Unit 1: Should ideology be the foundation of identity?
Chapter 1: On which beliefs and values should my ideology be based on?
Collective and Individual Beliefs and Values
►Collectivism places the needs of the whole group before those of any individual within the group.
►What are some examples of collectivism that we have learned about in the past?
►Individualism places the needs of an individual above a whole group.
►What are some examples of individualism that we have learned about in the past?
►Pg. 7 in Understandings of Ideologies
►There are some instances where people may not fit within the categories of collectivism or individualism.
►Some people feel that there are benefits to both collectivism and individualism.
►Pg. 9 Figure 1-3
►Ones identity is shaped by their values and beliefs. One can have both individual values and beliefs and also collective values and believes.
►Factors that influence individual and collective beliefs and values are:
- Culture
- Language
- Religion and spirituality
- Environment and relationship to the land
- Gender
- Media
- Ideology
►As we have studied in past years, ones beliefs and values may compliment or contend with one another. Ones beliefs or values may even compliment or contend with those of other people or the society which they live in.
►Ones identity is a complex balancing act between many competing factors: priorities, cultures, influences, languages, beliefs and values.
Understanding Ideologies
►Ideologies are systems of thought that try to explain how the social world works, how we should live together, how we should treat one another, why we should or should not care about society and others, and how society ought to be in the future.
►Ideologies are formed through the creation of new idea and ways of thinking.
►Each ideology was started with a small group of people who share a new way of thinking.
►In some cases, those who share the same values and beliefs come to share the same ideology.
►Ideologies can be grouped into themes. Four common themes are:
- Nation
- Religion
- Class
- Relationship to the land and the environment
Nation
►Some ideologies reflex the beliefs and values related to a nation. (A nation can be considered a country, e.g. Canada is a civic nation, or a group of people with common culture, history, language, customs, etc. For example, Metis or Quebecois.)
►A nation is concerned with sovereignty, self-preservation, its own identity, citizenship, and the rights of its citizens. Sometimes a nation may take it to the extreme and conflict with other nations.
►What is an example of a country that has taken its values and beliefs to the extreme?
Religion
►Religion is a key theme of some ideologies. Many religious beliefs and values relate to ethics and morality.
►Some states are governed according to religious beliefs and values which can lead to conflict and wars even though the religion itself does not promote violence.
►Examples of religion as a theme of ideology:
- Iran: As of 1979, Iran is a non-secular state.
- Germany: The CDU (Christian Democratic Union) is one of the largest political parties in Germany.
- Turkey: Is currently struggling with secularism and non-secularism
- India: The BJP party is the religious party of India – strong force for Hindu Nationalism.
Class
►Social class is how society is structured and is based on the occupations or the amount of money one has.
►There is the working class, the middle class, and the upper class.
►Communism is an ideology that proposes that the working class rises against the upper class so that all classes are eliminated and all people are free.
Relationship to the Land and Environment
►For many years, people have relied on their inter-relationship with the earth’s resources as part of their survival and beliefs and values.
►Those who oppose the over use of the earth’s resources and the damaging of our environment have the ideology of environmentalism.
►Ideologies also have a variety of characteristics. For example:
- Interpretations of history
- Beliefs about human nature
- Beliefs about society
- Visions for the future
Interpretations of History
►History shows us where we come from and what society was like in the past. People who have different ideologies are likely to interpret history differently from one another, while those who share the same ideology with interpret history the same.
►A nation interprets its history and this interpretation then becomes part of the nations ideology.
►Interpretations of history are often demonstrated through acts of patriotism. Citizens celebrate their history as a group and share it with the rest of the world.5
Beliefs about human nature
►Throughout history there have been many horrendous acts of violence towards our fellow human beings and also extreme acts of humanity.
►People such as Hitler, Pol Pot, and Stalin have all committed crimes against humanity.
►There are also those such as Mother Theresa and Gandhi who have done all that they could to help the fellow human beings.
►There have been many people who have thought, talked and written about human nature.
►Three of the most influential philosophers in Western society are Thomas Hobbes, John Locke, and Jean-Jacques Rousseau. These three men have influenced and shaped Western ideologies.
Thomas Hobbes (1588-1679)
►An English philosopher who lived during the English Civil War. The war was between the king and the Parliament and King Charles I was beheaded.
