Where did the terms Right and Left come from when referring to opposing sides of the political spectrum?

Question

Why is, at least in American politics, Conservatism called "right" and Liberal called "left"? Who decided this? The news media?

Answer 1

In modern Western countries, the political spectrum is usually described along left-right lines, based on the seating of the liberal and conservative members of the Legislative Assembly of France in 1791, where liberal and conservative were partly defined by attitudes towards the ancien regime. (See section Historical origin of the terms.) This traditional political spectrum has come to be defined along an axis with socialism and communism, ("the Left") on one end, and nationalism and Fascism ("the Right") on the other. Free market liberalism is generally considered to be center-right; new liberalism or social liberalism is generally assigned to the center, center-left or sometimes (when viewed by conservatives) the left. Christian Democracy may be anywhere from center-right to center-left, depending on the country and era. When the left/right spectrum emerged in the early French revolutionary era the now familiar extremes of communism on the left and fascism on the right were simply not present, and leftwardness and rightwardness were based on one's attitude towards the traditional monarchic style of government. The original laissez faire capitalist "left" would now generally be considered part of the right.

National and cultural differences in the use of the terms left and right are common. In China, left and right have referred to different positions at different times, although the issues were often very different from those in Western nations.

Answer 2

In politics, right-wing, the political right, and the right are terms used in the spectrum of left-right politics, and much like the opposite appellation of left-wing, it has a broad variety of definitions. However, it is generally used to refer to the segments of the political spectrum often associated with any of several strains of Conservatism, Traditionalism, Monarchism, Right-libertarianism, Corporatism, the Religious Right, Nationalism, Christian Fundamentalism, Neo-Con, Militarism, Producerism, Nativism, or simply Reactionism for the sake of being the opposite of left-wing politics.

The concept of left-wing, refers to a segment of the political spectrum that considers a high priority the achieving of social equality through collective rights (social), as opposed to purely individual interests (private) and a traditional view of society, represented by the right-wing policy. In general, the left-wing tends to uphold a secular society, egalitarian and multicultural. Depending on the balance of all these factors, the political left is divided into many branches ideologically.The term has been associated, in varying degrees, with Social liberalism (as opposed to Classical), American Liberalism, some forms of Populism, Social Democracy, Socialism, Communism, Marxism, Syndicalism, Communalism, Communitarianism, Libertarian Socialism, Anarchism, Left-Libertarianism, Anti-colonialism, Green Politics, Progressivism, and the Religious Left.

Answer 3

Before the French Revolution, those who wanted democracy sat to the left side of the throne, and those who supported the King and the monarchy sat to the right side of the throne.

Answer 4

These terms are very old. So is the term "liberal". What isn't so old, though is the way that "liberalism" has changed in the 20th century. It is really neither left or right. It is pure despotism in disguise. It disguises itself as the left and it points fingers at the right. What the media is truly guilty of is hiding this fact by whipping the public into a frenzy over the fake fight between "right and left" when the fight is really between freedom and slavery. Liberalism stands for slavery. The quicker this country realizes that, the better off we'll be.

Answer 5

I know this may not be right, but when I think about it, "right" reminds me of the phrase "On the right hand of God" as referring to the setting arrangements in heaven. Now I know that this seems to be a stretch but, I don't think that its a coincidence that the "right" has historically been more Christian than the "left".....

Another theory is the logic of "right" and "republican", are both 'R' words, just as "left" and "liberal" are both 'L' words...

As to where it comes from, or who set the pattern... I have no idea....

Answer 6

There is more to politics than left and right.
Try the World's Smallest Political Quiz.

Answer 7

Christ sits at the right hand side of God, Republicans are more Christan aligned than Dem's. Rather than give them a fish every day the Republicans will teach the individual how to fish and fend for themselves.

The Democrats are more aligned with the workings of Satan, i.e. abortion, social programs at the cost of tax payers (stealing), the taking away of parental rights, the proliferation of the welfare state. They will sell you into slavery and dependency rather than help you become self sufficient.

Answer 8

It's where they're physically seated when Congress is in session. Republicans are on the right side of the aisle, Democrats are on the left.

Answer 9

the french revolution.

Answer 10

Where they were seated in congress.