Ma`rifat Farhangi Ejtemaei

In contemporary theoretical debates, “culture” is not a simple or homogeneous concept; rather, it constitutes a multilayered, contested, and fluid set of meanings encompassing domains ranging from art and literature to ideology and politics. Terry Eagleton, a prominent theorist within the Marxist tradition and cultural criticism, seeks to unveil the ideological dimensions concealed within this concept. From his perspective, culture is not a neutral or autonomous sphere, but one that is reproduced through its entanglement with power relations, social conflicts, and mechanisms of domination. This study adopts an analytical–interpretive method and is organized in three stages: first, a historical and conceptual genealogy of culture in Eagleton’s thought; second, an analysis of the relationship between culture, ideology, and the logic of capitalism; and third, a critical assessment of his theoretical framework. The findings indicate that although Eagleton is successful in criticizing the commodification and globalization of culture, his adherence to historical materialism and his reduction of culture to an ideological phenomenon lead to the neglect of its ethical and spiritual dimensions. While drawing on Eagleton’s critical capacities, the present article emphasizes the necessity of rethinking the relationship between culture, ideology, and meaning in order to overcome the contemporary crisis of meaning.