►He believed that human nature was characterized by fear, violence, and dangerous self-interest.
►Believed that it was dangerous to allow people to be free to do as they wish and that security is more important than freedom.
►It was his belief that people should give up their freedom to a king or dictator who was responsible for everyone's security.
John Locke (1632-1704)
►Another English philosopher who lived during the Enlightenment period.
►Lockes ideas influenced great events such as the American Revolution and his ideas can be seen in the Declaration of Independence.
►He believed that people are rational, intelligent, and reasonable.
►According to Locke, government only exists to protect life, liberty, and property, and that any government action had to be justified by the approval of the majority of society.
Jean-Jacques Rouseau (1712-1778)
►From Geneva, Switzerland and was interested in the common good.
►He believed that people are inherently good and have been corrupted by civilization and society. He also believed that humans are naturally free and equal.
►Believed that private ownership and property had led to jealousy and corruption. People had lost their compassion towards one another and had become selfish.
►He didn’t believe in elected democratic representatives and felt that the will of the people was absolute authority. People should make laws directly.
Beliefs about Society
►Some societies are built on goodwill and peace while others are built on tyranny and fear.
►Part of looking at the nature of society is determining whether you have more of a collectivist or individualist standpoint.
►In Alberta, one can no longer smoke in public places. This is seen as an individual right to protect ones health or a collective right for protecting the common good of the province.
Beliefs about the Structure of Society
►Society has three main parts: informal social structures, economic structures, and political structures.
►What each of these structures looks like depends on the values and beliefs of the people who live there.
►Pg. 34, Figure 1-27
Informal social structures
►Unwritten rules that are understood by a society.
Economic structure
►Communism versus Capitalism
►Use link to see the Economic Spectrum:
Political structure
►In a democracy, a good citizen is one who challenges the government. In a non-democratic society, a good citizen is one who agrees with or obeys the government.
►Use the same link above to see the political spectrum.
Roles in Society
►Greek philosopher, Plato, believed that the community was best served by each citizen doing what he or she did best. He believed that we are not all created equally in talent and skill, and that we should pursue what we are best at.
Visions of the Future
►Most ideologies have a vision of what the future looks like. This future is reflected in the values and beliefs of the ideology.
►During the French Revolution, revolutionaries saw a future where the power belonged to the people, not to the king and the church.
►Karl Marx believed that in a communist state, that people would be able to pursue whatever they wished.
Chapter 2: Should the values of individualism shape an ideology?
►Individualism and Liberalism
►Prior to the 1300s, individualism was unheard of. Most people fit into distinct categories: peasants, traders, craftsmen, clergy, and nobility.
►You had very little choice in what category you were placed during this time. If you were born a peasant, you would remain a peasant unless your parents had the opportunity to have a craftsman train you.
►Other evidence for the lack of individualism was the art work. Most artwork focused around religious themes and people. Individuals were rarely glorified.
►See page 45, Figure 2-4
►During the Renaissance (1300 – 1600), values and beliefs began to change. People became more interested in the individual.
►For example, Leonardo Da Vinci began to paint the human form.
►Others also had pieces of art that did not reflect religious themes or people.
►There was a growing importance of books, education, and an increasing number of wealthy nobles, merchants and craftsmen.
►Pg. 46, figure 2-5
►The Age of Enlightenment came during the early 1600s to the late 1700s. During this time, focus on the importance of the individual began. Society began to change in Europe.
►People believed that the individual mattered, that reason (not religion) should be the source of knowledge, and that each individual was reasonable and capable of governing himself.
►The Scientific Revolution also began during this time, with many scientists and mathematicians challenging old beliefs.
►Due to the growing popularity of individualism, a new political ideology, called liberalism, formed. The main aspect liberalism is the importance of individual liberty.
►In the late 1700s, both the Americans and the French went through revolutions because the people wanted individual rights and freedoms.
►Liberal democracy is a form of government where the rights and freedoms of the individual are guaranteed. People can vote for their leaders.
►Political Expressions of Liberalism
►Two of the greater events of history are both the American Revolution (1776) and the French Revolution (1789-1799). Both of these events are the political roots of liberalism.
►When the United States declared their independence from Britain in 1776, the country was founded on the basis that all men are equal, in the Declaration of Independence.
