New Left

A broad Western political movement of the 1960s and 70s focused on social justice.

Quick Facts: Who was New Left?

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New Left
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A broad Western political movement of the 1960s and 70s focused on social justice.
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2Day Chrono-Wiki & Primary Historical Archives

Origins & Early Life

The New Left was a broad political movement that emerged from the counterculture of the 1960s and continued through the 1970s. It consisted of activists in the Western world who, in reaction to the era's conservative establishment, campaigned for freer lifestyles on a broad range of social issues such as feminism, gay rights, drug policy reforms, and gender relations. The New Left differs from the traditional left in that it tended to prioritize the struggle for various forms of social justice, whereas previous movements prioritized explicitly economic goals. However, many have used the term "New Left" to describe an evolution, continuation, and revitalization of traditional leftist goals. Some who self-identified as "New Left" rejected involvement with the labor movement and Marxism's historical theory of class struggle; however, others gravitated to their own takes on established forms of Marxism, such as the New Communist movement (which drew from Maoism) in the United States or the K-Gruppen in the German-speaking world.

Pivotal Works & Achievements

In the United States, the movement was associated with the anti-war college-campus protest movements, including the Free Speech Movement. The origins of the New Left have been traced to several factors. Prominently, the confused response of the Communist Party of the USA and the Communist Party of Great Britain to the Hungarian Revolution of 1956 led some Marxist intellectuals to develop a more democratic approach to politics, opposed to what they saw as the centralised and authoritarian politics of the pre-World War II leftist parties. The Marxists who became disillusioned with the authoritarian nature of Communist Parties eventually formed the "new left". Initially, the movement was composed of dissenting Communist Party intellectuals and campus groups in the United Kingdom; later it incorporated student radicals in the United States and in the Western Bloc.

Enduring Legacy & Impact

The term nouvelle gauche was already current in France in the 1950s. It was associated with France Observateur, and its editor Claude Bourdet, who attempted to form a third position, between the dominant Stalinist and social democratic tendencies of the left, and the two Cold War blocs. It was from this French "new left" that the "First New Left" of Britain borrowed the term. The German critical theorist Herbert Marcuse is referred to as the "Father of the New Left". He rejected the orthodox Marxist view of the revolutionary proletariat; instead, he labeled the 1960s Black Power and student movements as the new challengers of capitalism.

Chronological Milestones & Life Events

  1. 1956: 1956 Milestone — Prominently, the confused response of the Communist Party of the USA and the Communist Party of Great Britain to the Hungarian Revolution of 1956 led some Marxist intellectuals to develop a more democratic approach to politics, opposed to what they saw as the centralised and authoritarian politics of the pre-World War II leftist parties.

Historical Fact-Check Quiz: New Left

True or False: “The New Left exclusively focused its efforts on purely economic goals, similar to previous socialist movements.”

Answer (FALSE ❌): The New Left differed from traditional leftism by prioritizing various forms of social justice, such as feminism and gay rights, alongside economic concerns.

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Frequently Asked Questions about New Left

Who was New Left and what are their primary contributions?

A broad Western political movement of the 1960s and 70s focused on social justice. Origins & Early Life: The New Left was a broad political movement that emerged from the counterculture of the 1960s and continued through the 1970s. It consisted of activists in the Western world who, in reaction to the era's conservative establishment, campaigned for freer lifestyles on a broad range of social issues such as feminism, gay rights, drug policy reforms, and gender relations. The New Left differs from the traditional left in that it tended to prioritize the struggle for various forms of social justice, whereas previous movements prioritized explicitly economic goals. However, many have used the term "New Left" to describe an evolution, continuation, and revitalization of traditional leftist goals. Some who self-identified as "New Left" rejected involvement with the labor movement and Marxism's historical theory of class struggle; however, others gravitated to their own takes on established forms of Marxism, such as the New Communist movement (which drew from Maoism) in the United States or the K-Gruppen in the German-speaking world.

Where can I read more verified chronological archives on New Left?

Explore verified primary sources, interactive timelines, and contemporary figures in the 2Day Chrono-Wiki encyclopedia or review the original entry on Wikipedia.

Source: Wikipedia