ANARCHISM

The rejection of authority dates back

to the Stoics and Cynics, and has
been around for millennia. However,
the terms anarchist, anarchism, and
anarchy, from the Greek "an archos"
(without a rule), were used entirely
in a negative manner before the
nineteenth century.

ORIGIN AND DEVELOPMENT

In 1840, in his controversial "What Is Property", French political writer and socialist
Pierre-Joseph Proudhon became the first person to call himself an Anarchist. In this
book, Proudhon stated that the real laws of society have nothing to do with authority,
but stem instead from the nature of society itself .

He also predicted the eventual dissolve of authority and the appearance of a natural
social order. "As man seeks justice in equality, so society seeks justice in anarchy.
Anarchy - the absence of a sovereign such is the form of government to which we
are every day approximating.

." He was a 'peaceful anarchist'; he believed that within existing society, the
organizations could be created that would eventually replace it. Proudhon was born
in 1809, originally a peasant, the son of a brewer. His "What Is Property" and
"System of Economic Contradictions" established him in the socialist community.
Later he went on to write "The Federal Principle" and "The Political Capability of the
Working Class".

Although he declared in "What Is Property" that "property is theft", he did not support
communism, and regarded the right of workers to control the means of production as
an important part of freedom. He never considered himself the originator of a
movement, but he did propose a federal system of autonomous communes.

He had many followers, but they preferred the title 'Mutualists' to 'Anarchists';
Anarchism still bore a negative connotation. Proudhon and the Mutualists, along with
British trade unionists and socialists, formed the First International Workingmen's
Association.

"The passion for destruction is also a creative passion" - These words would
accurately summarize the position of Mikail Bakunin and the Collectivists. Bakunin
believed that Anarchy was only possible through a violent revolution, obliterating all
existing institutions.

He was originally a nobleman, but became a revolutionary and joined the

International in the 1860's, after founding the Social Democratic Alliance and
modifying Proudhon's teachings into a new doctrine known as Collectivism. Bakunin
taught that property rights were impractical and that the means of production should
be owned collectively.

He was strongly opposed to Karl Marx, also a member of the International, and his
ideas of a proletarian dictatorship. This conflict eventually tore the International apart
in 1872. He died in 1876, but the next International that he and the Collectivists
started in 1873 lasted for another year. Later, his followers finally accepted the title
of 'Anarchist'.

In 1876, when he became a revolutionary, Peter Kropotkin renounced his title of

Prince and became successor to Mikail Bakunin. He developed the theory of
Anarchist Communism: not only should the means of production be owned
collectively, but the products should be completely communized as well. This revised
Thomas More's Utopian idea of storehouses, "From each according to his means, to
each according to his needs. Kropotkin wrote "The Conquest of Bread" in 1892, in
which he sketched his vision of a federation of free Communist groups.

In 1899 he wrote "Memoirs of a Revolutionist", an autobiographical work, and "Fields,

Factories, and Workshops", which put forward ideas on the decentralization of
industry necessary for an Anarchist society.

He later proved by biological and sociological evidence that cooperation is more

natural than coercion ("Mutual Aid: A Factor in Evolution" - 1902). Kropotkin's
writings completed the vision of the Anarchist future, and little new has been added
since.

THE ANARCHIST MOVEMENT

Even before Proudhon entered the scene, Anarchist activism was going on. The first
plans for an Anarchist commonwealth were made by an Englishman named Gerrard
Winstanley, who founded the tiny Digger movement.

In his 1649 pamphlet, "Truth Lifting Up Its Head Above Scandals", he wrote that
power corrupts, that property is incompatible with freedom, and that men can only be
free and happy in a society without governmental interference, where work and its
products are shared (what was to become the foundation for Anarchist theory in the
years to come).

He led a group of followers to a hillside where they established an Anarchist village,

but this experiment was quickly destroyed by local opposition. Later another
Englishman, William Godwin, would write 'Political Justice', which said that authority
was against nature, and that social evils exist because men are not free to act
according to reason.

Among Italian Anarchists, an activist attitude was prevalent. Said Errico Malatesta in
1876,"The insurrectionary deed, destined to affirm socialist principles by acts, is the
most efficacious means of propaganda." The first acts were rural insurrections, meant
to arouse the uneducated citizens of the Italian countryside, but these were
unsuccessful.

Afterward this activism tended to take the form of individual acts of protest by
'terrorists', who attempted to assassinate ruling figures in the hope of demonstrating
the vulnerability of the structure of authority and inspiring others by their selfsacrifice. From 1890- 1901, a chain of assassinations took place: King Umberto I,
Italy; Empress Elizabeth, Austria; President Carnot, France; President McKinley,
United States; and Spanish Prime Minister Antonio C novas del Castillo.

