Definition of Religious-Political Extremism

In the field of political and religious ideas, the concept of extremism is used to refer to very radical positions and far from moderate positions. In the philosophical, scientific or cultural This label is also used to refer to approaches away from conventional currents.

To the margin From the context in which it can be used, the idea of ​​extremism usually has negative connotations, as it is associated with revolutionary movements or intolerant positions. Not surprisingly, from the extremists' point of view, their positions are reasonable and sensible. In this sense, we are facing a relative concept that raises some controversy.

In relation to politics

In each historical context there are political approaches that serve as a reference for all citizens. In today's world there are a series of political formations that make up a moderate space, such as social democracy, the democracy Christian or liberal court parties. Thus, when a person or a group has ideas that go beyond what is established, their approaches are considered extremist. Although this name is somewhat ambiguous, it allows us to identify certain groups: movements environmentalists or animalists, neo-Nazi or far-right groups, anti-capitalist movements revolutionaries, etc.

In the religious context

Most religions have different currents within them. Thus, the Catholicism It is a moderate current within Christianity, but certain Christian groups are considered radical and therefore extremist. The same is the case with Islam, a religion in which certain groups are supporters of the terrorism to impose their doctrines.

The paradigmatic case of evolutionism

At the end of the 19th century, Darwin's ideas about evolution of the species were considered an extremist proposition. His approach implied that the species Human was subject to the same mechanisms as the rest of animal species. Obviously, his ideas were in an extreme position at that historical moment, since for centuries it had been considered that man had been created by God.

Over the years, evolutionism was accepted as a valid theory. As a consequence, new extremists emerged: the religious groups that deny the theory of evolution.

The example of evolutionism illustrates the phenomenon of extremism. Thus, someone's extreme position is, in principle, neither positive nor negative, but depends on another consideration: the notion of normality in each historical moment. In this way, everything that deviates from the supposed normality is labeled as extremist.

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