When we are turning away from the center, does the direction in which we turn matter?
Lately, and rightly, society has been equating turning out from the center with forward movement. Questioning the fundamentals of our social infrastructure is absolutely essential to progress, and so perhaps one of the key differences between the Avant Garde and the En Dehors Garde is the intent: Avant Gardists intend to move themselves ahead of their time, En Dehors Gardists intend to help culture keep up with the times.
But fundamentally, we end up with a rectangle versus a square problem. Forward movement, as conceived by the Avant Garde or the En Dehors Garde, necessitates turning away from the center, but does turning away from the center necessitate forward movement?
A revolution can start and end at any point in the circle. If we think in a political context, which is inextricably linked to this conception of the En Dehors Garde, a turn away from the center can have a very ugly, regressive consequence indeed. We traditionally donโt ascribe any evils to the center of the political spectrum, even if we see value in being left or right of center as well, so long as we are not too far.
I guess what I am asking here is whether the En Dehors Garde is synonymous with progress, or at least progressiveness? If it is, what are our definitions of progressive?