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| Anarchism is the dumbest idea. You have to be an idiot to belive in such a thing. | |||
| {{POV-date|July 2006}} | |||
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| {{Anarchism}} | |||
| '''Anarchism''' is the name of a ] or a group of doctrines and attitudes that are centered on rejection of ], or the ], as harmful and unnecessary and support its elimination.<ref name=definitions> | |||
| *''Anarchism''. Encyclopædia Britannica. 2006. Encyclopædia Britannica Premium Service. ] ] <http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-9117285>. Anarchism is "a cluster of doctrines and attitudes centred on the belief that government is both harmful and unnecessary." | |||
| *''Anarchism''. The Shorter Routledge Encyclopedia of Philosophy. 2005. P. 14 "Anarchism is the view that a society without the state, or government, is both possible and desirable."</ref>The term "anarchism" is ] the ] '']'' ("without ]s" or "without rulers"). Thus "anarchism," in its most general semantic meaning, is the belief that all forms of ] are undesirable and should be abolished. The rise of anarchism as a cohesive philosophical movement in the 19th century, with its notion of freedom as being based upon political, economic, and social equality, was a reaction to the rise of bureaucratic nation states and large-scale industrial capitalism.<ref>"Anarchism arose out of the ideological ferment of the French Revolution and in reaction to both the European bureaucratic nation-state and the advent of large-scale industrial capitalism." "Anarchism," Microsoft® Encarta® Online Encyclopedia 2006 (UK version) http://uk.encarta.msn.com © 1997-2006 Microsoft Corporation. All Rights Reserved.</ref> | |||
| On its own anarchism does not provide a world view beyond the idea that imposed authority is undesirable and unnecessary. There are a variety of types of anarchism which all emphasize their points of difference.<ref>Kropotkine, Petr Alekseevich. ''Anarchism: A Collection of Revolutionary Writings'', Courier Dover Publications, 2002, p.5</ref> Economic arrangements are one of the main areas of disagreement for anarchists. Historically, most have been ], ranging from advocates of ] and distribution according to need, to supporters of some forms of private ownership and payment for labor. A small number of self-described anarchists support ] and ]s. <ref name="encyclopedia">Treatments in major tertiary sources include: | |||
| *''Anarchism'', Microsoft® Encarta® Online Encyclopedia 2006 (UK version) http://uk.encarta.msn.com © 1997-2006 Microsoft Corporation. All Rights Reserved | |||
| * ''Anarchism''. Britannica Student Encyclopedia. 2006. Encyclopædia Britannica Premium Service. ]. 2006 <http://www.britannica.com/ebi/article-9272850>. | |||
| *''Anarchism'', The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition 2006, Columbia University Press. | |||
| </ref> | |||
| ==Origins== | |||
| ===Pre-Nineteenth Century=== | |||
| {{main|Origins of anarchism}} | |||
| Opposition to the state and hierarchical authority had a long history prior to the formation of the anarchist movement in Nineteenth Century Europe. Many claim that anarchist themes can be detected in works going as far back as those of the ] sage ] <ref name="EB1910">Peter Kropotkin, .</ref><ref></ref> and ], the founder of ] ] <ref name="EB1910"/> | |||
| Anarchism in the modern sense however has its roots in the secular political thought of the ], particularly ]'s arguments for the moral centrality of freedom. <ref name=Encarta>''Anarchism'', Microsoft® Encarta® Online Encyclopedia 2006 (UK version) http://uk.encarta.msn.com © 1997-2006 Microsoft Corporation. All Rights Reserved | |||
| </ref> The word "anarchist" was originally used as a term of ] but by the ] some groups such as the ''Enrages'' had started to use the term in a positive sense,<ref>Sheehan, Sean. ''Anarchism'', London: Reaktion Books Ltd., 2004. pg. 85</ref> seeing the ] concept of a ''"revolutionary government"'' as a contradiction in terms. It was in this political climate that ] would develop his philosophy which is considered by many to be the first expression of modern anarchist thought.<ref> Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosopy, First published Sun Jan 16, 2000; substantive revision Sat May 20, 2006</ref> | |||
| ] | |||
| ===William Godwin=== | |||
| {{main|William Godwin}} | |||
| According to Peter Kropotkin, ], in his ''Enquiry Concerning Political Justice'' (2 vols., 1793), was "the first to formulate the political and economical conceptions of anarchism, even though he did not give that name to the ideas developed in his work." <ref name="EB1910"/> | |||
| Godwin felt that the evil of man was the result of societal corruption, and his view on government slowly changed from as little interference as possible to none at all when he stated that "government by its very nature counteracts the improvement of original mind." <ref> William Godwin, </ref> Godwin also felt that discrimination on any grounds besides ability was intolerable. Godwin is also well known for marrying the feminist ]. Their daughter ] achieved fame as the author of ]. | |||
