Ideology: Enlightens or Enslaves - Essay Example

But this spiritual renaissance and cultural one, as well as social had not been coincidental. Enlightenment was derived from French Revolution in 1789, and then it spread all over Europe, dominating the mindsets. The leaders of Enlightenment were Montesquieu, and Jean Jacques Rousseau, all great leaders of that time, who were motivated by the French Revolution, this was the revolutionary spirit, new theories, and the social and political principles of France, that were established upon it. Then the social and political freedom after the end of the monarchy, signalized a new era, for people in Europe, starting from France had found a new way of conceiving things and issues, an era of rationalism or enlightened minds.

Yet, the revolution was political, and so were the motives, and the dominating political power at that time, used spirit, and the way of thinking, to impose its power and control over people. For example the use of religion, and taking advantage of Christian belief, had imposed a sort of spiritual power and domination over the people of Europe, which was derived from political power. And this was lasting, as long as people were oppressed by the monarchy. And this oppression has lasted. Nowadays, not only the use of guns, such as in the French Revolution but spiritual overpower and domination is a force to be reckoned with. The idea is another means of exploitation and subjugation. Historical evolution in terms of society and financial development has contributed to this changing attitude towards older beliefs and principles. People wanted a social and political change, but this went through ideological and mental changes of attitudes towards some theories, dogmas and beliefs. All this became a matter of social evolution, but as Marx said, “Society defines conscience”, and this has been proven right to an extent. Immanuel Kent describes enlightenment to be the “freedom to use one’s intelligence”. If it is believed that ideologies are instruments to gain rule and power over the minds, bodies and emotions of individuals then the observation gets negated by the fact that the self-government of individuals leads them to think and do what they want, so how can a state exist in such a space and can it exert any power over the individual’s thoughts and actions?

But as said above, enlightenment has derived indeed from political changes and evolution, with the main theme of new theories and beliefs, deriving from the ideas of freedom, equality and fraternity, and the milestones: democracy and globalization, for which people craved. And there’s no ideology, in the sense of belief and way of thinking, that is not linked to a general dominating social theory and social conception, that is based upon what interests people, and the interest and truly for their sake.

Ideology has at times brought enlightenment to the people but then that ideology has been taken in by the hands of powerful and politically inclined people. It is then when these people, who are selfish in their interests, start to use and abuse the very ideas that brought them into a position of responsibility. A belief or conception may be a kind of social or spiritual weakness, which is used, against the masses to manipulate those (Christopher Hedges, 2010). It has been seen that the elite never caters to the needs of the masses or ordinary people. The ideas always come from the bourgeoisie class. So even if the intentions in the beginning are to free the minds and souls of people, too soon the elite take the ideas in hand. Then they use their political and social power and indulge their whims. The ideas become the weapon of the politicians and the people become their targets.