Vaclav Havel, The Power of the Powerless

Global World Tue, 07 Jul 2026 15:35:08 GMT Moderate confidence — 64/100

As the interpretation of reality by the power structure, ideology is always subordinated ultimately to the interests of the structure.
Therefore, it has a natural tendency to disengage itself from reality, to create a world of appearances, to become ritual.
In societies where there is public competition for power and therefore public control of that power, there also exists quite naturally public control of the way that power legitimates itself ideologically.

As the interpretation of reality by the power structure, ideology is always subordinated ultimately to the interests of the structure.
Therefore, it has a natural tendency to disengage itself from reality, to create a world of appearances, to become ritual.
In societies where there is public competition for power and therefore public control of that power, there also exists quite naturally public control of the way that power legitimates itself ideologically.

Sources: Kamprint