Derrida's spectres of ideology

The recent work of Derrida allows for the possibility of revisiting the concept of ideology and reopens the dialogue between deconstruction and Marxism. By reading this work in a particular way Derrida's discussion of spectrality can be linked to the notion of ideology, but we must also distinguish between different types of spectre. In particular, we should distinguish between the negative spectrality of the system (most clearly described by Derrida's account of capitalist fetishism), and the positively articulated spectres of the ideologues, states, parties and other apparatuses. Ideology is inescapable, whether in its negatively secreted or its positively articulated form. However, Derrida's description of ideology and spectrality as a 'hauntology' that opposes itself to ontology should be challenged. The spectral, however blurred or mystifying, is nevertheless real. Derrida's account of spectrality and its implicit notion of ideology therefore has serious ontological implications.