Political radicalism
As radicalism refers to a political attitude that seeks fundamental changes to a prevailing social order. The adjective "radical" is derived from the Latin radix ( root ) and describes the endeavor, social and political problems " at the root " to attack and from there as fully as possible to fully and sustainably solve.
The term " radicalism " is originally from the liberal Freedom and Democracy movement of the 19th century and stood for a long time as a political direction term for the class left ( the left-liberal political spectrum). The radical democrats argued for universal suffrage, a consequent disempowerment of the Church and the Republic as a form of government. Especially in Latin countries is the name still for left-liberal and radical democratic parties.
Especially in German-speaking countries a change in meaning has taken place, so that the name of any political persuasion flows can now believe that the pursuit of their goals uncompromising and often in opposition to the ruling order in the course of the 20th century. In this sense one speaks about the left- or right-wing radicalism.
In the language of the state security authorities in the Federal Republic of Germany the term used until then was " radicalism " finally replaced in 1975 by the term "extremism". Be called so outermost positions in relation to the assumed center of the political spectrum, including a rejection of the democratic constitutional state and usually violent.
Liberal radicalism
As a " radical " supporters of political liberalism were called in Europe in the 19th and early 20th century, considered themselves the left wing of the liberal movement. The willingness to enforce liberal- national targets in the framework of a revolution against restorative state regulations may by force, it can not be regarded as a special feature at first, which would have distinguished the radicals of other liberal groups. Rather, all liberal approaches were initially at sustainable political change. The focus in particular on the demand for a constitution ( constitutionalism ) and the rejection of an absolutist and autocratic rule understanding.
Significant differences between the heterogeneous from the outset components of the liberal bourgeoisie crystallized only in the course of time and from country to country in a different way out, with the radicals differed substantially by more far -reaching political goals and the heat of the conflict of moderate liberals. In many cases it is difficult to differentiate the liberal spectrum this time, especially because mooring, whether a constitutional monarchy demanded or the radical goal Republic ( abolition of the monarchy ) is pursued.
In general, the Liberals saw ( in German-speaking countries " Freedom ", "Advanced " or " free-thinking " called ) since the Congress of Vienna in opposition to the conservative order of the Restoration period and demanded by the princes more or less vehemently the general freedom rights. To a differentiation within the liberal camp, it came for the first time during the reign of the initially even the liberal movement attributed to "citizen king " Louis -Philippe of France, who had come through a bourgeois- liberal revolution ( July Revolution of 1830 ) to the power which the reactionary regime of the Bourbons was overthrown. But the French bourgeoisie was increasingly disappointed by the July Monarchy and the Radicals demanded in particular to replace the census suffrage by general, free male suffrage, and wanted to achieve the complete and immediate replacement of the feudal burdens. The dissatisfaction of the more radical liberals eventually led to the February Revolution of 1848 and that this creates the revolutionary upheavals throughout Europe.
"Radical" was this wing of the Liberals so both in terms of its objectives ( radically democratic ) and the means used ( the overthrow of the government). Also for social-revolutionary tendencies, political discourse of the Left dominated increasingly since about 1871 ( Paris Commune ), the radical spectrum generally showed open, although it ( with which the radicals often received alliances ) in contrast to the labor movement and social democracy always by his bourgeois origins remained marked.
In different parts of Switzerland it came shortly after the July Revolution of 1830 to decidedly "radical" topple, the liberal " regeneration " so-called. Against the conservative ruled Canton of Lucerne organized the Radicals 1844/45 so-called Freischar trains to bring about a violent overthrow. After 1847, the designations were "radical" and " liberal " or "liberal " is often used synonymously in Switzerland. In French-speaking Switzerland, the Free Democratic Party called today Parti radical - démocratique Suisse and is popularly les radicaux ( " radicals " ) called.
Particularly strong was the radicalism in France, where he co-determined policies over many decades in the form of the Radical Party and 1900-1940 the dominant political force was. Due to their positioning between the labor movement and the Parti radical conservatives was for majority formations most indispensable and therefore involved in various political constellations in the government. Coming from a strong republican, anti-monarchist and anti-clerical tradition, the radicals studied from 1898 repeatedly successful alliances with socialist and communist groups to implement their ideas, such as the laws on separation of church and state in 1905 or the People's Front of 1936. Unlike their allies, who came from the labor movement, the Parti radical represented the radical liberal bourgeoisie, a flow that looks back in France on a much stronger tradition than about the German-speaking countries.
In predominantly Catholic countries such as Spain ( Partido Progresista ) or Chile ( Partido Radical ), in which the Church acted as a pillar of the conservative social order, was the radical wing of the ( overall anyway secular embossed ) liberal movement for a particularly strong anti-clericalism.
In Germany, radical democratic and socialist revolutionaries early 1848 were particularly strong in Baden. Later, she called the left wing of the Liberals, in contrast to the National Liberals explicitly radical liberals. As such, the bundled understood in the German People's Party, later the German Liberal Party Democratic- Republican forces of the Empire.
The widespread implementation of major radical goals such as the separation of church and state and the separation of the critical middle class by the working proletariat as the driving force of social change from the last quarter of the 19th century and the generally increasing democratization of the Western world political systems in the first half of the 20th century led to the integration of the liberal radicalism in the established range of the center-left. The leveling of differences between workers and citizens as the carrier Left Opposition movements in the course of progressive gentrification of the western European middle-class society in the second half of the 20th century brought ultimately to a shift in the political concept of " radicalism " with it, which is not now in the German-speaking countries in general more than a designation emphasizes liberal and democratic political ethos serves.
