About the Book: Ideology
This concise introduction to the concept of ideology provides an overview of
the term and considers its impact on literary theory. James M. Decker analyzes
the history of Western ideology from its pre Enlightenment roots to its current
incarnations, providing readers with both an essential overview of key terms and
issues and a thoughtful assessment of some of the important critical thinkers
associated with the notion, including Marx, Gramsci and Althusser.
Ideological theories are introduced within three broad categories the
subjective, the institutional and the political which helps students to
synthesize a concept that sprawls across the traditional disciplinary lines of
philosophy, politics,