Ph. D. Scholar, Department of Political Science, University of Hyderabad, Hyderabad, India, E-mail: ahsanat.moazzam@gmail.com
Ideology is a key subject of inquiry for the scholars of political science, media studies, sociology, philosophy and other disciplines of Social Sciences. It is excessively used in interpretation, formulation and functioning of many states͛ political systems. Yet, the literature on the concept of ideology seems wanting in content and analyses. Ideology has been ascribed as something that the ͚other͛ nations are afflicted with. It was a concept that was associated with Germany and Italy during the Second World War and USSR in the Cold War in the last century. And it was also the reason why ideology had acquired much literature during these tumultuous times. But ideology as a concept needs scrutiny which is the aim of this paper. The paper argues that no state in the international system functions without the influence of some significant ideology, whether it is United States of America or Uganda. It also argues that all nations in the international system utilize and operate on some sort of ideology. It also attempts to differentiate between political, economic and moral ideologies. The paper goes on to capture the various aspects, features and dimensions of the term ideology.
Ideology, International System, States, Foreign Policy
