Ideology

Strictly speaking, the term ideology designates the science of ideas. It is commonly employed, however, to refer to a body of ideas and values characteristic of an individual, a society or a school of thought. We talk of the Marxist ideology or a capitalist ideology, for example, or the ideology of the upper classes.

Because of the richness and ambiguities of terms related to value, semiotic theory distinguishes two basic organizing principles governing their expression: on the one hand there are systems of value that are arranged on a paradigmatic axis signifying either by equivalence or opposition. For example, in such a system 'wealth' signifies in opposition to 'poverty' but on an equivalent level with 'opulence' or 'riches'. The term axiology has been reserved for these paradigmatic value systems.

The term ideology, on the other hand, is used to describe the syntagmatic arrangement of values, that is their actualization in a quest. Subjects desire values which become objects of quests. The values themselves, of course, form part of axiological systems. Their selection and setting up as goals, however, define ideology. Once a quest is realized, we no longer talk of ideology. In other words, the notion of ideology contains a permanent quest as reflected in the actantial structure of its discourse. To offer an example: considering the Christian faith an ideology, we find the Bible stories, again and again, presenting moral values as goals to be achieved but not yet attained.

See also actualization and axiology.

مواضيع ذات صلة

Idiolect

Identity

Iconicity

Icon

Hypotactic

Homologation

Hierarchy

Heterotopic space

Hero

Hermeneutics

Helper

Having-to-do