Further reading and web links: Chapter 13

Further reading and web links: Chapter 13

For a useful discussion of how assumptions about human nature are built into ideologies see Schumaker, P. (2008) From Ideologies to Public Philosophies, Oxford: Blackwell, Chapter 6 ‘Questions of Human Nature’.

For a full discussion of ideology in a global age see Soborski, R. (2013), Ideology in a Global Age: Continuity and Change, Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan. For a short version of Soborski’s argument that ‘Contrary to popular belief, traditional ideologies are not dead and continue to map the politics of the global age’ go to
http://blogs.lse.ac.uk/politicsandpolicy/contrary-to-popular-belief-traditional-ideologies-are-not-dead-and-continue-to-map-the-politics-of-the-global-age/

A good source for a critical discussion of the ‘end of history’ debate is Hall, S., Held, D., and McGrew, T. (eds) (1992), Modernity and its Futures, Cambridge: Polity Press –Chapter 1 ‘Liberalism, Marxism and Democracy’ by David Held. See also Chapter 5 ‘Social Pluralism and Post-Modernity’ by Kenneth Thompson for discussion of post-modernism.

This chapter has explored the issue of whether traditional ideologies are still as relevant in framing political debate and, more specifically, whether politics can be conceived in some sense ‘beyond ideology’. The following resources will help you to explore this question further:

For an argument that the era of neoliberalism is coming to an end see this essay by Martin Jacques (2016) ‘The death of neoliberalism and the crisis in western politics’
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2016/aug/21/death-of-neoliberalism-crisis-in-western-politics

Andrew Gamble (2000) defends politics against various forms of what he calls ‘endism’, including the ‘end of ideology’ and the ‘end of history’, in Politics and Fate, Polity Press

One of the main challenges to the traditional ideologies comes in the form of the rise of populism. This phenomenon is analysed by Jan-Werner Muller (2016) in What is Populism? University of Pennsylvania Press. For a short version of Muller’s arguments see his essay ‘Trump, Erdoğan, Farage: The attractions of populism for politicians, the dangers for democracy’ in The Guardian, 2 September 2016.
https://www.theguardian.com/books/2016/sep/02/trump-erdogan-farage-the-attractions-of-populism-for-politicians-the-dangers-for-democracy

See also Mudde, C. (2015) ‘Populism in Europe: a primer’ on the openDemocracy website at
https://www.opendemocracy.net/can-europe-make-it/cas-mudde/populism-in-europe-primer

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