Left-wing politics
Left-wing politics describes the range of political ideologies that support and seek to achieve social equality and egalitarianism, often in opposition to social hierarchy.[1][2][3][4] Left-wing politics typically involve a concern for those in society whom its adherents perceive as disadvantaged relative to others as well as a belief that there are unjustified inequalities that need to be reduced or abolished.[1] According to emeritus professor of economics Barry Clark, supporters of left-wing politics "claim that human development flourishes when individuals engage in cooperative, mutually respectful relations that can thrive only when excessive differences in status, power, and wealth are eliminated."[5]
Within the left–right political spectrum, Left and Right were coined during the French Revolution, referring to the seating arrangement in the French Estates General. Those who sat on the left generally opposed the Ancien Régime and the Bourbon monarchy and supported the Revolution, the creation of a democratic republic and the secularization of society[6] while those on the right were supportive of the traditional institutions of the Ancien Régime. Usage of the term Left became more prominent after the restoration of the French monarchy in 1815, when it was applied to the Independents.[7] The word wing was first appended to Left and Right in the late 19th century, usually with disparaging intent, and left-wing was applied to those who were unorthodox in their religious or political views.
Ideologies considered to be left-wing vary greatly depending on the placement of the Overton window along the left-right political spectrum in a given time and place. At the end of the 18th century, upon the founding of the first liberal democracies, the term Left was used to describe liberalism in the United States and republicanism in France, supporting a lesser degree of hierarchical decision-making than the right-wing politics of the traditional conservatives and monarchists.
References
- ↑ a b Smith, T. Alexander; Tatalovich, Raymond (2003). Cultures at War: Moral Conflicts in Western Democracies. Toronto, Canada: Broadview Press. p. 30. ISBN 9781551113340.
- ↑ Bobbio, Norberto; Cameron, Allan (1997). Left and Right: The Significance of a Political Distinction. w:University of Chicago Press. p. 37.
- ↑ Ball, Terence (2005). The Cambridge History of Twentieth-Century Political Thought (Reprint. ed.). Cambridge: w:Cambridge University Press. p. 614. ISBN 9780521563543. Retrieved 15 November 2016.
- ↑ Thompson, Willie (1997). The Left In History: Revolution and Reform in Twentieth-Century Politic. London: w:Pluto Press. ISBN 978-0745308913.
- ↑ Clark, Barry (1998). Political Economy: A Comparative Approach. Westport, Connecticut: w:Praeger Press. ISBN 9780275958695.
- ↑ Knapp, Andrew; Wright, Vincent (2006). The government and politics of France (5th ed.). London [u.a.]: w:Routledge. ISBN 978-0-415-35732-6.
the government and politics of france.
- ↑ Gauchet, Marcel (1996). "Right and Left". In Nora, Pierre (ed.). Realms of memory: conflicts and divisions. p. 248.