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What are the critiques of capitalism and ideology? Under capitalism the masses are constrained by economic structures and therefore have no power. In order for people to break free from capitalism they have to be able to judge in a rational way their social situation and that of the wider society. They need to think about the world, and to reach agreement with others about what should be done, and how they should act. This agreement would be rational, not based on power inequalities, and it would be a way for individuals to get at the ‘truth’ of their society. In continuing the Marxist project, Habermas(1987) takes up the concept of ideology in his book Toward a Rational Society. Habermas seeks a society in which unrestricted communication can occur, a society free from domination, free from the constraints of ideology. The existence of ideology is seen to lead to: - Falsehoods - A lack of critical thinking - Inequalities of power during communication - Passive acceptance of society as it is The above are seen by Habermas as characteristic of what previous Marxists referred to as ‘false consciousness’. In making this critique of the role of false ideas in capitalism, Haberma ‘s ideas link directly to those of the original members of the Frankfurt School, who were concerned with the part played by mass culture in denying critical thought to the masses. Central to Haberma ´s notion of the emancipation of humankind is the achievement of a truly ‘ideal speech situation’, where individuals are able to communicate in an active and free fashion, without the constraints of power, structure and ideology. This means that people become ‘critical’ in order to become free – hence the label given to the theorizing conducted by the Frankfurt School: ‘critical theory’. This is a notion of agency, but by another name.
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