North's Theory Of Ideology And Its Enlightenment

Ideology has a positive function on promoting the development of economy in modern society.Since the reform and opening up the economic development of our China is growing fast which has a closely connect with our long-term ideological construction.Currently our economic development is coming into "new normal",and the changing of time calls some new challenges for ideological construction which requires us to strengthen the construction of ideology.To construct our ideology should pay attention to the economic function of ideology as an important aspect.From the economics perspective,D · C · North's theory on ideology provides us some referential theoretical resources.This paper argues that ideology as an important component of social structure which has never been ended.Ideology has functions on promoting economic performance,saving social cost,participating in the evolution of institutions.This paper points out that the essential of North's theory on ideology is a kind of idealistic historicism.We must insist historical materialism on which we correctly deal with the relationship of between social existence and social consciousness,economic basis and superstructure.This paper considers that in modem society the economic function of ideology can be summarized as follows:the explain function,constraint and incentive function,and the economical function,and so on.These economic functions make the ideology improving the economic performance through the substitution efifect,information sharing and non-market resource allocation mechanisms.And these functions also require the guarantee from the institutions.The relationship between ideology and the institutions is dialectical unity.But we must respond to the impact and challenges from North's theory on ideology from the theory which insists the class nature of the construction of socialist ideology and deal with the relationship between ideology and economic basis correctly.North's theory on ideology provides us some enlightenment:what the research on ideology should be done is as fellows:expand and deepen the ideological research perspectives and research areas,pay attention to the economic function of ideology on saving social cost,make the economic performance as one of the standard of successful ideology;ideological education should pay attention to the dimension of personal interests,reduce the cost,base on institution for protection.