False Consciousness and Ideology in Marxist Theory

Abstract

The article discusses the concepts of false consciousness and ideology and the relation between them as they have been used in the development of a particular aspect of Marxist theory. I trace the development from the writings of Marx and Engels to the early Frankfurt School. My aim is to underline a separation and a distinction between the use of the concepts that emerges in this movement from classical to cntical Marxism. I pro pose no firm conclusions, but rather focus on conceptual analysis and discussion.