Is There An End Of Ideologies

Ever since its first publication in 1992, The End of History and the Last Man has provoked controversy and debate. Francis Fukuyama's prescient analysis of religious fundamentalism, politics, scientific progress, ethical codes, and war is as essential for a world fighting fundamentalist terrorists as it was for the end of the Cold War. Now updated with a new afterword, The End of History and the Last Man is a modern classic.

This is an examination of each of the major ideologies that have shaped political thinking, action and conflict. Each chapter provides an overview of the state of these ideologies and a retrospective assessment of their strengths and weaknesses.

Assesses the major ideologies of modern times, including liberalism, socialism, and conservatism, and traces their relationships with one another, with the ambiguous ideology of nationalism, and to the emergence of modern societies, democratic politics, and Enlightenment ideas. Overviews key themes.

Is ideology just a political pejorative term to stigmatise those whose politics are allegedly driven by faith rather than by critical thinking? Can we actually claim that we are free from ideological inclinations? Is discourse just the means of expression of a particular ideology? In order to clarify some misunderstandings about these two key concepts in the fields of social and political philosophy, political theory and cultural theory, this book traces their origins, discusses the ways in which they have been appropriated by Marxist and post-Marxist theorists, and examines the conceptual differences and similarities between them.

How do leaders perceive threat levels in world politics, and what effects do those perceptions have on policy choices? Mark L. Haas focuses on how ideology shapes perception. He does not delineate the content of particular ideologies, but rather the degree of difference among them. Degree of ideological difference is, he believes, the crucial factor as leaders decide which nations threaten and which bolster their state's security and their own domestic power. These threat perceptions will in turn impel leaders to make particular foreign-policy choices. Haas examines great-power relations in five periods: the 1790s in Europe, the Concert of Europe (1815–1848), the 1930s in Europe, Sino-Soviet relations from 1949 to 1960, and the end of the Cold War. In each case he finds a clear relationship between the degree of ideological differences that divided state leaders and those leaders' perceptions of threat level (and so of appropriate foreign-policy choices). These relationships held in most cases, regardless of the nature of the ideologies in question, the offense-defense balance, and changes in the international distribution of power.

Now in its fourth edition, Political Ideologies: An Introduction continues to be the best introductory textbook for students of political ideologies. Completely revised and updated throughout, this edition features: A comprehensive introduction to all of the most important ideologies Brand new chapters on multiculturalism, anarchism, and the growing influence of religion on politics More contemporary examples of twenty-first-century iterations of liberalism, socialism, conservatism, fascism, green political theory, nationalism, and feminism Enhanced discussion of the end of ideology debates and emerging theories of ideological formation Six new contributors. Accessible and packed with both historical and contemporary examples, this is the most useful textbooks for scholars and students of political ideologies. The contributors to this volume have all taught or carried out research at the School of Politics, International Studies and Philosophy of Queen’s University, Belfast, or have close research connections with the School.