| ===Pierre-Joseph Proudhon=== | |||
| {{main|Pierre-Joseph Proudhon}} | |||
| ], 1865]] | |||
| ] is commonly regarded as the first self-proclaimed anarchist, a label which he adopted in his 1840 work '']''. It is for this reason that some claim Proudhon as the founder of modern anarchist theory.<ref>Daniel Guerin, ''Anarchism: From Theory to Practice'' (New York: Monthly Review Press, 1970).</ref> He developed the theory of ] in society, where organization emerges without any central authority, a "positive anarchy" in which order arises from every individual "doing what he wishes and only what he wishes."<ref> Proudhon, ''Solution to the Social Problem'', ed. H. Cohen (New York: Vanguard Press, 1927), p.45. </ref> He saw anarchy as: | |||
| <blockquote> | |||
| "a form of government or constitution in which public and private consciousness, formed through the development of science and law, is alone sufficient to maintain order and guarantee all liberties. In it, as a consequence, the institutions of the police, preventive and repressive methods, officialdom, taxation, etc., are reduced to a minimum. In it, more especially, the forms of monarchy and intensive centralization disappear, to be replaced by federal institutions and a pattern of life based on the commune."<ref>''Selected Writings'', Pierre-Joseph Proudhon</ref> | |||
| </blockquote> | |||
| His opposition to capitalism, the state, and organised religion inspired subsequent anarchists, and made him one of the leading socialist thinkers of his time.<ref name="EB-Proudhon"> From Encyclopedia Britannica article "Proudhon, Pierre-Joseph" (2006)</ref> However, he was also opposed to "communism, whether of the utopian or the Marxist variety, that it destroyed freedom by taking away from the individual control over his means of production." <ref name="EB-Proudhon"/> | |||
| ==Schools of Anarchist Thought== | |||
| ===Mutualism=== | |||
| {{main|Mutualism (economic theory)}} | |||
| ] is a school of anarchism mostly associated with ], the first to call himself and his politics anarchist. In his landmark book '']'' (''Qu'est-ce que la propriété?'', published in 1840), he expounded an economic theory is based on a ] which states that the actual price of a thing (or the "true cost") is the amount of labor that was undertaken to produce it. Consequently no one who sells goods should charge more than the labor exerted to obtain or produce each good. According to Proudhon, "It is labor, labor alone, that produces all the elements of wealth...according to a law of variable, but certain, proportionality." He was also careful to advise, however, that "The value of labor is a figurative expression, an anticipation of effect from cause." <ref>Proudhon, Pierre-Joseph ''The Philosophy of Poverty'' (1847)</ref> Mutualist economics is characterised by a dedication to free association, a democratically run mutualist bank and contract/federation. | |||
| Many mutualists believe that a market without government intervention would result in no profit because firms would be forced to compete over workers just as workers compete over firms. If government stopped intervening to protect monopolies, they argue, each laborer would naturally receive his "full product" with no deductions for profit to the employer.<ref></ref> | |||
| Proudhon's mutualism had a large influence in American individualist anarchism,<ref name="Woodcock">" Proudhon's mutualism was introduced into the United States...its similarity to native individualism was quickly recognized. The Proudhonians remained a small sect, but they and the disciples of Warren helped focus interest on "currency reform." ], ''Anarchism: A History of Libertarian Ideas and Movements'', Chapter 14, p.459.</ref> with ]'s experiments enacting in very similar economics and ] translating him into English for an American audience. Proudhon does emphasise associations amongst producers;<ref name="Woodcock"/> some see mutualism as being situated somewhere between individualism and collectivism.<ref>Avrich, Paul. ''Anarchist Voices: An Oral History of Anarchism in America'', Princetone University Press 1996 ISBN 0-691-04494-5, p.6<br/> | |||
| Blackwell Encyclopaedia of Political Thought, Blackwell Publishing 1991 ISBN 0-631-17944-5, p.11</ref> | |||
| ===Collectivist Anarchism=== | |||
| {{main|Collectivist anarchism}} | |||
| ], also known as 'anarcho-collectivism', is most commonly associated with ] and the anti-authoritarian section of the ] (1864-1876). Unlike mutualists, collectivist anarchists oppose all private ownership of the means of production, instead advocating that ownership be collectivized. Workers would be compensated for their work on the basis of the amount of time they contributed to production, rather than goods being distributed "according to need" as in anarcho-communism. By the early 1880s, most of the European anarchist movement had adopted an ] position, advocating the abolition of wage labour and distribution according to need rather than labor, although the ] is sometimes associated with collectivism. Although the ] advocated compensation for labor, they held out the possibility of a post-revolutionary transition to a communist system of distribution according to need. <ref>Bakunin's associate, ], put it this way in his essay, ''''(1876): | |||
