Political Ideologies
- Book Review,
by Leon P. Baradat
From the Back Cover
Now in its eighth edition, Political Ideologies carefully outlines historical and social contexts in which ideologies were developed and applied. The text introduces thought provoking concepts that encourage readers to learn the subject by presenting the information clearly, giving relevant examples, and demonstrating how theory translates into practical politics.
Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
Since the first edition of this book, we have witnessed many changes in the tides of world political turmoil. The Cold War ended and much of the communist world collapsed. People were hopeful momentarily that the political climate would grow more temperate and tensions would relax. However, although the frightening possibility of a nuclear confrontation between the superpowers has diminished, we still find ourselves confronted with a threatening environment. The Middle East continues to fester; religious fundamentalism engenders violence; political terrorism has become much more threatening as its horrors have been brought to our shores; racism divides peoples against themselves; nationalism and neo-fascism emerge again, creating havoc and motivating paranoid Americans to join militant civilian militias and other hate groups in efforts to protect themselves from imagined adversity; famine emaciates millions in the Developing World; air pollution is almost inescapable; water everywhere is increasingly adulterated; the earth's protective layer of ozone is rapidly disintegrating; the globe is warming in response to the chemicals released into the atmosphere; and the press of the world's population on available water, food supplies, and other resources is now dangerously acute. These problems, and many others demanding solutions, confront us and our political leaders. To resolve our difficulties, we must have a firm understanding of our own values and political system so that our efforts to resolve problems can enhance what we hold dear, rather than sacrifice it. We must also realize that we have to work together with other people in the world, since many of our problems traverse national boundaries and exceed the capacity of single states to successfully address them. In order to cooperate in the salvation of humankind, we must learn to deal with people who have values, biases, views, and ideas different from our own. Hence, we must confront a number of basic questions if we hope to successfully meet the challenges of the first few years of the twenty-first century. What, for example, are the fundamental concepts in modern politics? What ideas serve as the foundation of our political system? How does our system differ from others? What is socialism, and how does it relate to democracy and to communism? Is fascism moribund, or does it survive, awaiting another chance to take hold in a society confused and disoriented by the complexities of modern life? Why don't people of the world see things our way? How do they view the world, and why do they value the things they do? Why do so many people in the Developing World appear to hate us so much that they are willing to kill themselves in terrorist attacks against us? What are the assumptions and objectives of people who see the world differently from the way we see it? And, perhaps most important, what do 1 believe and how do my views relate to the politics of my time? These and hundreds of other questions must be addressed if we are to face intelligently the political controversies that loom before us. Traditionally, the American people have been impatient with theoretical concepts. Finding such notions abstract and uninteresting, they prefer more tangible, practical approaches to politics. Moreover, the American political tack has usually been unilateral. We have either tried to ignore the rest of the world, or we have expected the world to conform to our attitudes and policies. But such a narrow view is no longer viable—if indeed it ever was. The United States must face the fact that it is only one player, albeit an important one, in global politics, and we must learn to cooperate with the rest of the world in the resolution of common problems. To do so, we must understand the other peoples of the world. We must comprehend their needs, their ideals, their values, their views. In this endeavor, there can be no better place to start than by coming to appreciate their political ideologies. A clear understanding of the current ideologies in the world is essential if one is to grasp the political realities of our time. A NOTE TO THE STUDENT I think of myself as a teacher, not an author. This book, therefore, is written as a vehicle for teaching some of the world's great political ideas, and as such it reaches students whom the author will probably never meet and thus influences the lives of strangers, if only slightly. With pedagogy in mind, several features have been incorporated into this book that will help the reader learn its contents more easily. Each chapter begins with a preview of the material to be covered in the chapter. The preview is designed to alert students to the principal ideas developed in the text that follows. You will find that, equipped with this overview, the details in the chapter become more meaningful. It may be wise to reread the preview after you finish each chapter. That way you can check your comprehension of the material. At the end of each chapter, questions are provided that are designed to stimulate thought and discussion about the major themes in the chapter. I have also included at the end of each chapter a brief bibliography of books that can be used in further pursuit of the subject. These lists are certainly not exhaustive with regard to the subjects they address, but they can be used as jumping-off places for more detailed inquiry into the subject. The text also includes italicized words and phrases. When you encounter these words, take special note of them; it is my way of saying that this material is particularly important. The glossary and the index at the end of the book should also be especially useful. The names and concepts appearing in boldface in the text can be found in the glossary, and you should pay close attention to them as well. As a final note to the reader, I would like to say just a few words about general education requirements. Responding to economic and social pressures, students today are understandably anxious to complete their studies so that they can begin to make a living. Courses that do not immediately translate into dollars are often viewed by students as superfluous impositions on their time. The course for which you are reading this text may be one of those offerings. Yet there is more to life than materialism, and we must learn to appreciate and enjoy what we are and who we are while we make a living. In fact, it is likely that we will make a better living, or at least live better, if we appreciate and understand the world in which we live. Education is the custodian of civilization. Its function is to transmit the knowledge of our civilization to each succeeding generation. General education courses are the principal vehicle by which this function is executed at the college level. They offer you the priceless treasure of society's wisdom. Immerse yourself in them, savor them, absorb them, enjoy them. Let general education courses expose you to the wonders of our world, expanding your vision and deepening your appreciation of life so that, as educator Stephen Bailey wrote, "Later in life when you knock on yourself, someone answers."
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