Alien Powers: The Pure Theory of IdeologyTransaction Publishers, 2009 M06 30 - 395 páginas The term "ideology" can cover almost any set of ideas, but its power to bewitch political activists results from its strange logic: part philosophy, part science, part spiritual revelation, all tied together in leading to a remarkable paradox--that the modern Western world, beneath its liberal appearance, is actually the most systematically oppressive system of despotism the world has ever seen. Alien Powers: The Pure Theory of Ideology takes this complex intellectual construction apart, analyzing its logical, rhetorical, and psychological devices and thus opening it up to critical analysis. Ideologists assert that our lives are governed by a hidden system. Minogue traces this notion to Karl Marx who taught intellectuals the philosophical, scientific, moral, and religious moves of the ideological game. The believer would find in these ideas an endless source of new liberating discoveries about the meaning of life, and also the grand satisfaction of struggling to overcome oppression. Minogue notes that while the patterns of ideological thought were consistent, there was little agreement on who the oppressor actually was. Marx said it was the bourgeoisie, but others found the oppressor to be males, governments, imperialists, the white race, or the worldwide Jewish conspiracy. Ideological excitement created turmoil in the twentieth century, but the defeat of the more violent and vicious ideologies--Nazism after 1945 and Communism after 1989--left the passion for social perfection as vibrant as ever. Activist intellectuals still seek to "see through" the life we lead. The positive goals of utopia may for the moment have faded, but the ideological hatred of modernity has remained, and much of our intellectual life has degenerated into a muddled and dogmatic skepticism. For Minogue, the complex task of "demystifying" the "demystifiers" requires that we should discover how ideology works. It must join together each of its complex strands of thought in order to understand the remarkable power of the whole. |
Contenido
Chapter 1 | 1 |
Chapter 2 | 9 |
Chapter 3 | 51 |
Chapter 4 | 87 |
Chapter 5 | 131 |
Chapter 6 | 153 |
Chapter 7 | 191 |
Chapter 8 | 217 |
Chapter 9 | 237 |
Chapter 10 | 263 |
Chapter 11 | 289 |
Notes | 331 |
353 | |
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abstract academic actually Alien Powers argument belief bourgeois capitalism capitalist century character characterized Christian civilization claim conception condition conflict consciousness constitute construed contemporary definition democracy determined dialectical difficult discover doctrine domination empiricism enquiry Eric Voegelin evidence example explanation fact false consciousness fascism field find first fit G. A. Cohen H. B. Acton Hegel human idea identified ideo ideological criticism ideological revelation ideological terminus ideological theory ideologist ideology illocutionary act individual influence intellectual interests Karl Marx Karl Popper kind liberal live logical London man’s Marx and Engels Marx’s Marxist MECW merely Miliband Minogue Minogue’s modern world moral oppression patriarchy perception philosophical political practice problem proletariat pure theory question rational reality reason recognize reflect religion remarks revolution revolutionary rhetoric scientific selfishness significant situation social society specific structure theoretical things thought Thucidides tion truth understanding