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RADICAL MIDDLE PHILOSOPHY Various groups have adopted "radical middle" as a term to describe a Third Way philosophy which includes their belief that, in affirming the core principles involved on both sides of a dilemma, the dilemma or disagreement can be rendered Moot . These groups argue that this reflects an emphasis on Epistemic Virtue , by resolving False Dilemma s -- i.e., finding the ''excluded middle''. Critics argue that this can easily result in the Logical Fallacy of False Compromise . The terms ''Radical Center'' and ''Radical Middle'' are often used interchangeably, although the former more often refers to a political movement or current and the latter to a political philosophy. RADICAL MIDDLE POLITICS The political application of radical middle philosophy is represented by a cluster of loosely related terms and movements: radical middle, radical centrist, responsive Communitarian , third-way, etc. As a relatively Grass-roots movement, especially in the United States, there is no definitive statement of radical middle politics. A primary recurring theme, however, might be the idea of "sustainably improving choices." This is reflected in the goals of various radical middle groups, which they describe using language such as:
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 . An early use appears to be from Gordon Fee's kingdom Theology course at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary in the 1970s, 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. In 1955, in a comic strip that appears in ''Hold Me!'', a collection published by Random House in 1962. While the term radical center has been used in various ways since at least the 1970s, it first had a major influence in the 1990s due to the Reform Party and Ross Perot , who were frequently described as representing the Radical Middle due to their attempts to Partisan ize those portions of the American electorate. Despite a strong showing in the 1996 U.S. Presidential Election , the Reform Party is nowadays not generally perceived as a major player in national politics, though they have impacted state elections -- notably with their Jesse Ventura becoming governor of Minnesota. Today, the term radical middle is most commonly associated with a movement that does not explicitly claim descent from the Reform Party or its ideas, but rather draws its inspiration from the book ''The Third Way'' by 's founding document from the 1980s, " Ten Key Values .") The definitive history of "Centrism" in America, and probably the best-selling radical centrist book to date, is John Avlon 's ''Independent Nation'' (2004, pbk. 2005). 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 quite Radical and Populist in their stated policies. Radical centrists also can 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 often distance themselves from their respective 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 Independent s) 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 Movement s. Michael Lind , in his 1996 publication Up From Conservatism , writes that, though American radical centrism is today a minority political philosophy, it was, in fact, the dominant political philosophy within the United States from the time of FDR through LBJ -- a philosophy that was shared both by the presidents of that era (FDR, Truman , Eisenhower , JFK , LBJ) and the majority of the American people. Therefore, Lind argues, the American "radical" centrism of today is simply the adamant pursuit for a return to the once-mainstream political principle of New Deal economic liberalism coupled with a very moderate cultural conservatism. This modest cultural conservatism would be exemplified on the political stage simply by the "radical centrist" politician's refusal to politicize or advocate socially-liberal issues like abortion or gay rights. However, the radical centrist politician would likewise spurn any influence or pressure coming from the Religious Right and other socially-conservative special interest groups (ie. Anti-abortion advocates, prayer-in-school advocates, etc.) RADICAL CENTRIST ORGANIZATIONS
SEE ALSO External links General/philosophical uses
Political organizations Media coverage of the 'radical middle' phenomena in (mostly American) politics:
Information from self-described radical middle/radical centrist sources:
Self-Described Centrist Resources
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