Abstract
Ideologies constitute the most relevant political form through which the upheavals of ideas related to political emancipation have been expressed in the third world. These ideologies vary widely in character and have, historically, served very different purposes. Despite this variety, third world ideologies all perform the basic function of third world self-assertion. Usually this goal is stated in universalist terms; however, the real unit of self- assertion is almost invariably the state. Externally, the self-assertive nature of these ideologies may support a rigidly independent stand in international affairs, political and economic independence, equality, and respect among nations. Internally, they contribute to unity and the modernization of social norms. They will grow more complex, mature, and domestic in the coming decades and a greater role will be played by ideologies with strong worker affiliations. The fact that third world countries have begun to export ideologies foreshadows an age of true world integration, interpenetration, and inter dependence in the realm of social and political ideas.
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