IDEOLOGY • FREE TRANSLATOR.ORG • Definition of Ideology

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noun

Ideology n.

The science of ideas.

(Metaph.) A theory of the origin of ideas which derives them exclusively from sensation. Note: By a double blunder in philosophy and Greek, idéologie... has in France become the name peculiarly distinctive of that philosophy of mind which exclusively derives our knowledge from sensation.

A set or system of theories and beliefs held by an individual or group, especially about sociopolitical goals and methods to attain them; in common usage, ideology is such a set of beliefs so strongly held by their adherents as to cause them to ignore evidence against such beliefs, and thus fall into error in this sense it is viewed as a negative trait; contrasted to pragmatism, and distinct from idealism.

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Etymology of 'Ideology'

Collaborative International Dictionary of English 0.48

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"Ideology" Quotes from Famous Books

... "simplified," that is to say to have all people live the same kind of life, the appearance of a type, celebrated under the sarcastic name of "noble penitent" (meaning the titled man who is ashamed of his privileged position as if it were a humiliating and infamous thing), the politico-socialistic ideology of the first Slavophiles, still half conservative, but wholly democratic; all these things were the results of the manifestations which astonished Rostopchin and made the more intelligent class of Russians fraternize more with the masses. In our day, this tendency has been eloquently illustrated ...

— Contemporary Russian Novelists • Serge Persky

... journalists and volunteers, who under pre-bellum conditions led a rather retired life and made no claim to any importance, suddenly found themselves representative of whole corps and armies and felt that they were "leaders" of the revolution. The nebulousness of their political ideology fully corresponded with the formlessness of the revolutionary consciousness of the masses. These elements were extremely condescending toward us "Sectarians," for we expressed the social demands of the workers and the peasants most ...

— From October to Brest-Litovsk • Leon Trotzky

Words linked to "Ideology" : dovishness, progressivism, totalitarianism, collectivism, libertarianism, absolutism, rightism, hawkishness, democracy, communism, totalism, segregationism, conservative, reactionism, constitutionalism, leftism, extremism, federalism, theorisation, conservatism, social democracy, ideological, elitism, theorization, Utopianism, radicalism, orientation, Negritude, meritocracy, political orientation, monarchism, centrism, autocracy, ideologic, domino theory, ideologist, theocracy, imperialism, liberalism, Orleanism, liberal, republicanism, socialism, moderatism, political theory, conservativism, anarchism