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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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