Das Ende der Ideologien und der amerikanische Sonderweg

In: Zeitschrift für Politik: ZfP, Band 55, Heft 3, S. 292-314

Abstract

Historically, prophecies about the coming of a post-ideological age have always been proved to be wrong. However, if the expression "ideology" is relieved from its inflationary ambiguity and derived from its specific historical context, the indications of an "end of ideology" and the end of "grand narratives" are almost undeniable. Not much remained from the classical ideologies of the 18th and 19th century and this is equally true for the once powerful mass integration parties that served as their agents and propagators. Against the backdrop of ideological decline in most western societies, however, ideological polarization in the U.S. is particularly striking. But what is the reason for this? The example of the U.S. shows that processes of modernization and individualization do not necessarily lead to the erosion of ideological movements. On the contrary, a revival of ideologies in European societies is not to be ruled out. Adapted from the source document.