This document summarizes several major political and economic ideologies that emerged between 1750-1914, including liberalism, conservatism, socialism, communism, capitalism, nationalism, imperialism, and militarism. It traces the origins and key principles of each ideology, often highlighting influential early thinkers. For example, it notes that Adam Smith advocated for free markets and claimed that trade decreased conflict, while Karl Marx promoted communism which sought to abolish private property and class divisions. The document also discusses how ideologies like social Darwinism and egalitarianism related to views on class and equality during this era.

1. 1750-1914
Emerging economic, social,
and political ideas

2. What is ideology?
 Ideology is ‘an interrelated set of ideas that in some
way guides or inspires political action’.
 ‘An ideology is a reasonably coherent structure of
thought shared by a group of people. It is a means of
explaining how society works and explaining how it
ought to work.’

3. Copy two examples from each category of Ideologies

4. Movements inspiring 19th-century ideologies
The Enlightenment its ideals of reason, progress, secularism, and the
liberty of the (male) individual.
The French Revolution – experiments in social engineering, radical
republicanism, critique of all established norms (including the family
and private property), state-building and the formation of national
identity.
Industrialization – the advent of a capitalist order of bourgeoisie -- with
comfort, security, and ownership -- over laborers mired in poverty
and a host of other social ills.

5. Left and Right: The Political Spectrum
The most common comparative model of ideological preference
Left Wing Right Wing
Liberalism Conservatism
Centrism
Socialism
Communism Statism Fascism

6. Democracy
 The beginnings of democracy can
be traced back to the Greeks.
 Pericles (495-429 BC) declared that
ancient Athens (Greece) was a
democracy because “power rested in
the hands of the many instead of the
few”.
 As an idea it is probably best summed
up by Abraham Lincoln, “government
of the people, by the people, for the
people”.
The Trial of Socrates

7. COUNTRIES THAT EMBRACE DEMOCRACY

8. Democratic Ideologies: Liberalism
 Liberalism is defined as a
philosophy, which is committed to
the ideology of limited government,
freedom of speech, religion,
assembly, press and free markets. It
advocated a specific kind of
government, public policy and
society required as a result of the
urbanization and industrial
revolution.
John Stuart Mill

9. Democratic Ideologies: Capitalism
 Capitalism is defined as a
social and economic system
where capital assets are mainly
owned and controlled by private
persons, where labour is
purchased for money wages,
capital gains accrue to private
owners.
Adam Smith
The Wealth of Nations
Adam Smith claimed that people who trade
with each other don’t go to war with each
other.

10. Democratic Ideologies: Conservatism
 Conservatism is a political and social
philosophy that promotes retaining traditional
social institutions.
• A stable society should be based on the church,
the state and the family.
• Conservatives held that old established
institutions were to be preserved: MONARCHY,
ARISTOCRACY, and the CHURCH.
• Faith, history and tradition should replace
reason and excessive belief in individual rights.
• Change, if it comes, must be gradual and must
take into account the country’s history and
traditions.
Edmund Burke
Wrote “Reflections on the
Revolution in France” (1790)

11. Socialism
The term socialism stems from theories
that try to improve the miserable lot of the
urban industrial working class.
Various forms of socialism have in
common the goal of subjecting property to
the control by the community or the state at
the expense of private or individual interest.
More radical forms of socialism sought the
abolition of private property.
In the C19th, socialism became a popular
theory because some people thought that
living and working conditions would improve
if there were greater government
intervention and regulation.
Noel Babeuf
Robert Owen

12. Communism
The central ideas were:
 The abolition of private
property
 no longer be a separation
of society based upon
social and economic class

13. Social Darwinism: Survival of the Fittest
 Social Darwinists believed
that the strongest or fittest
should survive and flourish in
society, while the weak and
unfit should be allowed to die.
 In the 18th century it was used
to back up the common belief
that the poor were
‘undeserving’ and held back
by their own lack of effort.
 Imperialists and slave traders
also used it as justification:
right to rule and subjugate.

14. Egalitarianism
In an egalitarian society, all
people have equal social, political
and economic status, considered
to be a ‘classless’ society: there is
no upper, middle or lower classes
–everyone is considered equal.

15. Imperialism
 State policy, practice,
or advocacy of
extending power and
dominion, especially
by direct territorial
acquisition or by
gaining political and
economic control of
other areas.

16. Nationalism
 Nationalism is a state-based ideology. Intended to promote
the construction and maintenance of the nation state.
 Nationalism can be a powerful force in unifying people in a
country. It makes people feel that they share a similar past,
present and future.
 Loyalty and devotion to one's nation or country, especially as
above loyalty to other groups or to individual interests.
 Nationalism is also used to justify imperialism. It can also
become racist when one nation sees itself as superior to
others.
 For the extreme think of Nazi Germany!
Spirit of Nationalism

17. Militarism
 The belief that a country
should maintain a strong
military capability and
be prepared to use it
aggressively to defend or
promote national
interests.
At the height of the British Empire,
photographs of naval and military
commanders were a popular subject for
eagerly collected cigarette cards. The one
shown here, from the turn of the 20th
century, depicts then-Captain Jellicoe.