Contrary to appearances, left and right are not so opposed as they seem. They very often share a common desire for control: what we can call statism. Of course, their motivations, values, and priorities differ.

The left is less concerned with traditional moral requirements but gives priority to social justice and equality, particularly on the economic level. This is the source of its hostility to economic freedom, capitalism, and the free market: the left wants to legislate and regulate the economy.

The right, for its part, gives priority to personal morality and traditional values. It considers that civilization has been built on certain traditional institutions and social hierarchies, and that this heritage must be preserved. It is more favorable to economic freedom because it defends the morality of private property and individual responsibility, but it wants to legislate on morality and religion.

The central idea of the Nolan diagram is that the major difference between political philosophies is the degree of governmental control over human action, whether in the personal or economic sphere. In other words, there is not only a left-right axis reflecting your personal sensibilities, but also a top-bottom axis reflecting your willingness to use force to compel others to follow your values.

From this perspective, left and right share the same political objective: to win power in order to organize society according to their vision of the world and impose it on everyone. This is the very definition of statism: using legislation to control and shape society. For some, it is in the name of defending civilization; for others, it is in the name of defending the working class, nature, or the oppressed. And the centrists approve of this too, when it suits them.

This is why we can say that some are right-wing statists, while others are left-wing statists. The true political question is therefore not so much whether you are left or right, but rather to what extent you want the state to intervene in shaping society according to your values. Do you wish to impose your own sensibilities on others, or do you prefer that each person be free to decide for themselves?