Karl Marx and Frederick Engels, section on ‘ideology’, The German Ideology (London : Lawrence and Wishart, 1974), ed. C.J. Arthur, pp. 46-48.

Ideology depicts the way everyone thinks about everything, how we look at it. It explains how our thoughts and ideas can be manipulated and changed to create perceptions. 

Marx thinks that being powerful creates ideology and ideology creates fake consciousness. He believes that people in higher positions have the capability to shape every part of society and in turn can persuade a society to accept a social system that puts the majority at a disadvantage.

Throughout the passage, Marx explains his own views on ideology and his individual definitions as well as the effects of capitalism on society. Different to Plato, Marx is a realist. He explains his theory’s through the views of every day practices to contextualise his ideas using historical events and personal experiences. Marx believed in a world without money or class, a world where everyone gives and takes according to their abilities and needs. It is the attachment to material items and the conflict developed by this that Marx believed sent history quickly into a capitalist society. He said this was  ‘dialectic materialism’ and this came about at the same time as the industrial revolution.

He blamed the industrial revolution for this capitalist society as goods were being produced faster than ever before making the rich richer and the poor poorer as they were working in factories.

Marx thought this created alienation; alienation of disconnection, alienation from self and alienation from society.

“A commodity appears, at first sight, a very trivial thing, and easily understood. Its analysis shows that it is, in reality, a very queer thing, abounding in metaphysical subtleties and theological niceties.” (1)

This quote explains how commodities and items have shaped the society and even though it doesn’t look like there is much to the item it has deeper significance and effects society a lot more than you realise. I think this in a way is quite true as people become greedy for newer and better items every year when corporate companies such as Apple bring them out. The consumer doesn’t necessarily need this item but to uphold appearances they purchase this item creating alienation. And in turn making the gap become larger as the rich are getting richer and the poor are still getting poorer.

 1. Marx, Capital, Chapter1, § 4