| <blockquote> | |||
| When… production comes to outstrip consumption… veryone will draw what he needs from the abundant social reserve of commodities, without fear of depletion; and the moral sentiment which will be more highly developed among free and equal workers will prevent, or greatly reduce, abuse and waste. | |||
| </blockquote></ref> Collective anarchism arose contemporary with ] but was opposed to it, despite Marxism striving for a collectivist stateless society, because of an opposition to the Marxist ].<ref>Bakunin, Mikhail; '''': | |||
| <blockquote>They maintain that only a dictatorship — their dictatorship, of course — can create the will of the people, while our answer to this is: No dictatorship can have any other aim but that of self-perpetuation, and it can beget only slavery in the people tolerating it; freedom can be created only by freedom, that is, by a universal rebellion on the part of the people and free organization of the toiling masses from the bottom up. </blockquote></ref> | |||
| ===Anarchist communism=== | |||
| {{main|Anarchist communism}} | |||
| ] was an early anarchist communist and the first person to describe himself as "]".<ref> (in ])</ref> Unlike Proudhon, he argued that "it is not the product of his or her labor that the worker has a right to, but to the satisfaction of his or her needs, whatever may be their nature."<ref name=Graham-05>Graham, Robert ''Anarchism'' (Montreal: Black Rose Books 2005) ISBN 1-55164-251-4</ref> Other important anarchist communists include ], ], ] and ]. Many in the anarcho-syndicalist movements (see below) saw anarchist communism as their objective. ]'s 1932 '']'' <ref name="LibCom">Puente, Isaac "Libertarian Communism" (The Cienfuegos Press Anarchist Review' #6 Orkney 1982)</ref> was adopted by the Spanish CNT as its manifesto for a post-revolutionary society. | |||
| Anarchist communism places as its goal a society composed of "an infinite variety of groups and federations of all sizes and degrees... for all possible purposes", where wealth is distributed in accordance with the self-determined needs of each person, enabling everyone "to obtain the full development of his faculties, intellectual, artistic and moral," rather than a privileged few.<ref> Kropotkin, "Anarchism," ''Encyclopedia Britannica.''</ref> | |||
| ===Anarcho-syndicalism=== | |||
| {{main|Anarcho-syndicalism}} | |||
| ] | |||
| The early twentieth century saw the rise of ] as a distinct school of thought within the anarchist tradition. More heavily focused on the labour movement than previous forms of anarchism, syndicalism posits trade unions as a potential force for revolutionary social change, replacing capitalism and the State with a new society democratically self-managed by workers. Anarcho-syndicalists seek to abolish the wage system and private ownership of the means of production, which they believe lead to class divisions. Three important principles of syndicalism are workers' solidarity, ] and ]. They are also proponents of the ]. ] was one of the most popular voices in the anarcho-syndicalist movement. He outlined a view of the origins of the movement, what it sought and why it was important to the future of labour in his 1938 pamphlet ''Anarchosyndicalism''<ref> ''retrieved 7 September 2006</ref>. Although more frequently associated with labor struggles of the the early twentieth century (particularly in ] and ]) there are many syndicalist organisations active today. However, anarcho-syndicalism is viewed as anachronism by some contemporary anarchists.<ref>Heider, Ulrike. (1994) ''Anarchism: Left, Right and Green'', San Francisco: City Lights Books, p.4</ref> | |||
| ===Individualist anarchism=== | |||
| {{main|Individualist anarchism}} | |||
| ] is an anarchist philosophical tradition that has a strong emphasis on ] and ], drawing much from the tradition of ].<ref name="Madison">{{cite journal | author = Madison, Charles A. | year = 1945 | title = Anarchism in the United States | journal = Journal of the History of Ideas | volume = 6 | issue = 1 | pages = 46-66}}</ref> Individualist anarchists believe that "individual conscience and the pursuit of self-interest should not be constrained by any collective body or public authority."<ref>Heywood, Andrew, Key Concepts in Politics, Palgrave, ISBN 0-312-23381-7, 2000, p. 46</ref> | |||
| ====Max Stirner's egoism==== | |||
| {{main|Max Stirner|Ethical egoism}} | |||
