Right wing

About

Right wing political views are in part a similarity cluster with many possible attributes, though there are a number of subspecies that are more sharply defined.

A fundamental principle of right-wing thought appears to be an attraction to power – at best, a belief that the exercise of power is a social right of the powerful (might makes right), and at worst that the exercise of power is a desirable goal in and of itself, being simply an expression of human ambition (the will to power). A right-winger might therefore view bullying or even war atrocity in the same way most people would view a work of art.

Related

• political wing

Attributes

• authoritarianism
  • distrust of "others" (people not of same religion or same geographic region; foreigners)
• favoring social stratification -- a need to know where "your place" is, and to keep others in theirs
• unwillingness to accept social change
• adherence to tradition and religion
  • dogmatism
• favoring the use of violence over peaceful, negotiated solutions

Subspecies

• /social: views social stratification or social inequality as either inevitable, natural, normal, or desirable
• /psychological: deference to authority (authoritarianism) as a primary trait
• In the United States, the right wing is essentially synonymous with conservatism and the Republican Party

Outlinks

Reference

• Wikipedia primarily uses the social definition
• Conservapedia "historically referred to a society run by natural law or tradition." ... "in favor of the traditional system of a society, including its traditional values and its traditional ruling institutions." ... " anyone who favors having marginally more economic than personal liberties."
• SourceWatch: page "under review" as of 2015-08-24, content temporarily on Talk page
• RationalWiki: redirects to "Conservative"