Ideologie

Ideology is a cohesive set of ideas and values that explains how society works and prescribes a course of political and social action. It links beliefs about human nature, justice, and the proper distribution of power and resources with prescriptions for policy and institutions. By providing explanations and goals, ideologies help organize political movements, mobilize supporters, and legitimize social arrangements.

The term ideology originated with the French word idéologie, coined in the late 18th century by Antoine Destutt de Tracy to denote the science of ideas. In its early usage it referred to a neutral study of ideas; in later political discourse it came to label a comprehensive, structured worldview that guides political behavior, sometimes with a pejorative sense of dogmatism.

Political ideologies include liberalism, conservatism, socialism, nationalism, fascism, feminism, environmentalism, religious fundamentalism, and others. They may be analyzed along ideological axes such as liberty versus equality, individuality versus community, or tradition versus progress. Real-world politics often blends elements from several ideologies and can shift over time.

Ideologies provide a framework for evaluating policy options, shaping party platforms, and guiding governance. They affect how problems are framed, which actors are deemed legitimate, and how resources are allocated. They can foster collective identity and political cohesion, or, conversely, justify exclusion and conflict when the ideology becomes totalizing.

Scholars note that ideologies can simplify complex social phenomena, rely on selective evidence, and obscure power dynamics. Critics argue that ideologies may serve interests of particular groups or become self-justifying systems. In academic analysis, ideology is studied as a set of beliefs embedded in social practices, with attention to its origins, coherence, and consequences.