| ] was the author of a form of individualist anarchism called "Egoism." Stirner's "name appears with familiar regularity in historically-orientated surveys of anarchist thought as one of the earliest and best-known exponents of ]."<ref name="SEP-Stirner">Leopold, David "Max Stirner", The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Fall 2006 Edition), Edward N. Zalta (ed.), forthcoming URL = <http://plato.stanford.edu/archives/fall2006/entries/max-stirner/>.</ref> In 1844, Max Stirner's '']'' (sometimes translated as "The Individual and His Property") was published, which is considered to be "a founding text in the tradition of individualist anarchism."<ref name = "SEP-Stirner"/> Stirner believed that most commonly accepted social institutions - including the notion of State, property as a right, natural rights in general, and the very notion of society - were mere illusions or ''ghosts'' in the mind, saying of society that "the individuals are its reality." He advocated egoism and a form of amoralism, in which individuals would unite in 'associations of egoists' only when it was in their self interest to do so. For him, property simply comes about through might: "Whoever knows how to take, to defend, the thing, to him belongs property." And, "What I have in my power, that is my own. So long as I assert myself as holder, I am the proprietor of the thing." | |||
| Stirner never called himself an anarchist - he accepted only the label 'egoist'. Nevertheless, he is considered by most to be an anarchist because of his rejection of the state, law and government and his ideas influenced many anarchists, although interpretations of his thought are diverse. Anarchists including ], ] and the ] claimed him as an influence, while ] gave lectures on his thought.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://sunsite.berkeley.edu/Goldman/Guide/chronology0119.html|title=Emma Goldman: Chronology 1901-1919|accessdate = 2006-05-30|publisher=Berkeley Digital Library}}</ref> | |||
| ====American individualist anarchism==== | |||
| {{main|Individualist anarchism#Individualist anarchism in the United States}} | |||
| {{main|Anarchism in the United States}} | |||
| ]]] | |||
| American individualist anarchists believe individuals should only receive property through labor and trade and that provision of defense of liberty and property should be provided by the ]. This form of ] originated in the ] with ] as its author. In 1825, Josiah Warren had participated in a ] experiment at ]. Th experiment failed with in a few years amidst much internal conflict. Warren attributed the community's failure on a lack of individual sovereignty and dedicated himself to promoting economic cooperation on the basis of individual liberty and self-ownership. Other prominent nineteenth century individualists included ], ], ], and ]. | |||
| These thinkers held that ] was the foremost source of inequality and oppression. They argued that provision of protection of liberty and property should be provided by businesses in a ] rather than by the state <ref>], "defense is a service like any other service; that it is labor both useful and desired, and therefore an economic commodity subject to the law of supply and demand; that in a free market this commodity would be furnished at the cost of production; that, competition prevailing, patronage would go to those who furnished the best article at the lowest price; that the production and sale of this commodity are now monopolized by the State; and that the State, like almost all monopolists, charges exorbitant prices" "Instead of a Book" (1893)<br/> | |||
| "Anarchism does not exclude prisons, officials, military, or other symbols of force. It merely demands that non-invasive men shall not be made the victims of such force. Anarchism is not the reign of love, but the reign of justice. It does not signify the abolition of force-symbols but the application of force to real invaders." Tucker, Benjamin. ''Liberty'' ] ].</ref>. They argued that the state prevents true free competition in the market<ref>"When Warren and Proudhon, in prosecuting their search for justice to labor, came face to face with the obstacle of class monopolies, they saw that these monopolies rested upon Authority, and concluded that the thing to be done was, not to strengthen this Authority and thus make monopoly universal, but to utterly uproot Authority and give full sway to the opposite principle, Liberty, by making competition, the antithesis of monopoly, universal." Tucker, Benjamin ''State Socialism and Anarchism'' (Liberty ] ])</ref> and that government intervention results in prices that don't reflect the amount of labor invested in them. They supported private property<ref>"Anarchism is a word without meaning, unless it includes the liberty of the individual to control his product or whatever his product has brought him through exchange in a free market - that is, private property. Whoever denies private property is of necessity an Archist." "ANARCHISM AND PROPERTY", by Benjamin Tucker in "The New Freewoman", ] ]</ref> and a free market under the ] which they thought would eliminate profit, which they viewed as exploitation of employees. | |||
