Ideological assumption
Encyclopedia
Ideological assumptions are beliefs that often serve as the basis for particular disciplines which go unquestioned within that discipline or as justifications for the actions of a particular society. These assumptions have historically existed in the science
s, including the social sciences, and many argue that they are an implicit part of any society's belief system and continue to exist today. A lack of adherence to a society's or field's ideological assumptions is often grounds for the dismissal of a theory outright before it has been fully considered. Somewhat ironically the term itself is often used to dismiss a particular statement before it has been considered, as in, "there you go again with your ideological assumptions!"
Social scientists especially have been criticized by feminists, queer theorists
, and race theorists for maintaining unspoken racist, sexist, imperialistic, homophobic, or otherwise unjustifiably normalizing axioms inherited from previous centuries. Specifically, psychology
has frequently been censured for what have proven to be incorrect, and unquestioned, assumptions about the human mind, especially after the fairly recent phenomenon of recovered memories involving Satanic ritual abuse
.
The uncovering of ideological assumptions in the field of history
tends to raise questions about whether or not a certain level of subjectivity
is necessarily a part of historical inquiry.
Some common ideological assumptions, both historical and modern, include:
Science
Science is a systematic enterprise that builds and organizes knowledge in the form of testable explanations and predictions about the universe...
s, including the social sciences, and many argue that they are an implicit part of any society's belief system and continue to exist today. A lack of adherence to a society's or field's ideological assumptions is often grounds for the dismissal of a theory outright before it has been fully considered. Somewhat ironically the term itself is often used to dismiss a particular statement before it has been considered, as in, "there you go again with your ideological assumptions!"
Social scientists especially have been criticized by feminists, queer theorists
Queer theory
Queer theory is a field of critical theory that emerged in the early 1990s out of the fields of LGBT studies and feminist studies. Queer theory includes both queer readings of texts and the theorisation of 'queerness' itself...
, and race theorists for maintaining unspoken racist, sexist, imperialistic, homophobic, or otherwise unjustifiably normalizing axioms inherited from previous centuries. Specifically, psychology
Psychology
Psychology is the study of the mind and behavior. Its immediate goal is to understand individuals and groups by both establishing general principles and researching specific cases. For many, the ultimate goal of psychology is to benefit society...
has frequently been censured for what have proven to be incorrect, and unquestioned, assumptions about the human mind, especially after the fairly recent phenomenon of recovered memories involving Satanic ritual abuse
Satanic ritual abuse
Satanic ritual abuse refers to the abuse of a person or animal in a ritual setting or manner...
.
The uncovering of ideological assumptions in the field of history
History
History is the discovery, collection, organization, and presentation of information about past events. History can also mean the period of time after writing was invented. Scholars who write about history are called historians...
tends to raise questions about whether or not a certain level of subjectivity
Subjectivity
Subjectivity refers to the subject and his or her perspective, feelings, beliefs, and desires. In philosophy, the term is usually contrasted with objectivity.-Qualia:...
is necessarily a part of historical inquiry.
Some common ideological assumptions, both historical and modern, include:
- America was discovered by Columbus in 1492 CE
- Intelligent life does not exist elsewhere in the universe.
- Modern Western scientific methodScientific methodScientific method refers to a body of techniques for investigating phenomena, acquiring new knowledge, or correcting and integrating previous knowledge. To be termed scientific, a method of inquiry must be based on gathering empirical and measurable evidence subject to specific principles of...
is the superior means of inquiry. - Homosexual men are the environmental product of a strong, overbearing mother and a weak, distant father.
- Modern science proves that the universe progresses according to deterministicDeterminismDeterminism is the general philosophical thesis that states that for everything that happens there are conditions such that, given them, nothing else could happen. There are many versions of this thesis. Each of them rests upon various alleged connections, and interdependencies of things and...
principles. - God does exist, or, God does not exist.
- The alleged superiority of a civilization justifies colonialismColonialismColonialism is the establishment, maintenance, acquisition and expansion of colonies in one territory by people from another territory. It is a process whereby the metropole claims sovereignty over the colony and the social structure, government, and economics of the colony are changed by...
and imperialismImperialismImperialism, as defined by Dictionary of Human Geography, is "the creation and/or maintenance of an unequal economic, cultural, and territorial relationships, usually between states and often in the form of an empire, based on domination and subordination." The imperialism of the last 500 years,...
.