If you look at the many ideas that we now describe as left or right ideas or ideologies fall under the guises of thoughts expressed in the works of many political thinkers throughout history. We can see the possible suggestions of left ideology from the most unlikely sources, like the thoughts that Machiavelli might have been in favour of the welfare state. Machiavelli’s feeling that the people will be won over if they feel protected can back up this notion. He suggested doing this through the army but it is feasible to suggest that a healthy nation would mean a healthier and larger army. Machiavelli is now considered to represent right wing political thought, but in his day his writings were seen by some as 'liberal'.
Rousseau was a thinker of the enlightenment but had liberal ideas that could be seen as left wing. Like Plato, Rousseau always believed that a just society was one in which everyone was in his place. He wrote the Discourse to explain how men had lost their liberty in the past; he went on to write another book, Du Contrat social (1762; The Social Contract), to suggest how they might recover their liberty in the future. “Man was born free, but he is everywhere in chains”. Rousseau expressed that social inequality has come about because men have allowed their God-given right of freedom to be usurped. Rousseau expressed ideas of everyone being equal in his utopia in ‘A Discourse on Inequality’. This idea of equality has been seen in left wing writing throughout history in particular Marx. These writers were around at times of political and social upheaval and change, radical ideas often come out at such times. Distinctions of left and right are an their highest at times of poor economic climate such as Germany in the 1930’s or even Afghanistan today or African nations such as Zaire. People are more inclined to go with more extremist ideas when they are financially and socially downtrodden.
“In all societies… two classes of people appear – a class that rules and a class that is ruled.” Gaetano Mosca. This is the idea of the ‘Classical Elite Theory’ and could be seen as a right wing idea. Society is in fact controlled by a minority, an ‘elite’ who exercise power primarily for their own benefit. We can see this idea as being a necessary aspect of all societies and unfortunately means that theorist such as Marx ideas can eventually happen, revolution as the majority rebel and reject the power of the few.
What has emerged from the right is a lot of economic thought. Even that was overwhelmed until the 1970s by left wing economic theories. In the 1930’s you had a lot of economists who put forward the role of the state in dealing with the social issues of society. In the USA there was the “New Deal” during the depression that spent billions of dollars creating work by building dams roads and electricity schemes. It wasn’t social insurance on the lines of Beveridge but it certainly wasn’t right leaning politics. In Britain you had John Maynard Keynes putting forward the idea of government control of the economy that became the norm in Europe after the Second World War.
Even Nazi Germany was “National Socialism”. Hitler put forward views in “Mein Kampf” that the state must look after its people. He may have expanded that in a militaristic sense but his popularity before 1939 came not from the army but from building roads (the first motorways in the world), railways and factories. Only when Regan in the US and Thatcher in the UK came to power did the right wing economic views come to the fore. This was primarily from the “Chicago School” of economists following the ideas of Adam Smith and the “free market”. That has moved the whole agenda to the right and the EU rules have enhanced this. The EU treaties say there must be a level playing field for all companies throughout Europe. This translates into very strict limits in what governments can do to support industry.
We are now witnessing the demise of the terms ‘left’ and ‘right’ as useful indicators of political allegiance. Someone described, as left wing would not be automatically placed with the Labour Party anymore. Left wing is associated with ideas of the welfare state, working classes, freedom of speech, Communism and Keynesian economic policies; whereas right wing is associated with ideas free market, landed upper classes, Fascism in their extremes.
Left and right still exist in the extremes and by using the current case study of the elections in France to take place 2oth April we can see the demise of these terms in actual modern politics. In the first ballot in the French elections there can be a larger number of candidates with extremist ideas covered such as Communists and Nationalists. But in the second ballot with only two candidates we should see that they are both more moderate and similar in their policies and ideas. This is an example of how left and right exist in modern society and are clearly different but in practical politics and the main stream of modern political thought they have lessened their importance.
Looking at the political thinkers we can see that history changes our perception of ideas and where they are on the political spectrum. Liberal ideas throughout history are now seen as left wing and right wing ideologies, as represented by economic theories are seen as more mainstream in our current political climate. The distinction between right and left may well exist between thinkers and philosophers but how much does it exist for politicians? “Politics and the fate of mankind are shaped by men without ideals and without greatness, Men who have greatness within them don’t concern themselves with politics.” (Albert Camus).
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