Understanding Dogmas and Dreams: A Text (Chatham House Studies in Political Thinking)

According to the author, political ideologies are the value-laden, conflict-ridden philosophical substance of modern politics. Ideologies perform an important political they bridge the gap between theory an practice. Their role as the "translators" of ideas into action is what has prompted this study. This work is intended to be used with its companion volume, the second edition of "Dogmas and A Reader in Modern Political Ideologies". The author places the study of ideologies in historical and analytic context, and aims to guide students toward a deeper understanding of modern politics, a better informed choice among political values and a more democratic approach to political theory. The analysis covers liberalism and democracy, conservativism, socialism, anarchism, fascism, feminism and ecology and ideology. Wherever possible, the text illustrates the effects of theoretical ideas with examples from practical politics. These include discussions of Lani Guinier on proportional representation, Charles Murray on affirmative action, Vaclav Havel on post-totalitarian politics, Murray Bookchin on sustainable communities and Audre Laude on multicultural feminism.