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Left-Wing Extremism: The Conceptual Dimension

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The Palgrave Handbook of Left-Wing Extremism, Volume 1

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Abstract

The article begins with a critical review of the scientific attempts at conceptualisation and, on this basis, proposes a definition based on the dichotomy between the opposites extremism/democracy and the right-left dichotomy. This is followed by an overview of the most important ideological, organisational and strategic variants worldwide. The article concludes with a brief consideration of the potential dangers of left-wing extremist efforts in constitutional democratic states.

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  1. University of Dresden, Dresden, Germany

    Uwe Backes

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  1. Institute of Social Sciences, Lisbon, Portugal

    José Pedro Zúquete

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Backes, U. (2023). Left-Wing Extremism: The Conceptual Dimension. In: Zúquete, J.P. (eds) The Palgrave Handbook of Left-Wing Extremism, Volume 1. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-30897-0_1

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