| The American individualist anarchists oppose what Tucker called four "monopolies": the '']'' of control over currency and credit by state restrictions on who is allowed to operate a bank; the ''land monopoly'' of land-titles for absentee owners; '']s'', prohibiting competition; '']s'', restricting competition in favor of established firms. It should be noted that there was not agreement among the early American individualists on all issues: Tucker allowed for wage labour<ref>" carrying on business for themselves or from assuming relations between themselves as employer and employee if they prefer." Tucker, Benjamin. ''Liberty or Authority''</ref> while Spooner did not<ref>"...they must sell labor for much less than the amount of wealth it produces. In this way ten, twenty, or a hundred men are literally robbed of an important portion of the fruits of their labor, solely that a single monopolist may be gorged with wealth." Spooner, Lysander, ''Poverty: Its Illegal Causes and Legal Cures'' </ref>. However, unlike Tucker, he did support intellectual property rights<ref>Spooner, Lysander. </ref> and did not require that land remain in use to retain ownership.<ref>Watner, Carl. in The Libertarian Forum. March 1975. Volume VII, No 3. ISSN: 0047-4517. pp. 5-6.</ref> | |||
| Since early 20th century, Tucker's form of individualist anarchism has sometimes been attacked by social anarchists as a "middle-class indulgence, rooted far more in liberalism than in anarchism."<ref>Bookchin, Murray. </ref> Some social anarchists claim that this is not a legitimate form of anarchism.<ref> For example, ] says that "it is sometimes too readily conceded that" individualist anarchism is a form of anarchism. He argues that Tucker's philosophy actually supports "government" because it supports a private police force. He believes that true anarchism has to be communistic. Metzer, Albert. ''Anarchism: Arguments for and Against'', AK Press (1999), pp. 13-14</ref> | |||
| ====Anarcho-capitalism (disputed)==== | |||
| {{main|Anarcho-capitalism}} | |||
| {{see|Anarchism and anarcho-capitalism}} | |||
| ]]] | |||
| Anarcho-capitalism is referred to as a form of individualist anarchism lying outside the mainstream of anti-capitalistic anarchism, mainly by academics.<ref> Such accounts specifying anarcho-capitalism as a form of individualist anarchism include: | |||
| *Alan and Trombley, Stephen (Eds.) Bullock, ''The Norton Dictionary of Modern Thought'', W. W. Norton & Company (1999), p. 30 | |||
| *Outhwaite, William. ''The Blackwell Dictionary of Modern Social Thought'', ''Anarchism'' entry, p. 21, 2002. | |||
| *Bottomore, Tom. '' Dictionary of Marxist Thought'', ''Anarchism'' entry, 1991. | |||
| *Barry, Norman. ''Modern Political Theory'', 2000, Palgrave, p. 70 | |||
| *Adams, Ian. ''Political Ideology Today'', Manchester University Press (2002) ISBN 0719060206, p. 135 | |||
| *Grant, Moyra. ''Key Ideas in Politics'', Nelson Thomas 2003 ISBN 0-7487-7096-8, p. 91 | |||
| *Heider, Ulrike. ''Anarchism: Left, Right, and Green'', City Lights, 1994. p. 3. | |||
| *]. ''''. Peace Pledge Union Publications | |||
| *]. ''Anarchist Voices: An Oral History of Anarchism in America, Abridged Paperback Edition (1996), p. 282 | |||
| *Sheehan, Sean. ''Anarchism'', Reaktion Books, 2004, p. 39 | |||
| *Tormey, Simon. ''Anti-Capitalism'', One World, 2004. pp. 118-119 | |||
| *]. ''Authentic German Liberalism of the 19th Century'', Ecole Polytechnique, Centre de Recherce en Epistemologie Appliquee, Unité associée au CNRS, 2004. | |||
| *Offer, John. ''Herbert Spencer: Critical Assessments'', Routledge (UK) (2000), p. 243 | |||
| *Levy, Carl. Anarchism. MS Encarta (UK). | |||
| Sources stating anarcho-capitalism as a form of anarchism in general: | |||
| *]. Anarchism. A Companion to Contemporary Political Philosophy, editors Goodin, Robert E. and Pettit, Philip. Blackwell Publishing, 1995, p.231 | |||
| *Perlin, Terry M. Contemporary Anarchism. Transaction Books, New Brunswick, NJ 1979, p. 7 * DeLeon, David. The American as Anarchist: Reflections of Indigenous Radicalism, Chapter: The Beginning of Another Cycle, John Hopkins University Press, 1979, p. 117 | |||
| *Brown, Susan Love, The Free Market as Salvation from Government: The Anarcho-Capitalist View, Meanings of the Market: The Free Market in Western Culture, edited by James G. Carrier, Berg/Oxford, 1997, p. 99 | |||
| *Kearney, Richard. ''Continental Philosophy in the 20th Century'', Routledge (UK) (2003), p. 336 * Sargent, Lyman Tower. ''Extremism in America: A Reader'', NYU Press (1995), p. 11 | |||
| *Dahl, Robert Alan. ''Democracy and Its Critics. Yale University Press (1991), p. 38</ref> Anarcho-capitalists would like for security against aggressors to be performed by multiple private providers all competing for business, rather than by a single agency funded by taxation. Anarcho-capitalism was influenced by ] and ]<ref>DeLeon, David. The American as Anarchist: Reflections on Indigenous Radicalism. John Hopkins University Press, 1978, p. 127</ref>, but rejects their ] which regards profit to be exploitative and caused by state intervention. Anarcho-capitalists instead espouse the subjective theory of value, so they do not believe that the proper price of anything depends on how much labor was exerted. They also disagree that competition in the absence of a state would cause profit to disappear, nor consider ], rent, or interest to be exploitative, but natural and beneficial.<ref>Rothbard, Murray. The Spooner-Tucker Doctrine: An Economist's View </ref> Anarcho-capitalism has a theory of ] that supports private property as long as it is not attained by coercion.<ref>Rothbard, Murray (1969) '''' The Libertatian Forum Vol. I, No. VI (] ]) Retrieved ] ]</ref> Anarcho-capitalism's leading proponents are ] and ], and it has been influenced by libertarians such as ], ] and ]. | |||
