1. What is ideology?
Ideology is a combination of ideas that change the way we see the world. It gives us an understanding of politics, society, and culture, giving us a strong perspective and actions. Ideologies are present everywhere, in politics, religion, and in a regular day. They can feel natural because they feel extremely invested in society and a lot of times not being motivated until challenged.
2. Conservative vs. Liberal Ideologies in US Politics
Conservatives and liberals have different views on government and social issues. Conservatives like a smaller type of government, unique values, and a market price, but as for liberals, they believe in a government that is active and gives equality and social welfare. The thing that can be worrying is the government’s involvement; liberals believe that as long as they have the government, their are more inequalities.
3. Althusser’s Definition of Ideology
Louis Althusser argued that ideology has an important role in changing our perspective of reality, primarily through different ways such as schools, media, and religion. It changes and affects the beliefs and actions, often without us knowing the effects. Althusser suggested that ideology “calls” or “interpellates” individuals, making them believe they are making free choices about what they believe, even though these beliefs are extremely influenced by other social and impactful factors.
I appreciate your insights on ideology and its pervasive role in shaping and influencing our perspectives. Althusser’s ideas about interpreting individual beliefs raise questions about how much our belief systems are generated from our unique mindsets versus what we absorb from our environment. There is nothing wrong with having ideologies; they encompass our desires, needs, and cultural aspects, essential parts of our identity. However, when someone seeks to exploit this diversity of beliefs to create a false sense of harmony, it can lead to social conflict and unrest. In today’s society, we often see how this exploitation contributes to unnecessary wars, famine, inequality, and various human dilemmas that threaten our existence. Sometimes, the Earth seems to respond to our actions with natural disasters, reflecting the tension we’ve created. When we ( Humanity) attempt to manipulate thoughts and take control of societal narratives through political structures prioritizing capitalism, we end up with consequential disparities. Althusser’s thoughts were right regarding how schools, media, and religions serve as tools for shaping minds and resetting individuals to think like those in power want everyone to believe. This creates a one-dimensional view of the world. I believe this can prevent people from being creative thinkers and could lead to a breakdown in our means to advance. Sometimes, when someone is overly consumed by their desire for control, they can become blind to their shortcomings. Looking at it from a conservative versus liberal point of view, I see the attempt to check one against the other. If I had to choose, I’d lean more towards liberal because they believe in justice distribution, which refers to the fair and equitable allocation of resources, benefits, and burdens within a society. It focuses on how goods (such as wealth, opportunities, and services) should be distributed among individuals and groups. I would choose that over the latter, but that’s not true freedom of choice. It just feels like another way of making me think I have the freedom to choose, which you might call a false dichotomy.