Far-left

The term far left refers to the relative position a person or group occupies within the political spectrum. In general, it is used to describe persons or groups who hold radical egalitarian views and who seek to achieve radical social and political change by taking over or overthrowing the existing order in society. Depending on a group's militancy and the given political circumstances, revolutionary change may be achieved through democratic or undemocratic, violent or nonviolent means.

Related Topics:
Political spectrum - Egalitarian - Radical - Militancy - Revolutionary - Democratic - Undemocratic - Violent - Nonviolent

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Groups that advocate some form of revolution, but without being egalitarian, are generally not part of the far left.

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Since, by definition, most people are not far from the center, the terms far-left and far-right are normally used to illustrate that someone is an extremist, not in tune with the majority. Far-left is thus sometimes a pejorative term.

Related Topics:
Far-right - Pejorative

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In the majority of present-day countries, the far-left is more based on how strongly one rejects tradition and capitalism. In many nations it is defined as "to the Left of mainstream Communist parties" as communist parties are acceptable in several nations. Hence it includes Maoism, Anti-Revisionists, Anarcho-communism, Anarcho-syndicalism, and others strongly opposed to capitalist governments and institutions. Not all Anarchism is left in any sense, but most schools of anarchism would be considered far-left. "Far-Left" can also describe groups who support an intense "cultural revolution" on anti-traditional lines, like possibly The Weather Underground did. Sometimes the term "far left" is used pejoratively by those on the right wing to describe any view they perceive as hostile to capitalism.

Related Topics:
Capitalism - Maoism - Anti-Revisionist - Anarcho-communism - Anarcho-syndicalism - Anarchism - The Weather Underground

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However, the term "far-left" must also be understood as relative to either the speaker or the context in which they are speaking. Two hundred years ago, for example, anyone who supported secularism and universal suffrage would be seen as a far-left extremist. Likewise, as mentioned, parties that'd be deemed "far-left" in one nation might be mainstream in another.

Related Topics:
Secularism - Universal suffrage

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