Chapter III.
The Reciprocal Mechanism of Anti-Immigration Sentiment and Far-Right Radicalization
Section 1. The Hierarchical Asymmetry of Costs and Benefits Associated with Immigration Inflows
The inflow of foreign workers and immigrants may possess a distinctive characteristic that differentiates it from ordinary social policies. The benefits and costs generated by immigration may not be distributed equally among members of society but may instead be allocated asymmetrically across social classes.
Upper and established social groups may benefit economically from the inflow of foreign workers by gaining access to relatively inexpensive labor, securing labor supplies, and reducing production and service costs. At the same time, by supporting policies associated with values such as multiculturalism, human rights, and equality, they may gain opportunities to acquire moral and ideological legitimacy.
Furthermore, immigration may expand access to diverse cultural goods and services, including food, art, and cultural experiences, thereby providing new opportunities for consumption and enjoyment to social groups with relatively abundant economic and cultural resources.
By contrast, the costs and inconveniences associated with immigration may not be distributed equally across all social classes. In particular, direct competition or burdens related to low-skilled labor markets, low-cost housing markets, and public services may become concentrated among lower-income groups and previously vulnerable populations.
Upper and Established Classes vs. Lower and Vulnerable Classes
Upper and Established Classes
- Benefits from inexpensive labor
- Economic and service-related benefits
- Ideological and moral legitimacy associated with multiculturalism, human rights, and equality
- Abundant opportunities for cultural consumption and enjoyment
Lower and Vulnerable Classes
- Competition in the labor market
- Competition for housing
- Increased burdens on public services
- Direct social and cultural conflicts within local communities
- Inconveniences resulting from changes in the living environment
When such a structure emerges, the same reality of immigration may generate entirely different responses from reality depending on social class.
This becomes an important structural starting point in the subsequent formation of anti-immigration sentiment.
From the perspective of Inductive Reciprocism, the important point is not that such class differences inevitably determine a particular political conclusion. Rather, the essential point is that when reality's responses are distributed differently across social classes, inductive judgments concerning the same social phenomenon may also diverge.
Section 2. Changes in Reality and the Emergence of Social Inconvenience
As the inflow of immigrants increases, changes may occur across various areas of society, including demographic composition, labor markets, housing, public services, local communities, and cultural interactions.
Some of these changes may be experienced by existing members of society as tangible costs or inconveniences.
Within Inductive Reciprocism, such changes are initially understood as responses from reality.
At this stage, no particular political ideology is necessarily involved.
Section 3. Observation of Reality and the Increase of Dissatisfaction
Members of society observe changes in reality that they experience.
When identical or similar inconveniences occur repeatedly, individual experiences of inconvenience may accumulate and develop into broader social dissatisfaction.
At this stage, anti-immigration sentiment and far-right radicalization are not the same phenomenon.
It does not necessarily imply the acceptance of a particular political ideology.
Section 4. The Response of Existing Social Systems of Meaning
As dissatisfaction increases, existing social and political dominant groups interpret and respond to it according to their established values and systems of meaning.
During this process, values such as multiculturalism, human rights, and equality may be used as interpretive frameworks for understanding dissatisfaction.
Therefore, assigning a particular value system to reality does not change reality itself.
Section 5. Initial Misjudgment
The dominant interpretation of an existing society does not necessarily begin in an arrogant form.
Initially, social inconveniences and conflicts may be interpreted as temporary or limited phenomena, and it may be predicted that existing value systems and policies will be sufficient to manage them.
Within Inductive Reciprocism, such misjudgment itself is not an object of condemnation.
Section 6. The Absolutization of Misjudgment and the Arrogance of Established Elites
The problem emerges when existing judgments are not revised even though reality's responses continue to diverge from previous predictions.
Therefore, the arrogance of established elites emerges when they fail to alter the inconveniences occurring in reality while nevertheless assuming that their existing system of meaning adequately explains or manages that reality.
Section 7. The Accumulation of Divergence Between Reality and Social Meaning
While an existing system of meaning becomes increasingly reinforced, reality's responses do not disappear.
As the inconveniences experienced by people continue and new events and consequences repeatedly occur, the divergence between reality and existing social meaning accumulates.
Section 8. The Collapse of Trust in Established Elites and the Emergence of Absurdity
Trust in the existing social order functions as a system of social meaning.
“The existing political and social system is capable of solving current problems.”
However, if reality continues to produce responses while actual inconveniences remain unresolved, a collision emerges between existing trust and reality.
At this point, absurdity emerges as the existing meaning represented by trust becomes increasingly difficult to sustain in the face of reality.
Section 8.1. Reality's Violent Counterattack and Discontinuous Outbreak
Established elites may believe that reality's responses can be suppressed through systems of moral meaning. Reality, however, does not conform to human language.
Social inconveniences and conflicts do not disappear behind the arrogance of established elites. Instead, they accumulate nonlinearly.
At a certain point, accumulated responses from reality exceed the capacity that an existing system of meaning can absorb and suddenly erupt in their most violent and visible forms, such as the breakdown of public order or large-scale group conflict.
Section 9. The Collapse of Existing Meaning and Nihilism
As absurdity continues, an existing social system of meaning may collapse.
Nihilism is the condition in which the system of meaning through which individuals previously understood reality and located their own lives can no longer be sustained.
Section 10. Nihilism and the Search for New Meaning
Human beings do not arbitrarily choose meaning while completely ignoring reality.
Instead, based on the consequences of reality they have experienced, they search for a new system of meaning that they judge to explain reality most effectively.
Section 11. The Acquisition of Far-Right Ideology as Meaning
During this process, if a far-right ideology is judged to explain the reality experienced by an individual or group more effectively than the previous system of meaning, that ideology may be adopted as a new system of meaning.
“There is a clear cause behind current social inconveniences and changes.”
Such an explanation may become a new source of meaning that fills the vacuum left after nihilism.
Section 12. New Interpretations of Reality and the Resumption of Reciprocity
Once a far-right ideology is acquired as a new system of meaning, individuals begin once again to interpret reality through that meaning.
Section 13. Political Self-Reinforcement Through Reciprocity
Therefore, far-right radicalization can be understood not as a single event but as a reciprocal process in which reality's responses and human meaning-making repeatedly interact.
Section 14. The Hierarchical Distinction Between Anti-Immigration Sentiment and Far-Right Radicalization
Anti-Immigration Sentiment
Changes in reality → Experience → Observation → Dissatisfaction
Far-Right Radicalization
Collapse of existing meaning → Nihilism → Search for new meaning → Acquisition of new meaning
The level at which new meaning is acquired after nihilism
Section 15. Principles of Realistic Response
From the perspective of Inductive Reciprocism, an increase in anti-immigration sentiment should itself be observed as a response from reality.
This may include measures such as adjusting the pace of immigration, improving social capacity for integration and absorption, and improving practical conditions in housing, labor markets, and public services.
The essential point is not to attempt to eliminate dissatisfaction with ideology, but to respond realistically to reality's responses.
Section 16. The Overall Reciprocal Structure
Section 17. Core Proposition
Core Proposition
“Anti-immigration sentiment emerges at the level of dissatisfaction with reality's responses, whereas far-right radicalization emerges at the level where an existing system of meaning collapses under reality's responses, nihilism emerges, and a new system of meaning is subsequently acquired. Therefore, anti-immigration sentiment and far-right radicalization are not identical phenomena. Their relationship is a reciprocal one mediated through absurdity and nihilism.”
Fundamental Principle
“Reality does not change in accordance with human meaning. Human meaning must be revised in accordance with reality's responses.”