Ideology is black-and-white. Philosophy is grey.
Ideology excludes. Philosophy includes.
Ideology ignores uncertainty. Philosophy investigates uncertainty.
Ideology discourages dialogue. Philosophy welcomes dialogue.
Ideology says “Us versus them”. Philosophy says “We’re all human”.
Ideology sees humans as subservient to an ultimate end. Philosophy sees humans as an end unto themselves.
Ideology is one-size-fits-all. Philosophy is tailored to the individual.
Ideology is vague and generic. Philosophy is specific and requires qualification.
Ideology is easily adopted. Philosophy has a steep learning curve.
Ideology prefers acts of commission. Philosophy prefers acts of omission.
Ideology is concerned with the dominance of its own brand of truth. Philosophy is concerned with the truth.
Ideology plasters narrative over reality. Philosophy peels narrative away from reality.
I’m aware that some of these propositions may prove to be wrong. But what I do not believe to be wrong is the conclusion I reached after working through them: better to be a philosopher than an ideologue.
Swell & Cut 