Ideology
can be defined as a set of beliefs of a large group of people; these beliefs are widely shared
and rarely questioned.
Perhaps the single most important theorist to reflect
on ideology is Louis Althusser (his last name is usually pronounced all-too-SAY). In
"Ideology and Ideological State Apparatuses," he writes that ideology creates social
roles (and social classes) and makes them appear "natural."
The
popular film The Matrix can be seen as a creative representation of the
powers of ideology. In the film, most humans believe they are living free lives when in fact
they are enslaved by and serve as living batteries for the computers and machines. Their real
purpose is too horrible to face, so they remain content with living virtual lives. Only with
great effort are some people in the film able to escape their bonds and to see
clearly.
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