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The term Radical Middle refers to a type of third way
philosophy as well as an associated political movement, which defines itself by simultaneously affirming both sides of an apparently
contradictory issue, whether that be Left-Right politics or a
false dilemma. Both the movement and the philosophy are sometimes called
the Radical Center, and are often associated with politicians such as Tony Blair in the U.K. and John McCain in the U.S.
Radical Middle Philosophy
Various groups have recently adopted the radical middle as a term to describe a form of third way thinking that paradoxically affirms the simultaneous
validity of two opposing extremes. Radical middle thought emphasizes epistemic virtue in the pursuit of truth as opposed to blind adherence to dogma.
Historical examples of what might be considered radical middle thinking are the wave-particle duality of physics, the Christian doctrine of Jesus Christ
as both God and Man, and the federalist balance between national and state
authority in the United States Constitution.
The terms radical center and radical middle are often used interchangeably, though it is sometimes useful to
distinguish between the specific political movement and the general philosophical approach.
Radical Centrism
The political application of that philosophy is generally known as radical centrism. As a relatively grass-roots movement, especially in the United States, there is no definitive
statement of radical centrism. However the following represent some common issues, and the key issues of certain Radical Centrist
organizations:
- Maximize citizen choice and individual empowerment (such as through civil
rights and referendums)
- Maximize everyone's potential
- Be of genuine help to those in the developing world
- Be realistic, acknowledging absolute truth, relative knowledge, and
complex value
- Build Character, by promoting conscious moral choices
- Expand Community, by people creating value for each other in reciprocal relationships
- Possess a foundation of traditional values and Common sense
- Rational Environmentalism, called the productive
middle, usually based around the concept of enlibra
History of the terms
The term radical middle appears to have been spontaneously invented by several different communities around the turn of the
millennium, apparently in response to frustration with the violence of extremism
and tepidness of temperance. The earliest modern usage appears to be from
Gordon Fee's kingdom theology course at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary
in the 1970's, which helped inspire the Vineyard Movement. He
used the term radical middle to contrast the evangelical focus on the future
kingdom of God with the Pentecostal emphasis on the present kingdom of
God.
While the term radical center has been used in various ways since at least the 1970s, the modern movement by that name draws
its inspiration from the book The Third Way by Anthony
Giddens (1998) and Giddens's highly-regarded follow-up book The Third Way and Its Critics (2000). In the U.S.
third way politics is most actively represented by the New America Foundation and its book by Ted Halstead and Michael
Lind, The Radical Center (2001). Subsequent introductions to radical centrist politics include, most notably, Matthew
Miller's book The Two Percent Solution (2003) and Mark Satin's book
Radical Middle: The Politics We Need Now (2004). (Interestingly, Lind was once a promising young conservative, Miller
was once an aide in President Clinton's White House, and Satin was a co-author of the U.S. Green Party's founding document from the 1980s, "Ten Key Values.")
Positioning
Radical centrists are related to what is sometimes called the Vital
Center in American politics, and similarly claim to be drawing on the best of both sides. However, they differ significantly
from traditional centrism, which prides itself on moderation and seeking political consensus amongst the parties; radical centrists, for example, are often quite radical and populist in their stated policies. Radical centrists also have a tendency to be divisive,
as opposed to the non-partisan
approach of traditional centrism. This leads to many moderates questioning whether radical centrism deserves to be called
centrist at all (perhaps analogous to how the Left and Right distance themselves from their respective self-described
radical wings). For their part, radical centrists are quick to dissociate themselves from traditional moderates, whom they often
contrast as the "sensible center", or deride as the "squishy center."
Radical centrists can be found in both left-wing and right-wing political parties, but (like other centrists and independents) are usually penalized for being out of step with that party's dominant
ideology. This leads to tension between what might be called separatist factions, who want to shed an unhelpful party
label in order to run as independents, and puritans who want to reform (or take over) the party from within. This
tension is particularly acute in countries with strong two-party traditions, since it is difficult for third-party candidates to
win office or create governable coalitions absent significant electoral
reform.
Radical centrists see themselves as building majority consensus for radical reforms by sidestepping (or confronting) what they
consider the obsolete, polarized and non-productive ideologies of (social Conservatism/economic Liberalism) and (social Liberalism/economic Conservatism). Radical centrists assert that their principles represent the fusion of the best aspects of
Conservatism and Liberalism, and thus interpolate at the level of philosophy rather than policy. They claim these ideological
moorings (the 'root' behind their sociological use of the term 'radical') provide the
basis for their critique of society, government and other political
movements.
Radical Centrist Organizations
- Mark Satin, editor of the Radical Middle
Newsletter
- The New America Foundation, the premier radical
centrist think tank in the U.S.
- RadicalCentrism.org, founded by Ernest
Prabhakar
Howard Dean and the Radical Center
In late 2003, several people made the claim that Howard Dean, then the
front-runner for the United_States_Democratic_Party presidential nomination, represented the radical center.
While this may well have been a defensible description of his policies as Vermont Governor, his loss of the nomination to
John Kerry was commonly attributed to his being perceived as excessively
liberal, rather than any form of centrist, even by
Democrats.
External links
Philsophical Uses
Political Organizations
Organizations concerned with Radical Centrist politics include:
Howard Dean Links
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