▁oppos ites ▁may ▁vary , ▁the ▁axes ▁of ▁popular ▁b ia x ial ▁spect ra ▁are ▁usually ▁split ▁between ▁economic ▁issues ▁( on ▁a ▁left – right ▁dimension ) ▁and ▁so cio - c ult ural ▁issues ▁( on ▁an ▁authority – li ber ty ▁dimension ). ▁ ▁Historical ▁origin ▁of ▁the ▁terms ▁▁ ▁The ▁terms ▁right ▁and ▁left ▁refer ▁to ▁political ▁affili ations ▁origin ating ▁early ▁in ▁the ▁French ▁Revolution ary ▁era ▁of ▁ 1 7 8 9 – 1 7 9 9 ▁and ▁referred ▁originally ▁to ▁the ▁se ating ▁arrang ements ▁in ▁the ▁various ▁legisl ative ▁bodies ▁of ▁France . ▁As ▁seen ▁from ▁the ▁Spe aker ' s ▁seat ▁at ▁the ▁front ▁of ▁the ▁Assembly , ▁the ▁arist ocracy ▁sat ▁on ▁the ▁right ▁( trad itionally ▁the ▁seat ▁of ▁honor ) ▁and ▁the ▁common ers ▁sat ▁on ▁the ▁left , ▁hence ▁the ▁terms ▁right - wing ▁politics ▁and ▁left - wing ▁politics . ▁ ▁Origin ally , ▁the ▁defining ▁point ▁on ▁the ▁ide ological ▁spectrum ▁was ▁the ▁An ci en ▁Rég ime ▁(" old ▁order "). ▁" The ▁Right " ▁thus ▁imp lied ▁support ▁for ▁arist ocr atic ▁or ▁royal ▁interests ▁and ▁the ▁church , ▁while ▁" The ▁Left " ▁imp lied ▁support ▁for ▁republic an ism , ▁sec ular ism ▁and ▁civil ▁libert ies . ▁Because ▁the ▁political ▁franch ise ▁at ▁the ▁start ▁of ▁the ▁revolution ▁was ▁relatively ▁narrow , ▁the ▁original ▁" Left " ▁represented ▁mainly ▁the ▁interests ▁of ▁the ▁b our ge ois ie , ▁the ▁rising ▁capital