ESSAY

ESSAY



ESSAY

Marx and Engels's 'Ruling Ideas'

At any time, the ideas of the ruling class are the ruling ideas: i.e. the class which is the, ruling material force of society is also the dominant spiritual power. The class that has the means of material production at the same time has, therefore, means of intellectual production, so that in general, exercising its discretion on the ideas of those to whom these means are lacking. The dominant thoughts are nothing but the expression of ideas prevailing physical conditions, these conditions intended to be as ideas, so the expression of social relations that are just one class the ruling class so the ideas its supremacy (Branston and Stafford, 2006, pp. 125-140).

In sociological ideology, more or less systematic set of beliefs that attempt to explain the man and the world, while guiding their behavior based on certain values accepted as correct. In this broad sense, the whole world is a theory of ideology: it is both reactionary point of view and conservative, both the progressive and radical (including Marxism itself). In all societies of the world, the theories or ideologies as, Engels said, "everything that moves men must necessarily pass through their heads." Marxism added to this broad concept the following characteristics:

a) understand ideology as broadly identifying just ideology with culture, in the "Critique of Political Economy," Marx says that encompasses the right ideology, politics, religion, art, philosophy, and (suggested) to the science itself;

b) ideologies do not describe the man and his situation in the world and society in the right way but a distorted, false;

c) this distortion in the description of man is a consequence of the interest of the ruling class to maintain its dominant position, as Marx says in "The German Ideology" "the ideas of the ruling class are in every epoch, the ideas dominant ". The ruling class has the means of material production, but also the control and production of spiritual goods, the production of culture, so that the ideas will succeed in a society where the ruling class wants to dominate;

d) ideologies are a "social product": thoughts of men are the result of their society, particularly the current economic order;

e) as a result of the above thesis, the various forms of ideology (religion, politics, philosophy) have no history or self-development; this means, for example, that a history of philosophy to explain the different philosophical systems from problems and solutions that philosophers have been submitted (a story "inside" of philosophy) is a bad history of philosophy, the good history of philosophy must show the relationship between philosophical systems that appear throughout history and economic circumstances of that mirror (Branston and Stafford, 2006, pp. 125-140).

In today's contemporary society, the ruling idea is of self benefit, everyone in today's world while neglecting socialism just work hard for their own benefit. Materialism prevails in today's society everyone wants to become successful at any cost no matter if they have to choose the wrong path. Moreover, the elite class, the industrialists, and those who are ...