ABSTRACT
This chapter begins with an overview of the various ways that the term ‘ideology’ has been understood, and also provides short accounts of some of the most significant modern political ideologies including: liberalism, conservatism, socialism, fascism, nationalism, anti-racism, feminism, and ecologism. It examines whether the conventional ‘left–right spectrum’ is a meaningful or helpful way of framing ideological landscapes and disputes. There has been a growing tendency among academic scholars to study political ideologies without subscribing to a view on whether ‘ideology’ is a good or bad thing. Political views often rest on deeper ideas about the ‘good life’, ‘human nature’, or the ultimate goals of politics, and there is no easy way of proving these kinds of ideas right or wrong. The term ‘liberalism’ came into common usage in the eighteenth century. The roots of socialism have been traced back a long way, and its emphasis upon cooperation, fairness, and equality have long had a popular appeal.
