Hegemony vs. Ideology — What's the Difference?

Hegemony (UK: , US: (pronunciation ) or ) is the political, economic, or military predominance or control of one state over others. In ancient Greece (8th century BC – 6th century AD), hegemony denoted the politico-military dominance of a city-state over other city-states.

An ideology (/ˌʌɪdɪˈɒlədʒi/) is a set of beliefs or philosophies attributed to a person or group of persons, especially as held for reasons that are not purely epistemic, in which "practical elements are as prominent as theoretical ones." Formerly applied primarily to economic, political, or religious theories and policies, in a tradition going back to Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels, more recent use treats the term as mainly condemnatory.The term was coined by Antoine Destutt de Tracy, a French Enlightenment aristocrat and philosopher, who conceived it in 1796 as the "science of ideas" to develop a rational system of ideas to oppose the irrational impulses of the mob. In political science, the term is used in a descriptive sense to refer to political belief systems.

The predominance of one state or social group over others.

A set of doctrines or beliefs that are shared by the members of a social group or that form the basis of a political, economic, or other system.

(formal) Domination, influence, or authority over another, especially by one political group over a society or by one nation over others.

Doctrine, philosophy, body of beliefs or principles belonging to an individual or group.

Dominance of one social group over another, such that the ruling group or hegemon acquires some degree of consent from the subordinate, as opposed to dominance purely by force.

(uncountable) The study of the origin and nature of ideas.

Leadership; preponderant influence or authority; - usually applied to the relation of a government or state to its neighbors or confederates.

The science of ideas.

The domination of one state over its allies

A theory of the origin of ideas which derives them exclusively from sensation.

A set or system of theories and beliefs held by an individual or group, especially about sociopolitical goals and methods to attain them; in common usage, ideology is such a set of beliefs so strongly held by their adherents as to cause them to ignore evidence against such beliefs, and thus fall into error - in this sense it is viewed as a negative trait; contrasted to pragmatism, and distinct from idealism.

An orientation that characterizes the thinking of a group or nation

Imaginary or visionary theorization