division was confirmed and institutionalized with the rise of socialism,
which gave the left–right metaphor its contemporary meaning and
contributed to its broad diffusion. On the right stood liberals and
democrats who believed it was not only sufficient but also best to let
individuals work their way forward, in a context guaranteeing them
equal rights and fair opportunities. On the left were those who con-
tended that equality remained an illusion without collective institutions
assuring truly equal opportunities and minimally equal conditions
for all.
Although there was some continuity and various alliances, the
modern right was not simply a new incarnation for old conservatives
clinging to a bygone hierarchical order. It was first and foremost a
liberal right, which also claimed to be on the side of equality, the
equality of right-bearing citizens free to pursue happiness and eco-
nomic success and to accumulate wealth for themselves and for their
children, without undue interference from the state. Less concerned by
unachieved potential, unmet needs, and social solidarity than the left,
this liberal right nevertheless defined a moral position, which was not
simply backward looking or self-interested. The modern right was
not, Bobbio notwithstanding, “inegalitarian.” It was, shall we say,
differently egalitarian.
Consider, for instance, the American debate on affirmative action.
This controversy, which is an instance of the broader left–right debate,
does not pit the promotion of equality against the defense of self-
interest or, worse, of inequality. It opposes two contending con-
ceptions of equality, both solidly anchored in the liberal tradition.
Affirmative action’s detractors argue that in hiring and admission
decisions, only decisions based on merit offer a fair and equal treat-
ment to all. Taking race into consideration appears to them as haz-
ardous, given the difficulty of defining race, and can even be seen as an
insidious form of racism. It is thus in the name of equality that these
opponents reject affirmative action. On the other side, affirmative
action supporters agree that equal treatment and merit are important,
but they consider that American history has left a legacy of discrim-
ination that weighs heavily against minority candidates. They also
point to a number of exceptions to the neutral rules advocated by
opponents of affirmative action, exceptions that do not seem to clash
with these opponents’ “color-blind” conception of fairness. The child-
ren of alumni, major donors, or well-known people, for instance, are
18 Left and Right in Global Politics