Michael Freeden
Encyclopedia
Michael Freeden is a professor of politics
currently serving as the director of the Centre for Political Ideologies at the University of Oxford
where he is also professorial tutor at Mansfield College
. He is also the founding editor of the Journal of Political Ideologies
.
. He has rejected the traditional definition of ideologies, which sees the latter as static "belief systems", and instead bases his analysis on modern semantics
. Ideologies – just like language
s – consist of certain concepts whose meaning may change and evolve over time. The specific relations between ideological concepts may thus be analyzed by being set in their respective semantic field
s.
Each ideology may be seen as having both "core" concepts (that is, those of the of highest importance, e.g. class conflict
in Marxism or freedom
in liberalism) and "peripheral" (or secondary) concepts. Concepts may gain or lose importance over time, just as new concepts may emerge (or be borrowed from other ideologies) or fall out of use entirely. Different ideologies may thus give different meanings to the same term (for instance, a concept such as equality will have a material
definition in Marxism
, while in liberalism
it will rather have a legal
and political importance). Concepts are thus defined by their relation to other concepts. According to Freeden, it is precisely these conceptual relations that should attract our attention, as they will be likely to evolve in the long term.
By studying the conceptual evolution of ideologies, Freeden observes that the relative "political success" of an ideology depends on its ability to impose the belief that its own conceptual definitions are the "correct ones". This thus gives rise to a form of "conceptual competition", in which each ideology performs a continuous "decontestation" of its concepts – that is, it tries to eliminate all possible contestation of its own conceptual definitions, thereby rejecting competing definitions (Marxism will thus reject private property
as a product of the exploitative nature of capitalism
, just as liberalism may view state intervention
as an infringement of individual freedoms). Not only is this decontestation the product of an inter-ideological competition (between ideologies), but it is also the product of an intra-ideological competition (within ideologies): hence the success of Hayek
's form of neoliberalism
during the 1980s, or of the Marxist-Leninist
trend in the 1920s.
Political science
Political Science is a social science discipline concerned with the study of the state, government and politics. Aristotle defined it as the study of the state. It deals extensively with the theory and practice of politics, and the analysis of political systems and political behavior...
currently serving as the director of the Centre for Political Ideologies at the University of Oxford
University of Oxford
The University of Oxford is a university located in Oxford, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest surviving university in the world and the oldest in the English-speaking world. Although its exact date of foundation is unclear, there is evidence of teaching as far back as 1096...
where he is also professorial tutor at Mansfield College
Mansfield College, Oxford
Mansfield College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. Of the colleges that accept both undergraduate and graduate students Mansfield College is one of the smallest, comprising approximately 210 undergraduates, 130 graduates, 35 visiting students and 50...
. He is also the founding editor of the Journal of Political Ideologies
Journal of Political Ideologies
The Journal of Political Ideologies is a political science journal dedicated to the analysis of political ideologies. It was founded by Michael Freeden and first published in 1996. The journal supports an agenda of cross-disciplinary debate concerning political thinking and political imagination....
.
Study of ideologies
Freeden has been noted for his analysis of contemporary ideologiesIdeology
An ideology is a set of ideas that constitutes one's goals, expectations, and actions. An ideology can be thought of as a comprehensive vision, as a way of looking at things , as in common sense and several philosophical tendencies , or a set of ideas proposed by the dominant class of a society to...
. He has rejected the traditional definition of ideologies, which sees the latter as static "belief systems", and instead bases his analysis on modern semantics
Semantics
Semantics is the study of meaning. It focuses on the relation between signifiers, such as words, phrases, signs and symbols, and what they stand for, their denotata....
. Ideologies – just like language
Language
Language may refer either to the specifically human capacity for acquiring and using complex systems of communication, or to a specific instance of such a system of complex communication...
s – consist of certain concepts whose meaning may change and evolve over time. The specific relations between ideological concepts may thus be analyzed by being set in their respective semantic field
Semantic field
A semantic field is a technical term in the discipline of linguistics to describe a set of words grouped by meaning in a certain way. The term is also used in other academic disciplines, such as anthropology and computational semiotics.-Definition and usage:...
s.
