2. You have learned in the previous module that politics is a social
activity through which people make and amend the general rules
that guide their political life. As a phenomenon, politics is studied
using different theoretical perspectives. The connection between
political theory and practice is established by ideologies, among
many others.
Following Aristotle's contention that man is by nature a political
animal, all individuals are, in essence, political thinkers. Have you
heard your parents express their opinions on an issue of political
relevance? How about you? Have you not noticed that individuals
use political ideas and concepts when they share their opinions or
whenever they speak their mind? This module explores these
ideas from the perspective of major political ideologies
3. The Role of Ideas Why did the Filipinos march
against the dictator Ferdinand Marcos in what
became known as the 1986 EDSA People
Power Revolution? Why did people do the
same during the time of former President
Joseph Estrada in 2001? What are the reasons
behind the Million People March in 2013?
There must be motivational ideas behind their
actions.
4. Ideas are definitely abstract in nature that govern
individual behavior and actions. While they may not be
ideologies themselves, they constitute a part of the raw
material needed to create one coherent political doctrine.
How did the individuals who participate in rallies and
protests illustrated in figures 2.1, 2.2, and 2.3 perceive
the existence of inequality and injustice during their time?
How did they look at equality? What is justice for them?
Truly, these political ideas are not merely a passive
reflection of their personal interests because these
inspired and guided them in their political action.
8. As what has been highlighted earlier, political theory and
political practice are inextricably linked. Political ideas
emanate from the conceptions of how human beings react
to their environment. They are shaped and continuously
reshaped by current sociohistorical, economic, and
political circumstances. Whether you are conscious or
not, your behavior is guided by a set of ideas, beliefs, or
value systems you adhere to. At a more general level and
at a definitely larger scale, political ideas shape the nature
of political systems and serve as glue that binds societies
together
9. THE NATURE OF POLITICAL IDEOLOGY
An ideology is more or less a coherent set of ideas that direct or organize a specific political action
(Heywood 2013). It consists of belief and value systems, a discussion of existing power
relationships, an exploration of how political change is achieved in line with these power relations,
and an illustration of a desired future. The following are several definitions of political ideology
according to Heywood (2013)
• A political belief system
• An action-orientated set of political ideas
• The ideas of the ruling class
• The world-view of a particular social class or social group
• Political ideas that embody or articulate class or social interests
• Ideas that propagate false consciousness among the exploited or oppressed Ideas that
situate the individual within a social context and generate a sense of collective
belonging
• An officially sanctioned set of ideas used to legitimize a political system or regime
• An all-embracing political doctrine that claims a monopoly of truth
• An abstract and highly systematic set of political ideas
10. Before focusing on the major political ideologies, it is important to present first the spectrum of political
attitudes. Whether an individual is radical, liberal, moderate, conservative, or reactionary, he or she is
largely represented by his or her political values and beliefs in political change. You must have heard
before the terms leftist or rightist, and you might have wondered what they really mean in political
discourse. Each of the political attitudes mentioned is positioned in a linear spectrum (figure 2.4)-either on
the left, on the middle, or on the right. Thus, to be a leftist means being supportive of the values on the left
of the spectrum, while being a rightist means espousing the value of those on the right.
11. Each of these is an advocate of a particular political value and
possesses a political attitude about changing the status quo, or
the existing conditions. Given the illustration in figure 2.5, to be
considered a leftist means supporting the causes of those on the
left of the spectrum, where the radicals and the liberals are
located. These groups advocate changes in the status quo. The
conservatives and the reactionaries, on the other hand, are
located on the right side. The conservatives are the most
supportive of the status quo, which lies between the
conservatives and the reactionaries. The reactionaries, like the
conservatives, are reluctant to progressive change. Therefore,
the farther one is from the status quo, the more dissatisfied he or
she is with it, and hence more likely to be supportive of
fundamental changes. The closer a person to the status quo, the
less likely he or she is going to call for change.
12. Each of these is an advocate of a particular political value and possesses a
political attitude about changing the status quo, or the existing conditions.
Given the illustration in figure 2.5, to be considered a leftist means
supporting the causes of those on the left of the spectrum, where the
radicals and the liberals are located. These groups advocate changes in the
status quo. The conservatives and the reactionaries, on the other hand, are
located on the right side. The conservatives are the most supportive of the
status quo, which lies between the conservatives and the reactionaries. The
reactionaries, like the conservatives, are reluctant to progressive change.
Therefore, the farther one is from the status quo, the more dissatisfied he or
she is with it, and hence more likely to be supportive of fundamental
changes. The closer a person to the status quo, the less likely he or she is
going to call for change.
