Abstract

The Marxian critics of ideologies is an important stage within the process of demystification of history. This near relationship to positivism does not alter the main difference between both points of view which consists in answering the question to which objects the method of criticism of ideologies should refer. While most of the positivistic theories neglect the psychological and the sociological sources of ideologies, Marx too reflects on the concrete social conditions to which he imputes the causation of « false consciousness » . While Comte supposes that history also is ruled by natural laws, Marx emphasizes the difference between natural laws and the laws of history. Only in this way it is possible to him to assume that « Naturwüchsigkeit » of history could be overcome by human activity.First in the latest positivism, history is eliminated from sociological analysis . Finally with R. Dahrendorf there is to be found an attempt to include the consistency of social change in society and in sociological theory