilize its citezens to achieve a
common end, that is, the welfare of the state as a whole. As a guide,
governments use ideologies to help them consolidate the support, of their
constituents. It is also through ideology that civil societies go against
oppressive governments.
Ideology is basically defined as political statements that aim to call
upon massive mass or government action to achievea relatively better
political and economic condition (Baradat 1997). This definition is the
product of numerous views from different political scientists and
philosophers through time from classical to the modern period.
4. Some of the philosophers were social contract theorists: John Locke,Jean-
Jacques Rousseau, and Thomas Hobbes; Karl Marx, and Friedrich Engels;
Frederick Watkins, David Ingersoll, L.T.Sargent and Terence Ball (Baradat 1997).
On the other hand, the first formal use of ideology as a political science jargon
was made by Claude Destutt De Tracy (1754-1836) when he was studying the
enlightenment of Europe.
Ideologies are goal oriented; meaning, they are for or against a certain
configuration of a political community. Their applications, however are
dependent upon the different poltical attitudes of people and institutions.
5. Here are some political ideologies and their impact on political communities:
1. Conservatism- as the name implies , one is confused on conserving something. It is
characterized by a resistant to change, adherent to limited human freedom as it chooses
to maintain traditional values and at some extreme versions, distrust to human reasoning
and nature.
Edmund Burke, through his work Reflections on the French Revolution argued that
institutions evolved over time to fit the needs of society , thus “tampering with tradition is
likely to bring grief rather than improvement.” It should be noted that his idea is not an
extreme one because he still adheres to change although through a slow and gradual process.
According to Senator Santiago (2002), “Social problems are not always solved by reason,” and
that the leftist always imagines that things are better now but in reality , “violent upheavals
always make things worst.”
6. 2. Liberalism – It can be said that liberalism is the opposite of
conservatism for it favors change, prefers more freedom, and has more
optimistic approach to human reasoning and nature ( Sargent 2009).
Classical liberalism,adheres, to the laissez-faire system proposed by Adam
Smith in his Wealth of Nations, wherein the government does not interfere
with the market. Modern liberalism, upon seeing the adverse impact of the
free market (such as monopolies, unfair contracts, the poor become
poorer), is more often to the idea that , at certain times, the government
should interfere.
7. 3. Marxism- one should be careful in branding communism , or any other
similar ideologies as Marxist because they may not necessarily reflect the
ideas of Karl Marx although these ideologies might find their roots in the
tenets proposed by Marx. Some social scientist do not even consider Karl
Marx as Marxist. Some of the ideological and conceptual bases of Marxism
are the following:
a. Alienation – This is the relationship between two or more people or
parts of oneself in which one is cut off from, a stranger or alien, the others
(Sargent 2009). For Marx, alienation in its basic form is the alienation from
one’s labor ( or product of one’s labor), and capitalism is a great factor in this
phenomenon.
8. b. Class Struggle – Karl Marx also noted the struggle between bourgeoisie
(the capitalist or middle class) and the proletariat (workers). The bourgeoise
social class oppresses and exploits the proletariat not only through unfair
compensation of the latter’s labor but also by setting up laws and standards,
ands controlling the system or the state to maintain its social status.
c. Materialism- Marxism and the offshoots of this ideology offer a complex
perspective and usage of materialism. Most social scientist, however, would
agree to the basic definition that “how people think is greatly affected by
how you live” (Sargent 2009).
9. d. Revolution – Almost all theories and ideologies related to Marxism
consider proclaiming revolution as the way to change the system. BY
revolution, Marx did not mean peaceful walkouts but a violent one in
which the proletariat will topple down the elite class, and all the systems
they have made. Even its violent nature, Marx considered revolution as
good and inevitable process that will eventually lead to a classless ideal
society in the form of communism.
10. 4. Anarchism. While most people are familiar with how anarchy is popularly
used to mean chaos due to the nonexistence of control mechanisms, the idea
behind it is actually more on peaceful coexistence and equality. Contrary to the
popular depiction of anarchism in movies, anarchist believe that since power
corrupts, a better system based on voluntary cooperation and not on power
relations should be established, and that this system will address the needs of the
people more successfully.
Anarchism teaches that we can live in a society when there is no
compulsion of any kind. A life without compulsion naturally means liberty; it
means freedom from being forced or coerced, a chance to lead the life that suits
you best.”
11. 5. Libertarianism – This is another version of anarchism but involves the
government in a minimal role such as ensuring the safety of everyone and fairness in
whatever contracts or dealings ( Sargent 2009)
Leaning about political ideologies is advantageous in understanding certain political
context. In the Philippines, different political ideologies like Marxism and communism
have affected different political-historical events such as the First Quarter Storm during
the Marcos dictatorship and the formation of different insurgents in the country like
NPA of the Communist Party of the Philippines.
There are other ideologies, depending on the issue or aspect of human life one is
studying. There are also new ideologies that may crop up. Remember that because of
multitude and complexity of some issues on politics and governance, we cannot be all
liberal or all too conservative.