Moral implications of the left-right-dichotomy: the case of Germany

Conference at the Minho University, Braga (Portugal), 23/24March 2012: ‘Left and Right: The Great Dichotomy Revisited’ ‘Moral Implications of the Left-Right-Dichotomy. Casestudy Germany’ (Dr. Dirk Rochtus) In my paper I will shed a light on the moral way the dichotomy Left-Right is being approached, in general and in Germany. 1. Left and Right are the two wings of the parliamentary democracy. The reduction of one of them to insignificance would amputate democracy and lead to an intellectual standstill. To understand this danger should lead to the acceptance of the existence of this dichotomy as an objective necessity. Yet the dichotomy often is considered from a moral view, a situation in which the Left is seen as morally superior and the Right as reprehensible. This view expresses itself also in the usage of language. One will hear people call themselves leftist, but those who are not leftist, will seldom call themselves rightist, but rather ‘conservative’ or ‘centrist’. 2. Casestudy Germany. The following phenomena are worth studying. A) The theory of Äquidistanz, which says that Extremism of the Right and of the Left are equally dangerous. This theory is contested by those who say that even if the Left expresses itself in an extremist way, it is still lead by a humanistic vision. B) The practice of making no semantic difference between Right and Extreme Right. Protest manifestations against neonazi crimes have been organized under the denominator ‘Rock gegen Rechts’ (Rock against the Right). In Germany no Christian-democratic or liberal-democratic politician will call him- or herself ‘rightist’, but rather belonging to the ‘Mitte’ (the Centre), as if right from the Centre the Extreme Right starts. C) The leftist party ‘Die Linke’ is assessed by members of the establishment as being ‘destructive’ and ‘extremist’, yet not ‘unconstitutional as it does not take an ‘aggressive stand’ against the constitutional order. 3. Summary: Whereas in Germany the word ‘right’ often is used for the extreme right, the ‘left’ also can have a negative connotation, especially in connection with ‘Die Linke’ due to the background of Die Linke and its attitude towards the system of the German Democratic Republic and due to its radical ideological stance and expressions concerning the political system of the Federal Republic.status: publishe