▁in ▁an ▁economic ▁context . ▁The ▁term ▁is ▁usually ▁meant ▁to ▁be ▁pe jor ative . ▁However , ▁it ▁may ▁also ▁be ▁used ▁in ▁a ▁more ▁academic , ▁purely ▁descript ive , ▁non - con dem ning ▁sense . ▁ ▁Ext rem ists ▁views ▁are ▁typically ▁contrast ed ▁with ▁those ▁of ▁moder ates . ▁In ▁Western ▁countries ▁for ▁example , ▁in ▁contemporary ▁disc ourse ▁on ▁Islam ▁or ▁on ▁Islam ic ▁political ▁movements , ▁the ▁distinction ▁between ▁extrem ist ▁and ▁moder ate ▁Muslim s ▁is ▁commonly ▁str essed . ▁ ▁Political ▁ag end as ▁perce ived ▁as ▁extrem ist ▁often ▁include ▁those ▁from ▁the ▁far - left ▁politics ▁or ▁far - right ▁politics ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁radical ism , ▁reaction ism , ▁fundamental ism ▁and ▁fan atic ism . ▁ ▁De fin itions ▁▁ ▁There ▁have ▁been ▁many ▁different ▁definitions ▁of ▁" ext rem ism ". ▁Peter ▁T .   C ole man ▁and ▁Andrea ▁Bart oli ▁give ▁observation ▁of ▁definitions : ▁Ext rem ism ▁is ▁a ▁complex ▁phenomen on , ▁although ▁its ▁complexity ▁is ▁often ▁hard ▁to ▁see . ▁Most ▁simply , ▁it ▁can ▁be ▁defined ▁as ▁activities ▁( bel ief s , ▁att itudes , ▁feelings , ▁actions , ▁strateg ies ) ▁of ▁a ▁character ▁far ▁removed ▁from ▁the ▁ordinary . ▁In ▁conflict ▁settings ▁it ▁manifest s ▁as ▁a ▁severe ▁form ▁of ▁conflict ▁eng agement . ▁However , ▁the ▁label ing ▁of ▁activities , ▁people , ▁and ▁groups ▁as ▁" ext rem ist ", ▁and ▁the ▁defining ▁of ▁what ▁is ▁" ordinary