Radical democratic currents
From the connection between radical democratic-minded bourgeois- liberal forces and has its headquarters in socialism base and councils democratic aspirations of the political left during the 20th century was the view to its position relatively open attribute " radically democratic ", which even today as a programmatic name is used to bring the self-understanding of groupings quite different political expression, who want to emphasize their chosen democratic understanding of politics.
The spectrum of this term ranges from clearly the left-liberal "radical" tradition allocated to groups such as those realized in the late phase of the Weimar Republic Radical Democratic Party to advocates of democratic socialism (such as the Young Democrats / Young Left ), now understood as radically democratic.
Political radicalism as a threat
Even the radical aspirations of liberalism were directed by her original self -understanding on a fundamental restructuring, possibly even a violent overthrow of the existing ( non-democratic ) ratios and were therefore regarded from the perspective of the political leaders and their conservative supporters always a threat to the ruling political system.
With the changes in the political landscape was accompanied by a change of meaning that " radicalism " is politological located today in a gray area between "democracy" and "extremism" and no longer understood as the epitome of a liberal and democratic political attitude. On the contrary, the term " politically radical " understood in common, general understanding even as a synonym for an anti-democratic attitude, which aims at the abolition of the liberal system or the rule of law in favor of an ideological authoritarian or even totalitarian social system. Radicalism is thus again seen as a threat, but this time for the (now ruling ) democratic order. He can be settled politically left as well as right or as present in the form of a politico-religious fundamentalism.
In West Germany came the term " radical " in this sense, especially in the 1960s and 70s in use, as it was the view of the majority of the population to the defense of Marxist or socialist -influenced currents in the framework of a left radical opposition - "Left -Wing" - on a reconstruction of the social and political system of the Federal Republic of Germany headed. Such " radicals" were considered by the parties represented in parliament and the state organs predominantly as dangerous, the free democratic basic order of the Federal Republic of threatening forces. This mistrust brought about the decree adopted in 1972 radicals expressed.
Later they began to extend the term on right-wing opponents of the democratic order, and distinguished between " right-wing extremists " and " leftists ". The Protection of the Constitution used until 1974 the term " radicalism " within the meaning of " as unconstitutional viewed aspirations". Thereafter, the term has been replaced in this meaning of the term " extremism ".
" Radicalism " is still positive cast as " extremism " and is the general feeling after less than " threatening ". The attribute "radical" may even be a positive connotation and for special consistency and determination in the selection and are in the pursuit and implementation of higher-level objectives under certain circumstances. It is, therefore, used by some groups who want to criticize and change the existing state and / or economic system basically as a self-designation. Even the APO of '68 took its time derogatory term foreign rapidly lay claim, as it chanted about in the demonstrations, ironic and provocative proposition is expressed: We are a small radical minority. Such " radicals" see their own (positive understood) radicality mostly in their goals, but not in their methods ( subversion, violence) situates while " extremist" understand the attribute as discreditable and reject for themselves.
The philosopher Helmuth Plessner (1892-1985) defines radicalism as " the belief that truly great and good arises only from a conscious reduction to the roots of existence; the belief in the healing power of extremes, the way to make against all traditional values and compromises front. Social radicalism is therefore the opposition to the status quo, in that it always includes a certain balance between the conflicting forces of human nature and the laws of the realization, the compulsion of the possible obeys. " Plessner sees social mechanisms such as tact, diplomacy, prestige and ceremony as the psychic structure of human beings appropriate and therefore effective to maintain a humane society; social radicalism is rejected by him as "Ethics of indiscretion ."
Defined by the Federal German Constitutional Protection
In the Federal Republic of Germany, the distinction between the terms "radical" and marked " extremist" mainly by the Federal Constitutional Court and the OPCs.
In the young Federal Republic of German constitutional protection used the term " radicalism " even in the sense of " as unconstitutional viewed aspirations". In the 1960s and '70s, this importance has been increasingly taken over by the term " extremism ". The recent change of meaning in the course of the negative connotation of " radicalism " was overcome as a subversive effort by little, took place gradually since the years 1966-1974:
" Until 1966, the Federal Office for Protection of the Constitution right unconstitutional organizations designated as" right-wing ", later were quite extreme and quite radically as synonymous terms. 1974, established the right-wing as a generic term for anti-constitutional activities of law. "
Today, the German Federal Office for the Protection radicalism and extremism explicitly excluded from each other:
"As extremist aspirations are referred to standing against the core of our Constitution - directed - the free democratic basic order. About the concept of extremism, there is often confusion. Wrongly he is often equated with radicalism. Thus, for example, critics of capitalism who raise fundamental doubts about the structure of our economic and social system and want to change from the ground up, no extremists. Radical political views have their legitimate place in our pluralistic society. Also who wants to realize his radical goals, need not fear that he is being watched by the intelligence; at least not as long as it recognizes the fundamental principles of our constitutional order. "
The suggestive of the essential difference between the tasks of the Constitutional protection and social sciences proposal by various authors, "extremist for observing objects of the constitution protection authorities reserve the attribute and to use the term radicalism for the much broader social science field of activity, " could not prevail so far.