The Marxist Conception of Ideology
A Critical Essay

Martin Seliger (Author)

9780521296250, Cambridge University Press

Paperback, published 6 December 1979

244 pages
21.8 x 14.1 x 1.8 cm, 0.35 kg

'The story Seliger has to tell is of a steady refinement of the idea of ideology from the time of Marx and Engels onwards. He himself contributes to this development by pointing out many of the inadequacies of the theory of ideology as commonly conceived …' The Times Literary Supplement

A comprehensive and systematic account of the ways in which Marx and Engels and their immediate followers made use of the conception of ideology.

A prefatory note and acknowledgments
Introduction
Part I. The Sin of Overstatement: 1. The problem and the basic contradiction
2. The facets of orthodox Marxist doctrine
3. Distorted and adequate thought
4. The pressure of facts
Part II. The Redemption of Ideology: 5. Unacknowledged and acknowledged modification
6. An interim balance
7. Ideology beyond economic causation
8. The way out of the vicious circle: Mannheim
Part III. Perspectives, Changing and Persisting: 9. Class and ideology
10. Ideology pluralism
11. The range and depth of analogy
Conclusion
Bibliography
Index.

Subject Areas: Social & political philosophy [HPS]