Negative Illusions: Conceptual Clarification and Psychological Evidence concerning False Consciousness

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
The concept of false consciousness is reviewed from a historical perspective and discussed in light of recent theoretical advances in socialist and feminist political philosophy. False consciousness is defined as the holding of false beliefs that are contrary to one's social interest and which thereby contribute to the disadvantaged position of the self or the group, It is argued that considerable psychological evidence for false consciousness exists and that a thorough understanding of the phenomenon integrates several lines of research on the problem of political acquiescence. Six basic types of false consciousness ave proposed: (1) Failure to perceive injustice and disadvantage, (2) Fatalism, (3) Justification of social roles, (4) False attribution of blame, (5) Identification with the oppressor, and (6) Resistance to change. Because the concept of false consciousness is likely to arouse suspicion because of its Marxian origins, several theoretical and methodological objections to the scientific study of false consciousness ave raised and addressed.