Unfortunately, these acts had the opposite effect of what was intended- they
established the idea of the Anarchist as a mindless destroyer.

Also during the 1890's, many French painters, writers, and other artists discovered
Anarchism, and were attracted to it because of its individualist ideas. In England,
writer Oscar Wilde became an Anarchist, and in 1891 wrote "The Soul of Man Under
Socialism".

Anarchism was also a strong movement in Spain. The first Anarchist journal, "El
Porvenir", was published in 1845, but was quickly silenced. Branches of the
International were established by Guiseppe Fanelli in Barcelona and Madrid. By
1870, there were over 40,000 Spanish Anarchists members; by

1873, 60,000, mostly organized in workingmen's associations, but in 1874 the

movement was forced underground. In the 1880's and '90's, the Spanish Anarchist
movement tended toward terrorism and insurrections.

The Spanish civil war was the perfect opportunity to finally put ideas into action on a
large scale. Factories and railways were taken over. In Andalusia, Catalonia, and
Levante, peasents seized the land. Autonomous libertarian villages were set up, like
those described in Kropotkin's 'The Conquest of Bread'.

Internal use of money was abolished, the land was tilled collectively, the village
products were sold or exchanged on behalf of the entire community, and each family
received an equal share of necessities they could not produce themselves.

Many of these communes were even more efficient than the other villages. Although
the Spanish Anarchists failed because they did not have the ability to carry out
sustained warfare, they succeeded in inspiring many and showing that Anarchy can
work efficiently.

Throughout American history, there has been a tradition of both violent and pacifist
Anarchism. Henry David Thoreau, a nonviolent Anarchist writer, and Emma Goldman
an Anarchist activist, are a couple of examples. Activist Anarchism, however, was
mainly sustained by immigrants from Europe.

In the late 1800's, Anarchism was a part of life for many. In 1886, four Anarchists
were wrongfully executed for alleged involvement in the Haymarket bombing, in
which seven policemen were killed. President McKinley was assassinated in 1901 by
Leon Czolgosz, a Polish Anarchist.

Especially since 1917, Anarchism has appealed to intellectuals. In 1932, Aldous

Huxley wrote "Brave New World", which warned of a mindless, materialistic existence
a modernized society could produce, and in the 'Foreword' of the 1946 edition, he
said that he believed that only through radical decentralization and a politics that was
"Kropotkinesque and cooperative" could the dangers of modern society be escaped.

After World War] [, Anarchist groups reappeared in almost all countries where they
had once existed, excepting Spain and the Soviet Union. In the 1970's, Anarchism
drew much attention and interest, and rebellious students often started collectives.
Still published is a monthly British publication, called "Anarchy", which applies
Anarchist principles to modern life.

Anarchism, although often mistakenly thought of

as violent and destructive, is not that at all.
Anarchists, though some may advocate a swift and
violent revolution, envision a peaceful and
harmonious society, based on a natural order of
cooperation rather than an artificial system based
on coercion.

AGAINST THE STATE

Central themes
Anarchism is the oppositions to state and accompanying
institutions of the government and law. Anarchists have a
preference for stateless society in which free individuals manage
their affairs by voluntary agreement, without compulsion or
coercion.

ANARCHISM KEY NOTES

Anti-statism - Moral basis of anarchism (absolute freedom, political equality,

personal autonomy); state as concentrated evil (absolute corruptibility of human
nature); all states are evil (rejection of the proletarian state); government power
cannot be tamed (constitutionalism and consent (liberal democracy) as tools used by
ruling class to render masses quiescent).

Stateless society - Utopian themes in anarchism (absolute freedom can co-exist

with social order/harmony; perfectibility of human nature); collectivist basis for
spontaneous social harmony (nurture not nature; sociability and cooperation; role of
common ownership); individualist basis for social harmony (individual rationality; selfregulating markets); rival views of future stateless society; rival views of future
stateless society (collectivist versus individualist models, eg, anarcho-communism
versus anarcho-capitalism).

 Political practice - Political failure of anarchism; rejection of conventional means of

political activism (winning state power is corrupt and corrupting; opposition to
hierarchical organisation (eg, political parties)); spontaneous revolution (popular thirst
for freedom/autonomy; viability?); terror/violence ('propaganda of the deed';
revolutionary justice); direct action; moral example and gradualism. Individualist
anarchism - Roots in liberal individualism (parallels with classical liberalism; 'ultraliberalism'); egoism (moral autonomy of individual); libertarianism (reconciling
individualism with natural order consistent Manchesterism); anarcho-capitalism
(laissez-faire economics taken to its extreme; privatising the minimal state)
differences between liberalism and anarchism (minimal statism vs statelessness;
constitutional government vs anarchy).

