ABSTRACT
The Roman Catholic Church in the 19th century was driven to devise an ideology in order to position itself against capitalist as well as socialist ideologies which it perceived as a mortal threat. All ideologies of solidarity are a threat to the individual, to her rights and to her claim to be judged as a responsible individual. The value of ideologies thus lies in what they offer, a map, a sense of direction and aims. Theory tries to make sense out of political experience in terms of the most fundamental conceptions of human nature and history, while ideology is action directed and looks to organize public opinion. Stanley Hoffmann evidently has a well-developed moral sense, that emerges most clearly when he teaches and talks about what he wants to give the students beyond an understanding of the phenomena. The fact remains that America is where Stanley has spent most of his life.
