Ideology
The search for knowledge is always related to the search for wisdom, meaning and truth. The question of the nature of truth is therefore at the heart of all science, religion and philosophy. Ideology refers to the mental frameworks by which people relate to the world around them and discern truth from it. The ability to shape what people perceive as truth is one of the greatest sources of power. The advent of state civilization was enabled by the imposition of ideological dogma that justified the new separation of people into noble rulers and wretched servants. All great struggles, wars and revolutions are fought for or enabled by particular ideologies. All scientific discovery and technological progress has been made possible and shaped by the ideologies under which they appeared.
Western intellectual thought, which has become hegemonic around the globe over the last 300 years, is lead by the conviction that there is absolute, objective truth which humans can gradually uncover by rational and empirical methods. The belief in absolute truth is not a scientific but a religious idea, manifested chiefly by way the Abrahamic religions. From it derives the modern doctrine of objectivism. Since objectivism and positivism themselves have come into question through scientific developments such as quantum physics and the chaos theory, Western thought has increasingly embraced relativism. As different as they may appear the belief in absolute truth (universalism) and relativism are two sides of the same coin. They are ideological premises with the purpose to justify and stabilize existing social conditions, to hide truth rather than to reveal it. Like the religions of old, the ideology of the hegemonic civilization denies it is an ideology and calls itself simply truth, fact, law of nature.
The systematic analysis and critique of ideology is a fundamental aspect of the academy. The aim is to provide a basis for new thought patterns and strategies for building parallel societies, in particular democratic economy and technology. Ideology studies in the academy are always part of economics and programing courses.
Abdullah Ocalan's Manifesto for Democratic Civilization serves as a conceptual framework from where to begin. Students research the relation between ideology and technology, and investigate of the nature and organization of power. The studies aim to uncover the intellectual, moral and political legacy of society beyond the limitations of hegemonic state-based thought.