IC53 |

Beyond Politics Reviews by The Scientific and Medical Network Newsletter

April 23, 2014

George Walford is concerned here to extend the definition and scope of ideology beyond its Marxist identification as “false consciousness” to demonstrate that ideological considerations underlie and dominate political thinking. He begins from what he calls the British political series of conservatism, liberalism, socialism, communism and anarchism, adding that the largest category lying outside these… read more »

George Walford: Looking Back

April 22, 2014

Social anthropology has developed as a science fairly recently, and many of its results have still to be incorporated into advanced political thinking. John E. Pfeiffer has studied the literature; he finds anthropology going far to demolish the conception of the first human communities, and their way of life, that has become almost standard in… read more »

George Walford: Introducing Ideological Commentary (53)

April 22, 2014

Revision of January 1990. IDEOLOGICAL COMMENTARY announces itself as an independent journal of systematic ideology, but it does not claim final knowledge of this theory; the formulation that looked like the ultimate last month needs alteration now, and the account given here will be subject to continuous revision. Systematic ideology is the creation of the… read more »

George Walford: Ideological Notes

September 3, 2012

SECURING THE BASE Social development renders the earlier ideologies not less but more secure as, with each further advance, the successors who arose in opposition to them undergo division. Expedience became more secure against any threat from Principle with the emergence of Precision. This brought liberalism, drawing into the new movement (which emphasises the rights… read more »

George Walford: Are They Not Anarchists? (53)

September 3, 2012

Anarchism seeks recruits and an intake of six hundred would noticeably strengthen the British movement. Yet an organised group of this size remains detached and receives no encouragement to come closer. “The solution to repressive laws is not better government but no government.” Does that not sound like anarchism? It comes from the Socialist Standard,… read more »

George Walford: Red and Black

September 3, 2012

Having failed to elicit the expected support from the workers, the left now show an increasing tendency to turn to minority ethnic groups, in America especially the blacks. This appeal has met with no better response than the first; in a recent Washington Post survey some 35% of blacks described themselves as “conservative” or “very… read more »

George Walford: The Birth of the Gods

September 3, 2012

Studies in systematic ideology tend to centre around politics. There have been forays into wider fields, and Beyond Politics [1] justifies its title by an attempt at tracing the influence of ideology in society at large, but broad areas remain unexplored. Here we take up one feature of the ideology of religion, a subject hardly… read more »

George Walford: Working-Class Poverty

September 3, 2012

Several chiefs of newly privatised industries have awarded themselves generous rises at a time when increasing numbers have to tighten their belts. The newspapers have mentioned amounts in the hundreds of thousands annually and even the Tory government has expressed disapproval. No report suggests that any of these managers have other sources of income; all… read more »

George Walford: Colonial Ideology

September 3, 2012

Systematic ideology provides an explanation for the worsening conditions in so many former colonies since the empires withdrew. The high degree of freedom of action in economic affairs favoured by the ideology of Principle and Domination tends to produce (along with other, more desirable consequences), exploitation of the many by the more fortunate, enterprising or… read more »

Donald Rooum and Ernie Croswell: Letters

September 3, 2012

RATS FOR EVER! Sir, “The economic structure of the rat race makes people behave like rats” (Socialist Standard, quoted in IC 52). When food is put out in farmyards and, the stronger pigs, dogs, vultures, budgerigars, monkeys keep the weaker ones away from the supplies until they have eaten their fill. The stronger rats, on… read more »