Horseshoe Theory

Horseshoe Theory is an idea in political science. It asserts that the far-right is more similar to the far-left than to the center-right and vice versa. Horseshoe Theory is often used as argument for centrism.

People who believe in the horseshoe theory argue that the Far-left and the Far-right are closer to each other than either is to the centrists.

The name Horseshoe Theory comes from the idea that politics is not a straight line from left to right but bent like a horseshoe so that the two ends (the far-left and the far-right) share more similarities with each other than their moderate counterparts.

Philosopher Jean-Pierre Faye invented Horseshoe Theory after observation of Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union's joint invasion of Poland which started World War II.^[1]

Criticism

Common criticism of Horseshoe Theory have often stated that politics are more complex than a simple scale between left and right, and many ideas the far-left follows are not followed by the far-right. Because of this, many experts, like Simon Choat, have said that Horseshoe Theory is false.^[2] A common rebuttal to Horseshoe Theory is the broaching of Fishhook Theory.

Related pages

• False equivalence
• Fishhook Theory