Marx's Theory of Ideology

Abstract

This thesis is an interpretive exercise aimed at clarifying the structure of Marx's theory of ideology. It is also a critical exploration of issues stemming from Marx's ideas about ideology. The central argument of the thesis is that Marx's theory of ideology is constituted by two concepts of ideology, the early concept, sketched in the German Ideology, according to which ideologies are the ruling ideas of a society corresponding to the economic interests of the ruling class, and the later concept, present in the Capital, according to which ideologies conform to the appearances of the mode of production. The early concept is applicable to all class societies, but the later concept holds true of societies based on commodity production for exchange-value. The early concept identifies ideologies in terms of three modes of representation of social phenomena: inversion, mystification, and universalisation. The later concept adds two more modes of representation: reflection and fetishism. We argue that, although the early and the later concepts are individually consistent, there are important incompatibilities between them, and that this renders Marx's theory inconsistent. Chapter One points out the importance of Marx's critique of Hegel's Philosophy of Right in the development of Marx's early concept of ideology. Chapter Two is a critical interpretation of Marx's early concept of ideology as sketched in his German Ideology. Chapter Three is devoted to an analysis of Marx's later concept and of the question of the truth of ideology in terms of the two concepts. We conclude with some unsystematic reflections on the relation between the two concepts.