Marxism, Anarchism, Feminism, Critical Theory, Communitarianism

In this chapter, we will discuss five major currents of political thought that have their origins in egalitarian political thinking and acting, very broadly understood. Arguably, other ideologies may be added here, for instance, contemporary egalitarian liberalism, today the dominant stream within the liberal tradition. Egalitarianism is usually associated with being on the left side of the political spectrum. However, as we conceptualize political thinking and thought in terms of ideologies, we want to avoid the problem of what leftism is in an abstract sense. For instance, even although Marxism may be a quintessentially leftist political ideology, its sensitivity to history, its commitment to historical thinking, and to the test of time make it akin to conservatism.