Political Studies zyxwvut (1987), zyxwvuts XXXV, 18-38 The Elements of the Concept of Ideology MALCOLM B. HAMILTON University zyxw of Reading zyxw This article, based upon an extensive examination of the literature zyx on the concept of ideology, identifies some 27 definitional components or ‘elements’ which are discussed in turn to ascertain their utility and coherence as definitional criteria. On the basis of this examination a number of these elements are found to be essential to the concept, and are built into a definition which allows consideration of, among other things, the expressive and justificatory dimension of beliefs often ignored in other definitions. Anyone who reviews the literature dealing with the concept of ideology soon discovers that there are at least as many definitions of it as there are theorists proposing them. At least as many because some theorists are not even content with offering a single one. Such definitions, moreover, utilize a very wide range of definitional criteria, few of which are common to all definitions. An examination of a large number of definitions of the concept revealed no fewer than 27 different elements or definitional criteria which have been combined in various permutations of from two to at least as many as seven.’ Many of these elements appear fairly frequently while others are quite idiosyncratic. Why is it that such conceptual anarchy prevails? It may be that theorists are unable to agree upon the best terminology with which to describe a reality, the funda- mental characteristics and categories of which are not in dispute. Or, it may be that the disagreement is about how reality itself is to be categorized. This is a more serious type of disagreement and especially so if there is no common core to the various conceptions. If this is so, it is not simply a matter of arriving at some consensus about the limits of the phenomenon or where the boundary between ideology and other phenomena should be drawn, but a question of deciding between conceptions, some of which share absolutely nothing in common with some others. Of course, the debate about the meaning of ideology rests upon a combination of all the types of disagreement mentioned here. And, of course, such disagreements are in many cases a reflection of theoretical dispute. Definitions are rarely neutral with respect to theoretical I Eighty five sources were consulted. Both formal definitions and general discussions of the concept of ideology in which a definition is implicit rather than explicitly stated were examined. In such discussions it is not always clear whether the characteristics attributed to the concept are intended as definitional criteria or as empirical generalizations. It is often necessary, therefore, to interpret the intentions of the author. However, if occasionally attributes which were not intended to be definitional criteria have been so interpreted here it is of no consequence since they may, nevertheless, be considered as possible definitional criteria. 0032-321 7/87/01/0018-21/$03.00 zyxwvut 0 1987 Political Studies