What does false consciousness mean??

Question

this is a term used in my as level sociology and i dont understand exactly what it means...help!!!?!?!?!?!

i should add im dumb..i need simple words to explain what it means lol no sarcy replies either!

Answer 1

false consciousness is basically a bourgeoisie term for teaching the working class untruths. the reason they tell these untruths is to benefit them.

but in simple terms false consciousness is teaching things that arent true ^_^

Answer 2

False Consciousness Definition

Answer 3

There is an established theory of "false consciousness" and it is very technical. "Ideolgoy" is false consciousness.

Ideology is that system of ideas created to deceive common people to legitimise and continue social domination. It is intellectual legitimisation of social domination. This creates a spurious thinking in the minds of people that all and everything is fine and perfect, and hence it is false consciousenss.

Predominently the Communists are ionterested in this theory, as for them, the false consciousness or ideology concelas reality, and reality according to the communists is contradiction between the haves and have nots in society. There shall also be many other contradiction, but for all of them, this economic base is the substructure.

They prescribe revolutionary practice as a 'counter ideology' programme.

When it comes to Antonio Gramsci, he calles this as hegemony.

Answer 4

Maybe, but that scenario only really applies if you think of consciousness as arbitrary. When consciousness is instead valued as an end in itself, whether as a God-given gift of spirit or something more mundane, any goal one consciously determines for oneself becomes intrinsically meaningful. Of course, "meaningful" doesn't necessarily mean moral or wise, just fundamentally significant. As a free-willed, self-aware being, a person has the capacity to choose their own meaning, their own significance. Speaking frankly as a theist for a moment, whether God truly has a plan for our lives, or if perhaps determining meaning for ourselves IS the plan, I think the fact that people can choose what is meaningful to them is anything but arbitrary.

Answer 5

The above are pretty good. And in psychology the term is used to mean a state of wakefullness, but complete inattention to ones surroundings (like most math students I've had ☺)

Doug

Answer 6

In Marxist theory, a failure to recognize the instruments of one's oppression or exploitation as one's own creation, as when members of an oppressed class unwittingly adopt views of the oppressor class.