►In France, the French Revolution led to the creation of the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen. This symbolized the change from being ruled by an absolute monarch to a constitutional monarch.
►Women’s march on Versailles
The Rule of Law and Social Contract
►The Rule of law is the idea that the law itself, not the individual, has the greatest power and that all individuals are subject to the law.
►This means that even rulers, leaders and monarchs, must follow the laws that are set.
►Along with the rule of law, there is also the social contract. This is the idea that each individual agrees to be governed so that they may gain the benefits of living in that society. For example, defence against enemies and trade opportunities.
Individual Rights and Freedoms
►With liberalism, many countries have created charters and declarations that ensure that all members of society have the same legal rights and freedoms.
►Some examples: freedom of religion, freedom of association, and the right to life, liberty, and security.
►Also, one important right is the right to vote (once 18 or 21).
►While we have all of these rights, there are also limitations to our rights and freedoms.
►An example of the limitations to our freedoms comes with the freedom of speech.
►Our freedom of speech ends when one says something unfair, untrue and harmful.
►Example: in 2006, the Supreme Court of Canada ordered Susan Halstead to pay $676 000 for making unfounded allegations, such as drug and alcohol abuse, incompetent teaching, and misconduct, on her website titled “Least Wanted Educators”.
►Another example is James Keegstra, who used derogatory language to describe Jewish people and taught his students that the Jewish people “created the Holocaust to gain sympathy.” He also taught that the Holocaust did not happen. He was dismissed in 1982 from his position and in 1984 charged with unlawfully promoting hatred against an identifiable group and found guilty.
►Some countries do not practice what may be written in their constitutions. For example, in China, the people may have freedom of speech and the press but there is a monitoring body that ensures all media content promotes and is consistent with party beliefs. In 2005, China jailed 32 journalists. In 2006, the government announced strict new rules about TV news coverage, TV dramas, and certain Internet sites.
Economic Expressions of Individualism
►The economic roots of liberalism began in the 1500s and continued until the 1700s in Europe with mercantilism.
►Mercantilism is based on the idea that a country should accumulate as much wealth as possible through exporting more goods than it imports. It is also based on the idea that the working class is oppressed while the government would benefit.
►There were many who objected to mercantilism, including Adam Smith, who in 1776, proposed the idea of a free market economy.
►A free market economy is where the price of goods and services is set by the demand for them – supply and demand. The government has no say in the prices, the prices are set by supply and demand.
►Smith believed that most people act in their self-interest and by doing so can help others and contribute to the common good through their efforts.
►He felt that if people were able to better themselves through hard work without government interference, then the economy would become stronger.
►Smith’s ideas contributed to the Industrial Revolution.
Economic Freedom, Self-Interest, and Competition
►Economic freedom is the ability of individuals to act freely as consumers and producers.
►We all have the freedom to buy what we please and to work the type of job that we please.
►Employers also have self-interests: they want dependable, hard-working and experienced employees and to be able to pay these employees a wage in which the company can still make a profit and compete in the market.
►Markets where consumers and businesses have free choice is called a free market.
Private Property
►Historically in Canada and the United States, many First Nations, Metis, and Inuit peoples did not claim ownership to the land. It was felt that no one owned the land because it was to be shared by all living things.
►However, there are many who believe that private property is an important right in society.
►Property law once meant land only but today it includes land, physical possessions, and intellectual property.
Social Expressions of Individualism
►The rights and freedoms of and individual are very important in today’s society.
►However, everyone does not have the same advantages or disadvantages. Some face mental or physical challenges, or receive unfair treatment due to skin colour, sexual orientation, or gender.
►Modern liberals believe that these challenges can threaten ones freedom and that the challenges must be addressed through government intervention.
►Throughout the 1800s and into the 1900s, some felt that the government needed to play a stronger role to protect and to support those living in poverty and there were many governments who introduced laws and programs to help those in the working class.
►When the Great Depression hit in the 1930s, many pushed for more government action. The reason for this was how can one living in poverty be free in the same way as someone who could afford health care and education?
The Right to Education and Individualism
►There are those out there who believe that the government should provide schools that meet the needs of students with different cultural and linguistic backgrounds. And there are those who feel that the education system should be like a free market and allow the forces of supply and demand to decide what types of schools exist.