Ideology: A Marxist Perspective

It is commonly accepted that Destutt de Tracy, who was a French enlightenment thinker first coined the term ‘ideology’. The term does not have a specific definition because it uses in deferent types of ways. However, ‘ideology’ can be defined as the ‘science of ideas’ in general. The term ‘ideology’ has first coined during the French Revolution and it has taken different other meanings thereafter. In general, ideology can be defined as ‘a set of idea, beliefs, and attitudes, consciously or unconsciously held, which reflects or shapes understandings or misconceptions of the social and political world’ (Craig, 1998, p. 681). 

Usually, the term ‘ideology’ is used to define the normative beliefs and values that are accepted by an individual or a group of people which can be affected to economic and political theories. These assumptions might and might not have a factual basis. The term ‘ideology’ is used in various fields. To illustrate, in political field it is used to refer political belief systems whereas in economic background the term has used to refer economic belief systems.

It should be mentioned that ideology ‘serves to recommend, justify, or endorse collective action aimed at preserving or changing political practices and institutions’ (Craig, 1998, p. 681). The concept of ‘ideology’ can be divided within two meanings. They are,

-Pejorative, historically distorted political thought

-Non-pejorative affirmation on culture, family, symbols etc.

It should be mentioned that the forms and frameworks that we use to live and the affect of the consciousness in everything that we perform can be included into the meaning of the term ‘ideology’. The term ‘ideology’ is used in day-to-day life to define political ideas and beliefs like socialism, liberalism etc. There can be seen some dominant ideologies like capitalism, marriage and male superiority. For instance, male superiority considered as a dominant ideology. Such societies suppose men as the most suitable for the positions, which is the most powerful, and the priority is given to the males in the process of decision making. The term ‘ideology’ is used in accordance with different contexts. Particularly Marxists use it. 

Marx on ‘ideology’

In the 19th century Marx, renovate the concept of ideology into a significant and a critical concept. Marxist concept of ideology is defined in two ways. On one hand, he emphasizes its relation to the capitalist production and he points out how the thought of ideology mislead people. Marx defined ideology as a ‘false consciousness’ in which the consciousness that is created by the ruling class through falsely introduced ideas. Although those falsely created ideas have been created as universal truths, it should be emphasized that the ruling class spread those ideas only to serve their class and its interests. Therefore, the workers who hold ‘false consciousness’ act against their own interest because they have mislead by the bourgeois ideological thoughts. 

Furthermore, the class struggle is also created by an ideology. It means that, the domination of one particular class over the other class is created by an ideology. According to Marx, the thoughts that are belong to the dominant class lies in every era of the dominant class. Those thoughts are based on the material relations that the dominant class posses. It is the representation of their class dominance. That is the way that the historical materialism has been introduced by Marx. Therefore, as it has mentioned by Marx, ideology is the underlying cause of the class conflict. The relationship between the consciousness and the reality is balanced in the communist society. 

According to Marx, certain ideas, thoughts, conceptual and frameworks colonize the consciousness. Marx called this as the ‘bourgeois ideology’. When it comes to capitalism, it is based on the mode of production. The commodities that are produced to the market produce wealth. The laborers sell their labor in this production process. An additional value is added to the product through labor. Capitalist system hides this abstract labor, which is not paid to the worker. Capitalists needed a hide this and they wanted to obstruct the rise of the proletarian class. For that, ‘bourgeois ideology’ is used by the capitalist society. 

If the proletariats actually understand the nature of capitalist society, then they should do a revolution, which transforms the capitalist society into a socialist society where the proletarian’s power is dominant. Even though the proletarians understand the exploitative nature of capitalist society, do not carry out a revolution. There should be something that obstructs the proletarian revolution. Marx describes that ‘ideology’ formulates that impediment. What is important here is that,

‘Ontologically, ideology could be contained in Marx’s foundational materialist axiom that being conditions consciousness. Epistemologically, it emerged as a special case when human consciousness reflected the alienated, dehumanized and partial existence of human beings though a distorted representation of that existence’ (Craig, 1998, p. 681).

Capitalist society controls human consciousness through ideology. It has distorted the way proletarians think. Capitalist ideology makes proletarians to believe that capitalist system is fairly treat workers and proletarians are given what they deserve for their work. In addition, it conveys that if someone wants to be wealthy, then they should work hard in order to achieve what they have desired. This ideology is treated to the school children too. However, the hidden purpose is to remain within the capitalist society and to obstruct to proletarian revolution. 

As it has mentioned by Marx, the dominant ideology of the society is a part of its superstructure, which is created on the top of the society’s foundation. He referred the term to the superstructure which includes the society’s institutions, beliefs, ideas, laws etc. mainly the concept of ‘ideology’ has derived from the scheme of superstructure. According to him, Bourgeois society and ideology have a close relationship because in the capitalist society the bourgeois class according to their preferences has created the ideology. 

Marx says that, the bourgeois class through their life view suppresses proletarians. That means if someone lives in a capitalist society and that particular person sees the world through a consciousness, which sees that society as a hope, then that, becomes the motivating factor in which the bourgeois society expects. In summary, it can be mentioned that the term ‘ideology’ has been used by Marx to define,

-The ideology that the bourgeois class imposed on the proletarians 

-The ideologies that have their existence in every class 

In the contemporary world, the term ‘ideology’ is used in a much broader sense that Marx has used it. The application of the term into the current societies is mainly does in the political field. Each and every political thought is based on an ideology.  

According to Marx, every class has its own ideology. For instance, the ideology that the proletarians have would be their guidance force to the revolution. In that sense, both bourgeois ideology and proletarian ideology go one over the other. Karl Marx placed ideology within the context of class struggle. After Marx, the term has given different broad meanings as a part of the societal formation. 

Works Cited

Althusser, L. (2012). Ideology and Ideological State Apparatuses (Notes towards an Investigation). In S. Zizek (Ed.), Mapping Ideology (p. 348). Verso.

Craig, E. (Ed.). (1998). Routledge Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Vol. 4). Routledge.