Articles

• Marks, S

Abstract

The term 'ideology' is used in many senses, but in one sense it refers to the role of words (and other symbolic forms) in legitimating subsisting inequalities of power. While some theorists contend that the concept of ideology has outlived its usefulness, others point to the persistence of ideology in this sense. In doing so, the latter reassert a tradition of ideology critique that has its roots in the work of Karl Marx. In this article, the author considers the relevance of that tradition for contemporary forms of international legal scholarship. She observes that the methods and objectives of ideology critique are reflected in some approaches to the study of international law, but argues that international legal scholars would do well to make the critique of ideology more central to their enquiries than they have done to date. If the thrust of our analyses was to show how that which appears necessary entrenches historical injustices, that which seems universal serves particular interests, and that which purports to be rational functions as an argument against redistributive claims, then international legal scholarship might come to play a more engaged part than hitherto, not just in interpreting the world, but also in changing it.