| Some notable anarchist writers, as well as most activists, do not accept it as a legitimate form of anarchism.<ref>Such accounts include: | |||
| *], ''Anarchism: Arguments for and Against'', AK Press, 2000 | |||
| *], ''Chomsky on Anarchism'', Notes on Anarchism, 2005, AK Press, 126 | |||
| *], ''Libertarianism: Bogus Anarchy'', issue #41 (Fall/Winter 1994-95) of Anarchy: A Journal of Desire Armed | |||
| *, An Anarchist FAQ, infoshop.org ''retrieved 6 September 2006''</ref> Most anarchists refuse to accept anarcho-capitalism as anarchism.<ref>*Peter Marshall, ''Demanding the Impossible: History of Anarchism'', Ch. 36. | |||
| *"The term 'anarcho-capitalism' for this domain of right wing libertarianism is generally regarded as a political oxymoron by anarchists" Sean M. Sheehan ''Anarchism'', 2004. It should be noted that Sheehan himself does not say anarcho-capitalism is not a form of anarchism, and in fact says it is "individualist anarchism." (page 39)</ref> | |||
| ==Anarchism as a Social Movement== | |||
| Individualist anarchism does not represent the majority of anarchists, as most anarchists favor some form of communitarianism or collectivism.<ref>Johnston, Larry. ''Politics: An Introduction to the Modern Democratic State'', Broadview Press (2001), pp. 146-147</ref> Advocay of collectivism and social revolution dominated mainstream anarchism from the days of the ] until the destruction of anarchism as a mass movement at the end of the ].<ref name="EB">"Anarchism." Encyclopædia Britannica, from Encyclopaedia Britannica 2003 Ultimate Reference Suite CD-ROM. Copyright © 1994-2002 Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. ] ].</ref> | |||
| ===The First International=== | |||
| ] 1814-1876]] | |||
| {{main|International Workingmen's Association|Anarchism and Marxism}} | |||
| In Europe, harsh reaction followed the ]. Twenty years later in 1864 the ], sometimes called the 'First International', united some diverse European revolutionary currents, including French followers of ], ], English trade unionists, ] and ]. Due to its genuine links to active workers' movements, the International became a significant organization. | |||
| ] ] became a leading figure in the International and a member of its General Council. Proudhon's followers, the ], opposed Marx's ], advocating political abstentionism and small property holdings. ] joined in 1868, allying with the anti-authoritarian socialist sections of the International, who advocated the revolutionary overthrow of the state and the collectivization of property. At first, the ] worked with the Marxists to push the First International in a more revolutionary socialist direction. Subsequently, the International became polarized into two camps, with Marx and Bakunin as their respective figureheads. | |||
| Bakunin characterised Marx's ideas as ] and predicted that, if a Marxist party came to power, its leaders would simply take the place of the ] they had fought against.<ref>{{cite book|last=Bakunin|first=Mikhail|authorlink=Mikhail Bakunin|origyear=1873|year = 1991|title =Statism and Anarchy | publisher = Cambridge University Press|location = | id = ISBN 0-521-36973-8}}</ref> In 1872, the conflict climaxed with a final split between the two groups, when, at the ], Marx engineered the expulsion of Bakunin and ] from the International and had its headquarters transferred to New York. In response, the anti-authoritarian sections formed their own International at the ], adopting a revolutionary anarchist program.<ref name=Graham-05/> | |||
| ===Anarchism and organized labor=== | |||
| ] | |||
| {{main|Anarcho-syndicalism|Anarchism in Spain}} | |||
| The anti-authoritarian sections of the First International were the precursors of the anarcho-syndicalists, seeking to "replace the privilege and authority of the State" with the "free and spontaneous organization of labor."<ref> Resolutions from the St. Imier Congress, in ''Anarchism: A Documentary History of Libertarian Ideas'', Vol. 1, p.100 </ref> | |||
| The ] (General Confederation of Labour, CGT), formed in France in 1895, was the first major anarcho-syndicalist movement, but it had been preceded by the Spanish Workers Federation in 1881. Anarchist trade union federations were of special importance in Spain. The most successful was the ] (National Confederation of Labour: CNT), founded in 1910. Before the 1940s, the CNT was the major force in Spanish working class politics and played a major role in the ]. The CNT was affiliated with the International Workers Association, a federation of anarcho-syndicalist trade unions founded in 1922, with delegates representing two million workers from 15 countries in Europe and Latin America. | |||
| The largest organised anarchist movement today is in Spain, in the form of the ] (CGT) and the ]. CGT membership was estimated to be around 100,000 for the year 2003.<ref>Carley, Mark "Trade union membership 1993-2003" (International:SPIRE Associates 2004)</ref> Other active syndicalist movements include the US ] and the UK ]. The revolutionary industrial unionist ], claiming 2,000 paying members, and the ], an anarcho-syndicalist successor to the ], also remain active. | |||
