Are Left and Right Converging or Becoming Meaningless?: A Discussion on Contemporary Ideological Positions

Abstract

Although the history of ideologies is traced back to the ancient times of human history, it is actually a phenomenon of modern times. The concept was first systematically studied by philosophers in the Age of Enlightenment. With the development of political parties in the 19th century, the concept of ideology was intertwined with political parties. In the modern era, political parties try to get the votes of their voters by aligning their identities on the right and left spectrum. This study aims to evaluate whether or not the expressions “left” and “right” are meaningless today. If they are still meaningful, what are their meanings? The study examines ideological convergence in Western countries using the Comparative Manifesto Project (CMP) data. The research results show that although the concepts of left and right still make sense, they have eroded over time. The results also demonstrate that right and left do not have the same meaning in every country.