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Dogged for months by questions about being a self-proclaimed Democratic Socialist, Senator Bernie Sanders will address the subject of his political philosophy head on in a long-awaited speech on Thursday.

Mr. Sanders, a Vermont independent who is seeking the Democratic presidential nomination, is tackling the issue as Hillary Rodham Clinton, his chief rival, has been pulling away from him in recent polls. With the first nominating contests approaching, he is trying to thread the needle of antiwar pacifism and economic socialism in light of last week’s Paris attacks.

Mr. Sanders will deliver the address, which some have equated to President Obama’s speech on race in 2008, at Georgetown University’s Institute of Politics and Public Service in Washington at 2 p.m. He will also take questions from students.

The talk comes while Mr. Sanders has faced withering criticism about his views from Republicans, including Donald J. Trump who has mocked him as a “Socialist-Communist.”

But the Vermont senator has not shied away his socialist slant. At an event in Iowa last month, he explained himself.

“To me, Democratic Socialism means democracy: It means creating a government that represents all of us, not just the wealthiest people in this country,” Mr. Sanders said, noting that Medicare, Social Security, libraries and fire departments are all the fruits of a kind of socialism.