Одређење екстремизма– проблеми и недоумице
Definition of Extremism- Problems and Doubts

Summary/Abstract: In this article the author deals with a number of shortcomings of the dominant definition of extremism. First, the definition of extremism is dependent on the definition of democracy. This does not say what extremism is but what is not, actually, a vague concept (extremism) is depending on another vague concept (democracy). Also, in this way constituted conception of extremism serves to maintain the status quo, so any alternative to the established system is defined as more or less extremist. This is the most important complaint to this concept. It would also mean that the concept of extremism can be expanded to the point when extremism absorbs all opponents of the current state of affairs. On the other hand, so defined extremism does not take into account the historical context or the conditions in which this term is used. Also ambiguous attitude towards the phenomena of bureaucratic dictatorship, the student rebellions of the sixties and the New Left, then the new positioning of the right wing, religious fundamentalism or radical animal rights activists is also problematic. Extremism, as defined above, leaves too many and too large “gray zones” between democracy and extremism. However, this does not have to be anything wrong, but those “gray zones” must have a name, and there must be some kind of explanation for them. The same “gray zones” leave too much room for the ideological bias of the classification extremists. Also, among the authors who deal with extremism there is no clear position on the divisions within the extremism. While some speak of left and right extremism, others mention radical center, radical middle or radical centrism, while the third group of authors reject the division into left and right. So, is there only one extremism as a whole, two or even three different types of extremism? Having that in mind, we do not have to be astonished by often critiques of the concept of extremism. However, even opponents of the dominant understanding have no common position that could oppose to dominant definition. All in all, the term extremism is not very far from stigmatizing words and labels and which is used by those who have the social power to define these terms.

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