Do all Radicals are Revolutionary  

Ahmad Reza Taheri  

Radical      Liberal    Moderate     Conservative     Reactionary

Left………………………………………………………………………Right

The above figure is known as the Political Spectrum. These terms Radical, liberal, Moderate, Conservative, and Reactionary which are shown in the above figure are among the words often used in political discourse. Let's have a short understanding about each of them respectively. In this note, we will start with the Radicals only and in the coming notes we will deal with other concepts.

In politics, as it is shown in the figure, the term Radical means an extremist of the left but not of the right. In fact, the terms left and right come to us from the French political experience. Those who generally supported the policies of the monarch were seated to his right, and those who proposed changes in the system were arranged to his left.

Radicals are those who find themselves extremely discontented with the status quo. They wish an immediate and profound change in the existing order, advocating something new and different.

But, within the Radicals, it is not always so; they do not always prefer violence. The most extreme Radicals are prone to use violence and often insist on it because they believe that meaningful social change is impossible without it, other radicals take a less absolutist view. Although all Radicals want immediate change at society's foundation, the less extreme among them do not insist on violence as the necessary vehicle by which to bring about social transformation.

Indeed, one group of Radicals, the Pacifists, completely reject violence as a means to achieve justice. These people hold human rights to be of such great importance that no one, they believe, has the right to injure or kill another in pursuit of their political goals. Excellent example of this attitude can be found in the careers of Gandhi, Dr. Martin Luther, and labor leader Cesar Chavez. Each leader organized great movements demanding immediate and profound change, yet each refused to use violence to reach his goals, even after they had suffered violence at the hands of supporters of the status quo.

This note is based on the writings of Professor Leon P Baradat, in his book Political Ideologies: their origins and impact, 9^th edition, Indian reprint, published by Asoke K. Gosh, pp. 12-19.