Ideology and Tribalism

 I hear the term "ideology" to refer to ideas that don't even vaguely resemble a coherent ideology. It's is used to convey a sense of intellectual stubbornness, but scarcely noticed is that this stubbornness takes two different forms; ideology and tribalism.

Ideology is a set of fundamental commitments used to interpret all else. It's a single, simple lens used to make sense of a complicated world. The ideology is initially taken on because it's able to branch out and understand a few things that are otherwise puzzling. The feeling of owning the key to unlock knowledge is satisfying, but the key soon fails to unlock all doors. The ideology reaches its limit, and when it does what doesn't naturally fit into the ideological lens is forced into it through rationalization.

Ideology is for those who feel a deep need to understand the world but don't want to work very hard for it.

Tribalism on the other hand is not a commitment to ideas but a commitment to groups. Beliefs, especially irrational ones, are signals that you are committed to the group. There isn't an interconnectedness to the ideas, but the group pretends like there is - like they're the obvious application of normal human values that any good person would have.

Tribalism is for those who feel a deep need to be a part of a group, and are willing to sacrifice their minds to get it.

Tribalism is more popular than ideology. The Republican and Democratic parties are full of tribalists. People like Ron Paul or Bernie Sanders are ideologues. Libertarians are unique in that they're mostly ideologues, but that also means they're unlikely to become popular by connecting with the tribal instincts of the broader population. Churches are filled with tribalists, but religious believers with particular views about eschatology, apologetics, and exegesis are usually ideologues.

Education is the third, most narrow path. Aristotle said, "The mark of an educated mind is the ability to entertain an idea without accepting it."

Education is the anecdote to both ideology and tribalism, but it's resisted by both. For the ideologue, education is resisted by the feeling of hypocrisy. To suspend disbelief and see with a different lens is inconsistent - of two minds. For the tribalist, education is resisted by the feeling of betrayal. To suspend disbelief and entertain an alternative view is to abandon your peers - to put yourself in the shoes of your enemy.

Everyone is capable of ideology, tribalism, and education. Unfortunately, education takes the most work. Moreover, people easily get stuck in ideology or tribalism and never get out. Our society should find a way to educate more people faster before they get caught by ideology or tribalism.