The Contemporary World

1. Introduction to Ideologies of Globalization

  • Manfred Steger discusses the complexity of political ideologies in the context of globalization.

  • Michael Freeden suggests two lines of inquiry regarding ideologies:

    • Questioning the holistic view of ideological families.

    • Challenging the classification of ideologies for better understanding.

  • Globalism is explored as a potential new ideology.

2. Definition of Globalization

2.1 Different Meanings of Globalization

  • Globalization is viewed as:

    • A process

    • A condition

    • A system

2.2 Complexity of Globalization

  • Includes varied dimensions such as 'ethnoscapes', 'technoscapes', 'mediascapes', 'finanscapes', and 'ideoscapes' (Arjun Appadurai).

  • The term's usage can lead to confusion, particularly between cause and effect.

3. The Concept of Globality

  • Defines 'globality' as a future social condition with extensive global connections.

  • Suggests that globalization may evolve into 'planetarity' with new social configurations.

4. Globalism as an Ideology

4.1 Argument for Globalism as an Ideology

  • Steger argues globalism has enough coherence to be considered a new ideology.

  • Defines globalism as a political belief system shaping the dominant discourse of our time.

4.2 Morphology of Globalism

  • Analyzes globalism into six core claims that preserve asymmetrical power structures.

5. Six Core Claims of Globalism

5.1 Claim One: Market Liberalization

  • Claim that globalization integrates markets, positioned as an economic phenomenon tied to liberty and integration.

  • Influences from neoliberalism (Hayek, Friedman) and neoconservatism (Thatcher, Reagan).

5.2 Claim Two: Globalization is Inevitable

  • Characterized by perceptions of historical inevitability; portrayed as unstoppable and automatic.

  • Arguments for this claim often echo Marxist determinism, focusing on adapting to market demands.

5.3 Claim Three: Leaderlessness of Globalization

  • The idea that no one oversees globalization, linking it to a self-regulating market.

  • Post-9/11 realities challenge the notion of leaderlessness, emphasizing U.S. influence.

5.4 Claim Four: Globalization Benefits Everyone

  • Promotes the idea that economic growth from globalization benefits all in material ways.

  • Uses scientific language to assert this claim, even in the face of contradictory evidence.

5.5 Claim Five: Globalization Fosters Democracy

  • Links economic development to democracy, suggesting market success leads to democratic structures.

  • Criticism arises from the narrow definitions of democracy being applied.

5.6 Claim Six: Globalization Requires a Global War on Terror

  • Post-9/11 globalism adapts to justify military engagement in the name of promoting globalization.

  • This claim reflects a transition toward a more aggressive ideological stance.

6. Conclusion: Reclassifying Ideologies

  • Globalism is established as a significant ideological family using Freeden's criteria.

  • Steger calls for a new classification of ideologies to reflect contemporary ideological dynamics, positioning globalism at the center with oppositional ideologies on either side.

  • Emphasizes the need for interdisciplinary approaches in studying ideologies and suggests that traditional categories may be outdated.