Capitalist Hegemony

Abstract

In this section I wish to present, somewhat tentatively, a modified version of the ‘end of ideology’ theory. I will argue that, where capitalism becomes hegemonic and eliminates ‘archaic’ institutions, the diversity of forms of organised consciousness declines among both the working and the employing class, leaving both groups dominated by moderate, segmented, reformist ideologies. This is not an inevitable process, but it depends critically on non-capitalist elements of society. Where it has not yet occurred there are no good reasons to suppose that it will occur in the future.