| ===The Russian Revolution=== | |||
| {{main|Russian Revolution of 1917}} | |||
| Anarchists participated alongside the ] in both February and October revolutions, many anarchists initially supporting the Bolshevik coup. However, the Bolsheviks soon turned against the anarchists and other left-wing opposition, a conflict that culminated in the 1921 ]. Anarchists in central Russia were either imprisoned or driven underground or joined the victorious Bolsheviks. In the ], anarchists fought in the ] against Whites and then the Bolsheviks as part of the Makhnovshchina peasant army led by ]. | |||
| Expelled American anarchists ] and ] were amongst those agitating in response to Bolshevik policy and the suppression of the Kronstadt uprising, before they left Russia. Both wrote classic accounts of their experiences in Russia, aiming to expose the reality of Bolshevik control. For them, ]'s predictions about the consequences of Marxist rule<ref>"You can see quite well that behind all the democratic and socialistic phrases and promises in Marx’s program for the State lies all that constitutes the true despotic and brutal nature of all states, regardless of their form of government." Bakunin, Mikhail (1872) "On the International Workingmen's Association and Karl Marx" (Bakunin on Anarchy, translated and edited by Sam Dolgoff, 1971)</ref> had proved all too true. | |||
| The victory of the Bolsheviks in the October Revolution and the resulting Russian Civil War did serious damage to anarchist movements internationally. Many workers and activists saw Bolshevik success as setting an example; Communist parties grew at the expense of anarchism and other socialist movements. In France and the US, for example, the major syndicalist movements of the ] and ] began to realign themselves away from anarchism and towards the ]. | |||
| In Paris, the ] group of Russian anarchist exiles, which included ], concluded that anarchists needed to develop new forms of organisation in response to the structures of Bolshevism. Their 1926 manifesto, known as the ] | |||
| <ref name=Platformtext>{{cite book | last = Dielo Trouda group | authorlink = Dielo Trouda | title = Organizational Platform of the Libertarian Communists | origyear = 1926 | url = http://struggle.ws/platform/plat_preface.html | accessdate = 2006-05-30 | year = 1997 | publisher = Workers' Solidarity Movement | location = Ireland}}</ref>, was supported by some communist anarchists, though opposed by many others. Platformist groups today include the ] in Ireland and the ] of North America. | |||
| ===The fight against fascism=== | |||
| ], 1936. Members of the ] construct ]s to fight against the ]s in one of the ] factories.]] | |||
| {{main|Anti-fascism|Anarchism in Spain}} | |||
| In the 1920s and 1930s, the familiar dynamics of anarchism's conflict with the state were transformed by the rise of ] in Europe. Italy saw the first struggles between anarchists and fascists. Anarchists played a key role in the anti-fascist organisation '''Arditi del Popolo.''' This group was strongest in areas with anarchist traditions and marked up numerous successful victories, including driving back ] in the anarchist stronghold of Parma in August 1922<ref>Holbrow, Marnie "Daring but Divided" (Socialist Review Nov 2002)</ref>. In France, where the fascists came close to insurrection in the February 1934 riots, anarchists divided over a 'united front' policy.<ref>Berry, David "Fascism or Revolution" (Le Libertaire August, 1936)</ref> In Spain, the ] initially refused to join a popular front electoral alliance and abstention by CNT supporters led to a right wing election victory. But in 1936, the CNT changed its policy and anarchist votes helped bring the popular front back to power. Months later, the ruling class responded with an attempted coup, and the ] (1936-1939) was underway. | |||
| In response to the army rebellion, an ] movement of peasants and workers, supported by armed militias, took control of ] and of large areas of rural Spain where they ] the land. But even before the eventual fascist victory in 1939, the anarchists were losing ground in a bitter struggle with the ]. The CNT leadership often appeared confused and divided, with some members controversially entering the government. According to ] and other foreign observers, Stalinist-led troops suppressed the collectives and persecuted both ] and anarchists. | |||
| ==Issues in anarchism== | |||
| ===Ends and means=== | |||
| {{main|Propaganda of the deed|direct action}} | |||
| In general, anarchists advocate ] and oppose voting in elections. Most anarchists feel that real change is not possible through voting. Further, many argue that voting amounts to condoning the state,<ref>*], BAD Broadside #8, Boston Anarchist Drinking Brigade 1992 | |||
| *] , originally published in New Society 15 May 1987; reprinted in Freedom Vol 48 No 6 June 1987. | |||
| * infoshop.org</ref> while others argue for a more pragmatic approach including voting in referendums.<ref> Workers Solidarity No 69, published in March 2002 ''retrieved 7 September 2006''</ref> | |||
