Ideology

 In his introduction, Terry Eagleton traces the historical evolution of ideology and examines in a more theoretical style the various meanings of the word and their significance. The readings cover writings from the Enlightenment via Hegel and Marx, with particular emphasis on Marx and Engels themselves. The concept is taken through to Althusser and beyond. The text then goes on to discuss recent debates about ideology as a cultural system. All the readings are theoretical rather than examples of ''ideology at work'' and will be of interest to undergraduate students of cultural, political and historical studies as well as students of English literature.

This collection of readings on the concept of ideology is brought together by the Marxist critic, Terry Eagleton. His introduction traces the historical evolution of ideology and examines in a more theoretical style the various meanings of the word and their significance. The readings begin with the first English translations of some of the writing of the French founder of the concept in the eighteenth century. They then move from the enlightenment to Hegel and Marxism, with particular emphasis on Marx and Engels themselves. They also look at other eighteenth-century traditions of thought such as Nietzche and Freud.

All the readings are theoretical rather than examples of `ideology at work'' and will be of interest to undergraduate students of cultural, political and historical studies concerned with ideology, as well as students of English literature.