Each ideology may be seen as having both "core" concepts (that is, those of the of highest importance, e.g. class conflict
Class conflict
Class conflict is the tension or antagonism which exists in society due to competing socioeconomic interests between people of different classes....
in Marxism or freedom
Freedom (political)
Political freedom is a central philosophy in Western history and political thought, and one of the most important features of democratic societies...
in liberalism) and "peripheral" (or secondary) concepts. Concepts may gain or lose importance over time, just as new concepts may emerge (or be borrowed from other ideologies) or fall out of use entirely. Different ideologies may thus give different meanings to the same term (for instance, a concept such as equality will have a material
Equality of outcome
Equality of outcome, equality of condition, or equality of results is a controversial political concept. Although it is not always clearly defined, it is usually taken to describe a state in which people have approximately the same material wealth or, more generally, in which the general conditions...
definition in Marxism
Marxism
Marxism is an economic and sociopolitical worldview and method of socioeconomic inquiry that centers upon a materialist interpretation of history, a dialectical view of social change, and an analysis and critique of the development of capitalism. Marxism was pioneered in the early to mid 19th...
, while in liberalism
Liberalism
Liberalism is the belief in the importance of liberty and equal rights. Liberals espouse a wide array of views depending on their understanding of these principles, but generally, liberals support ideas such as constitutionalism, liberal democracy, free and fair elections, human rights,...
it will rather have a legal
Equality before the law
Equality before the law or equality under the law or legal egalitarianism is the principle under which each individual is subject to the same laws....
and political importance). Concepts are thus defined by their relation to other concepts. According to Freeden, it is precisely these conceptual relations that should attract our attention, as they will be likely to evolve in the long term.
By studying the conceptual evolution of ideologies, Freeden observes that the relative "political success" of an ideology depends on its ability to impose the belief that its own conceptual definitions are the "correct ones". This thus gives rise to a form of "conceptual competition", in which each ideology performs a continuous "decontestation" of its concepts – that is, it tries to eliminate all possible contestation of its own conceptual definitions, thereby rejecting competing definitions (Marxism will thus reject private property
Private property
Private property is the right of persons and firms to obtain, own, control, employ, dispose of, and bequeath land, capital, and other forms of property. Private property is distinguishable from public property, which refers to assets owned by a state, community or government rather than by...
as a product of the exploitative nature of capitalism
Capitalism
Capitalism is an economic system that became dominant in the Western world following the demise of feudalism. There is no consensus on the precise definition nor on how the term should be used as a historical category...
, just as liberalism may view state intervention
Economic interventionism
Economic interventionism is an action taken by a government in a market economy or market-oriented mixed economy, beyond the basic regulation of fraud and enforcement of contracts, in an effort to affect its own economy...
as an infringement of individual freedoms). Not only is this decontestation the product of an inter-ideological competition (between ideologies), but it is also the product of an intra-ideological competition (within ideologies): hence the success of Hayek
Friedrich Hayek
Friedrich August Hayek CH , born in Austria-Hungary as Friedrich August von Hayek, was an economist and philosopher best known for his defense of classical liberalism and free-market capitalism against socialist and collectivist thought...
's form of neoliberalism
Neoliberalism
Neoliberalism is a market-driven approach to economic and social policy based on neoclassical theories of economics that emphasizes the efficiency of private enterprise, liberalized trade and relatively open markets, and therefore seeks to maximize the role of the private sector in determining the...
during the 1980s, or of the Marxist-Leninist
Marxism-Leninism
Marxism–Leninism is a communist ideology, officially based upon the theories of Marxism and Vladimir Lenin, that promotes the development and creation of a international communist society through the leadership of a vanguard party over a revolutionary socialist state that represents a dictatorship...
trend in the 1920s.
Works
- The New Liberalism: An Ideology of Social Reform (Oxford, 1978)
- Liberalism Divided: A Study in British Political Thought 1914-1939 (Oxford, 1986)
- J.A. Hobson: A Reader (London, 1988)
- Minutes of the Rainbow Circle 1894-1924, edited and annotated (London, 1989)
- Reappraising J.A. Hobson: Humanism and Welfare (ed.) (London, 1990)
- Rights (Buckingham, 1991)
- Ideologies and Political Theory: A Conceptual Approach (Oxford, 1996)
- Reassessing Political Ideologies: The Durability of Dissent (ed.) (London, 2001)
- Ideology: A Very Short Introduction (Oxford, 2003)
- Liberal Languages: Ideological Imaginations and Twentieth Century Progressive Thought (Princeton, 2005) http://press.princeton.edu/quotes/q7871.html
- Taking Ideology Seriously: 21st Century Reconfigurations (co-editor with G. Talshir and M. Humphrey) (London, 2006)