Collectivist anarchism - Roots in socialist collectivism (human sociability; mutual

aid; 'ultra-socialism'); self-management and decentralisation (direct/participatory
democracy);mutualism (possessions as independence from the state; fair and
equitable exchange); anarcho-syndicalism (revolutionary trade unionism); anarchocommunism (parallels with Marxism; class system and state as interlocking enemies);
differences between anarchism and Marxism (over proletarianism, vanguardism;
proletarian dictatorship, 'withering away', etc.).

THEMES THAT WILL PROVIDE THE BASIS FOR

QUESTIONS WILL INCLUDE THE FOLLOWING:
Anarchist critique of the state
Evil, unnecessary, corrupted & corrupts, coercive oppressive authority

Absolute freedom & equality, personal autonomy, human nature

Constitutionalism is a tool of ruling class to keep masses quiescent

Grounds on which anarchists support a stateless society

Utopian ideals - absolute freedom with social order,

Collective anarchism - common ownership, cooperation, sympathy solidarity,

malleability

Individualist anarchism - rational, self interested, market's self regulating

mechanism

-social institutions(circumstances people live) common ownership or

mutualist institutions (socially enlightened institutions)

The link between anarchism and utopianism

Utopianism-belief in unlimited potential of development & goodness of man in an ideal

society-sometimes negative seen unachievable

Link- anarchist -can have a stateless society all political authority absolute freedom, very
optimistic view human nature social harmony

collective - sociable cooperative common ownership, individual - rational self seeking

market competition

Anarchism as an extreme form of individualism

sovereign individual - politically and morally

individual freedom - government and law infringes

but individualism doesn't mean will live peaceful - anarchism adds utopian rationality,
market system

-collective anarchists reject- leads conflict competition- leads to state to control

Anarchism as an extreme form of collectivism

Human potential to be cooperative and social

utopian ideals of common ownership, mutual sympathy and affection

but Collectivism doesn't mean no state, state main agent of collectivism

Individualist anarchists would reject - would not work

Relationship between anarchism and socialism

similar: positive potential, oppose capitalism inequality, end result of stateless
society
different: malleability, root of problems, state, means of revolution, scientific or
utopian
Relationship between anarchism and liberalism
Similar: sovereignty of individual, reject organic society for atomistic, free economy

Different: unlimited freedom, state, economy-liberals public goods merit goods,

Collectivist Anarchism
human sociability, mutual aid (ultra-socialism)

self management, mutualism decentralisation, anarcho-communism

Individualist Anarchism
personal autonomy, libertarianism(reconciled with order)

anarcho-capitalism (freemarket taken to extreme)

Similarities Between Individualist And Collectivist Anarchism

Anti state, utopianism, freedom, malleability
Differences between Individualist and Collectivist Anarchism
individual liberal/collective socialist, sovereign individual or social solidarity

society - atomic/organic

human nature- egoistic,rational/sociable cooperative

capitalism private property/common ownership communism

Practical difficulties of achieving anarchism

turned away from active politics, against state so dont win government power- corrupts

anarchist revolutionary violence and terrorism- doesn't awaken masses to oppression,

provoked public outraged. And violence won't persuade ruling class relinquish power

pacifist - moral optimistic view human nature model community - cooperation mutual
respect, hope people will want that thing

Mutualism

System of fair equitable exchange, bargaining and taxing goods and services without
profiteering or exploitation

WHAT IS ANARCHISM?

Anarchism can be defined by its central belief that political authority is evil
and unnecessary. This is especially in the case of the state. The goal of
anarchists is the creation of a stateless society, through the abolition of law
and government. Government is coercive and an offence the principles of
freedom and equality.

Anarchists do advocate the abolition of law and government, but in the belief
that a more natural and spontaneous social order will develop. Proudhon
suggested 'society seeks order in anarchy'.

During the nineteenth century, anarchism was a significant component of a

broad but growing socialist movement.

ANARCHISM IS UNUSUAL AMONGST POLITICAL IDEOLOGIES IN THAT IT

HAS NEVER SUCCEEDED IN WINNING POWER, AT LEAST AT THE
NATIONAL LEVEL. NO SOCIETY OR NATION HAS BEEN MODELLED
ACCORDING TO ANARCHIST PRINCIPLES.

The nearest Anarchists have to

come to winning power was during
the Spanish Civil War, when they
briefly controlled parts of eastern
Spain and set-up workers and
peasants.

This makes it tempting to argue that

anarchism is of less significance e.g.
liberalism, socialism,
conservatism or fascism, each of
which has proved itself capable of
achieving power and reshaping
societies

The goal of anarchism, the overthrow of the state and dismantling of all
forms of political authority, is widely considered to be unrealistic, if not
impossible. Most view the notion of a stateless society as A UTOPIAN
DREAM.

