Ideology In The French Revolution

The word ideology made its appearence in French as idéologie during the time of the French revolution by the philosopher by Destutt de Tracy. He called it his “science of idea”. The term “ideology” is widely being used in politics, social sciences and mass media. Ideology is a combination of “idea” (meaning; opinion) and logo (meaning; ground).

An ideology is a form of social or political philosophy in which practical elements are as prominent as theoretical ones; it is a system of idea that aspires both to explain the word and to change it. Ideology is a different form of beliefs about man, society and the universe. It is understood as a way of thinking about the cultural and social programme of a political movement launched to emancipate

For instance, in the ideology of anti-communism that for decades dominated politics and even scholarship in much of the Western World, ideology was typically associated with communism. In the same way as ideologies need not be negative, they need not be dominant -- there are also non-dominant ideologies that are often widely considered to be 'negative', such as those of religious sects or right-wing extremists. In other words, a general theory of ideology allows a broader and more flexible application of the notion. This does not exclude, a critical account of negative or dominant ideologies, simply because critical analysis is directed against all forms of power abuse and dominance, and will henceforth also focus on the ideological basis of dominance. In the same way, it is useful to have a general notion of power which need not imply a negative evaluation, as long as we are able to critically study power abuse or dominance. Hence we do not agree with those scholars who claim that a general notion of ideology does not allow critical

In opposition to Divine Right of King for example, there arose in Europe the ideology of self-determination and self-government. It eventually replaced the ideology that had supported monarchial governments. In turn, it helped to justify the American and French Revolution and the development of a constitutional monarchy in Great Britain.

The main and crucial point of discussion in any ideological system in any society is how it is maintained and built. Karl Marx was the one who first raised this question and claimed that “the idea of ruling class are in every epoch the ruling idea. “So the dominant ideology in a system is that belief which legitimates and justifies, the position of the major or ruling class. The reason is that those who are not benefited from this will oppose the beliefs that keep them at the