We are arguing, I would think, about the term "ideology" as it occurs in
American political discourse. To insist that the use of that term corresponds
to
a dictionary definition is simply circular. That very dictionary definition
is what I'm challenging as applied to American political discourse.
Dictionaries don't settle these matters and are unhelpful when engaging in
conceptual
analysis. However, if we must play dictionary games, please look at
Webster's Third New International Dictionary which defines "ideology," among
other
definitions, as "an extremist sociopolitical or philosophy constructed wholly
or in part on factitious or hypothetical ideational bases." Although, not
the primary dictionary definition, I suggest that this definition better
reflects the idea of "ideology" as used in political discourse. To suggest
otherwise because one definition is given primacy of place in a dictionary is
simply
question-begging. We want to know what the term "ideology" means in a
context where theists and atheists are both accused of holding ideological
views.
Dictionaries can't settle this matter.
However, even if we accept the definition of "ideology" as “a
systematic body of concepts…the integrated assertions, theories, and aims that
constitute a sociopolitical program” many atheists are non-ideological, even
according to this definition, because many atheists believe there is no God,
but
that belief is not part of any sociopolitical "system." It's simply one
belief among many and may not even relate to any other belief in a systematic
way.
That's why we find atheists who believe in the necessity of an altruistic
morality which corresponds in some important ways to the Christian idea of
"love." They do not believe in God, but they believe in a morality. If they
have
any sociopolitical program, it is unrelated to their atheism.
Bobby
Robert Justin Lipkin
Professor of Law
Widener University School of Law
Delaware
Ratio Juris, Contributor: _ http://ratiojuris.blogspot.com/_
(http://ratiojuris.blogspot.com/)
Essentially Contested America, Editor-In-Chief
_http://www.essentiallycontestedamerica.org/_
(http://www.essentiallycontestedamerica.org/)
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