Ideology

3 definitions found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Ideology \I`de*ol"o*gy\, n. [Ideo- + -logy: cf. F.
     id['e]ologie.]
     1. The science of ideas. --Stewart.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     2. (Metaph.) A theory of the origin of ideas which derives


        them exclusively from sensation.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     Note: By a double blunder in philosophy and Greek,
           id['e]ologie . . . has in France become the name
           peculiarly distinctive of that philosophy of mind which
           exclusively derives our knowledge from sensation. --Sir
           W. Hamilton.
  
     3. A set or system of theories and beliefs held by an
        individual or group, especially about sociopolitical goals
        and methods to attain them; in common usage, ideology is
        such a set of beliefs so strongly held by their adherents
        as to cause them to ignore evidence against such beliefs,
        and thus fall into error -- in this sense it is viewed as
        a negative trait; contrasted to {pragmatism}, and distinct
        from idealism.
        [PJC]

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  ideology
       n 1: an orientation that characterizes the thinking of a group or
            nation [syn: {political orientation}, {political theory}]
       2: imaginary or visionary theorization

From Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0 [moby-thes]:

  34 Moby Thesaurus words for "ideology":
     Weltanschauung, articles of religion, body of ideas, catechism,
     climate, climate of opinion, credenda, credo, creed, cult,
     doctrinal statement, doctrine, dogma, ethos, faith,
     formulated belief, gospel, intellectual climate, ism,
     moral climate, mores, norms, philosophy, political faith,
     political philosophy, principles, religion, school,
     spiritual climate, system of belief, system of ideas,
     system of theories, tenets, world view