ABSTRACT
Radicalism in France and Italy: for some the archaic residue of the total oppositionism of the interwar period, for others the best hope of revolution in a Europe approaching postindustrial consensus. This chapter argues that in the sociology of knowledge of French and Italian radicalism, both national and temporal factors have been unusually powerful in determining which elements have been stressed. It examines the period of radical revival in each country in terms of the crises in their ruling social coalitions and of the changing role of the state in capitalist society. The chapter suggests that our lack of understanding of French and Italian radicalism is due to two factors in particular: to inadequate attention to the relationship between state and society and to the failure to analyze the strength and composition of the ruling groups that have conditioned the development of radical movements.
