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Far-left Wikipedia

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 militant|militancy and the given political circumstances, revolutionary change may be achieved through democratic or dictatorship|undemocratic, violent or nonviolent means.

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

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.

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 capitalism|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 some lesbian separatism|lesbian separatists do. Sometimes the term "far left" is used pejoratively by those on the right wing to describe any view they perceive as hostile to capitalism.

The far -left is distinct from the ultra-left, according to whom the far-left are still part of the left wing of capitalism, even if they are prepared to use violence and rebellion to seize power. These groupings oppose Maoism and anarchism as both being based on the terrain of wage labor which they regard as a hallmark of capitalism.

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, but were often referred to as ultra-radicals at the time. Likewise, as mentioned, parties that'd be deemed "far-left" in one nation might be mainstream in another.

Last Modified:   2005-11-07