Ideology and Power in the 21st Century

A Critical Analysis from Arendt, Žižek, Butler, and Eagleton

Abstract

This article offers a philosophical-critical analysis of the concept of ideology in the 21st century, drawing on the contributions of Hannah Arendt, Slavoj Žižek, Judith Butler, and Terry Eagleton. Through a hermeneutic and comparative methodology, ideology is examined as a symbolic, narrative, and performative structure that shapes experience, subjectivity, and power. It is argued that ideology not only conceals reality but actively produces it through normative frameworks and culturally internalized fictions. The article is structured in three sections: a theoretical reconstruction of the concept, an analysis of its operation in contemporary contexts (such as populism, social media, and post-truth), and a discussion of its limits and possibilities for transformation. It concludes that a philosophical critique of ideology—far from being a purely theoretical exercise—is essential for expanding the margins of agency, plurality, and justice within current democratic frameworks.