However, anarchism refuses to die. Precisely because of its uncompromising

attitude to authority and political activism, it has been an enduring appeal
particularly to the young. This can be seen in e.g. the prominence of
anarchist ideas, slogans and groups within the emergent anti-capitalist or
anti-globalization movement.

WHAT WOULD AN ANARCHIST SOCIETY LOOK

LIKE?
The whole point of an anarchist society is that it would be
what its members want. Anarchists generally advance two
answers to this question of what society would be without
government, and this is what DIVIDES THE
PHILOSOPHY INTO ITS INDIVIDUALIST AND
COLLECTIVIST FORMS.

CORE CONCEPTS OF ANARCHISM

ANTI-STATISM

Anarchists reject the very concept of the state. the state, as the most potent
symbol of authority, is nothing less than a concentrated evil, and an offence
against freedom and equality

Authority is based on political inequality and the ostensible 'right' of one

individual to dictate the behaviour of another. Authority therefore enslaves,
oppresses and crushes the true experience of the human condition

Anarchists fundamentally reject the liberal notion of a social contract and the
idea that political authority arises from voluntary agreement. Individuals are
subject to state authority merely through the accident of birth.

The state is thoroughly destructive. It requires individuals to fight and kill

others for no reason other than the individuals being killed happen to have
been born in a different state
Since human beings are free and autonomous creatures, to be subject to
authority means to be diminished, to have one's essential nature suppressed
and thereby succumb to debilitating dependency
Authority gives rise to a 'psychology of power' based upon a pattern of
'dominance and submission', a society in which, according to the US
anarchist and social critic Paul Goodman, 'many are ruthless and most live in
fear'
Behaviour is determined by the social and political circumstances in which
individuals live; people who would otherwise be cooperate, considerate and
sociable can become oppressive and destructive if their status is raised
above their fellow human by power, privilege and wealth.

Natural Order

The state is not just evil, it is unnecessary - humans are essentially rational
creatures, capable of enlightened behaviour through education

William Godwin people have a natural prosperity to organize their own lives
in a harmonious and peaceful fashion.

Authority conditions individuals to behave in a negative or aggressive way

towards others. Government is not the solution to social disorder; it is the
cause

Anarchists are extremely optimistic about humanity and our capacity for selfimprovement - MERE UTOPIANISM?

Anarchists defend themselves by pointing at the extraordinary progress of

human society which has only been possible either through cooperation or
reason, or both.

COLLECTIVIST ANARCHISTS emphasise the human capacity for

collaboration, cooperation and sociability whereas INDIVIDUALIST
ANARCHISTS stress the potential of enlightened human rationality

HOWEVER Anarchists do accept that individuals can behave negatively

towards each other. Although the human 'core' may be morally and
intellectually enlightened, a capacity for corruption lurks within each and
every human being. Human nature is 'plastic', in the sense that it is shaped
by the social, political and economic circumstances within which people live

ANTI-CLERICALISM

Religion has often been viewed as the ultimate source of authority, the
historical basis for social hierarchy.

G-d, in the Abrahamic tradition, is a 'supreme being' commanding authority

and obedience

Anarchism has therefore usually been associated with atheism; Proudhon

and Bakunin specifically argued that anarchist philosophy had to be based
upon a rejection of Christianity (the dominant religion in Europe) as only then
can individuals be truly independent and free from control

Bakunin - "the abolition of the Church and State must be the first and
indispensable condition of the true liberation of society"

Religion clearly seeks to establish a set of moral guidelines or principles on

the individual, making judgements as to what constitutes acceptable
behaviour - robs the individual of the ability to make ethical choices

BUT anarchists can be said to hold an essentially spiritual conception of

human nature, a utopian belief in the virtually unlimited possibilities of human
self-development and in the bonds that unite humanity, and indeed all living
things.

ECONOMIC FREEDOM

19th century anarchists identified themselves with the poor and oppressed
and sought to carry out a social revolution in the name of the 'exploited
masses', in which both capitalism and the state would be swept away.

However, it is the economic structure of life that most keenly exposes

tensions within anarchism

Many anarchists acknowledge a kinship with socialism, based upon a

common distaste for property and inequality, others have defended property
rights and even revered competitive capitalism

COLLECTIVIST ANARCHISTS advocate an economy based upon

cooperation and collective ownership, while INDIVIDUALIST ANARCHISTS
support the market and private property

Despite these fundamental differences, anarchists agree about their distaste

for the economic systems that dominated much of the 20th century
COLLECTIVIST ANARCHISTS argue that state intervention merely props up
a system of class exploitation and gives capitalism a human face.
INDIVIDUALIST ANARCHISTS suggests that intervention distorts the
competitive market and creates economies dominated by both public and
private monopolies.
All Anarchists have a preference for an economy in which free individuals
manage their own affairs without the need for state ownership