| Direct action may be violent or non-violent. While some anarchists argue that violence is justified in overthrowing existing authority, most anarchists reject terrorism as authoritarian. ] and ], for example, wrote of violence as necessary in revolutionary settings, but denounced terrorism as counter-revolutionary.<ref>Bakunin, (1869) and Malatesta, (1895).</ref> | |||
| Anarchists have often been portrayed as dangerous and violent, due mainly to a number of high-profile violent acts, including ]s, ]s, ]s, and ] by some anarchists, as well as persistently negative media portrayal <ref>Albert, Michael , Z Communications ''retrieved 6 September 2006</ref>. Many anarchists do not see the destruction of property as a violent act. Anarchists see war, however, as an activity in which the state seeks to gain and consolidate power, both domestically and in foreign lands, and subscribe to ]'s view that "war is the health of the state."<ref></ref> | |||
| Anarchists also engage in building parallel structures and organizations, such as ], ], ] and ]. This is in line with the general anarchist concept of creating ], creating the structures for a new anti-authoritarian society in the shell of the old, hierarchical one. | |||
| ===Capitalism=== | |||
| {{main|Anarchism and capitalism}} | |||
| All anarchist traditions believe that capitalism can only be maintained by the state, and argue that it is inherently exploitative. Most anarchists not only seek rejection of the ], but also other systems which they perceive as authoritarian, such as ].<ref name=Encarta /> An anti-capitalist stance does not uniformly lead to communist beliefs: many individualist anarchists support instead ], free trade, free competition, and private property, like in ] and ].<ref name="Madison">{{cite journal | author = Madison, Charles A. | year = 1945 | title = Anarchism in the United States | journal = Journal of the History of Ideas | volume = 6 | issue = 1 | pages = 46-66}}</ref><ref name="Madison2">{{cite journal | author = Madison, Charles A. | year = 1943 | title = Benjamin R. Tucker: Individualist and Anarchist | journal = New England Quarterly | volume = 16 | issue = 3| pages = 444-467}}</ref> | |||
| ===Globalization=== | |||
| The majority of anarchists oppose ] ] as an attempt to use coercion on a global scale, carried out through institutions such as the ], ], ] and the ]. Anarchist groups, such as ]<ref> Donnacha DeLong, RTÉ News Online 2002 ''retrieved 5 September 2006''</ref>, were among the instigators of the so-called ]<ref> David Graeber, New Left Review 13, January-February 2002 ''retrieved 6 September 2006''</ref>. The ] on ] ], is generally regarded as the first of the major anti-globalisation protests. <ref> C. L. Staten, EmergencyNet News journalist, writing for ]'s website in 2002 ''retrieved 5 September 2006''</ref> Anarchists, such as the ], often played a major role in planning, organising and participating in the subsequent protests. <ref> Thrall issue #21, 2001 ''retrieved 5 September 2006''</ref> The protests tended to be organised on anarchist ] principles with a general tolerance for a range of different activities ranging from those who engage in ] to the ]s. <ref> Josie Appleton, spiked-politics, 2002 ''retrieved 5 September 2006''</ref> | |||
| ===Communism=== | |||
| While communism is a proposed as form of social and economic organisation by many anarchists, individualist anarchists oppose communism in all its forms. Individualist such as Benjamin Tucker, Victor Yarros, and Henry Appleton have denied that ] is a genuine form of anarchism.<ref>For instance, Benjamin Tucker says, "Yes, genuine Anarchism is consistent ], and Communistic or pseudo-Anarchism is inconsistent Manchesterism." Victor Yarros says, "There is no logical justification, no rational explanation, and no scientific reasoning has been, is, will be, or can be advanced in defence of that unimaginable impossibility, Communistic Anarchism." Henry Appleton says, "All Communism, under whatever guise, is the natural enemy of Anarchism, and a Communist sailing under the flag of Anarchism is as false a figure as could be invented."</ref> They rejected its strategies and argued that it is inherently authoritarian.<ref name="Brooks">Brooks, Frank H. (ed) (1994) ''The Individualist Anarchists: An Anthology of Liberty (1881-1908)'', Transaction Publishers, p.76</ref> The socialist ] also opposed communism, "whether of the utopian or the Marxist variety, that it destroyed freedom by taking away from the individual control over his means of production."<ref> From Encyclopedia Britannica article (2006)</ref> Anarchist communists reject the criticism, pointing to the principle of ] that underpins the theory. | |||
| ===Feminism and anti-racism=== | |||
| {{main|Anarcha-feminism|Antifa}} | |||
| Anarcha-feminism is a kind of ] that espouses the belief that ] is a fundamental problem in society. However, it was not explicitly formulated as ''anarcha-feminism'' until early 1970s,<ref></ref> during the ] feminist movement. Anarcha-feminism views ] as the first manifestation of hierarchy in human history; thus, the first form of oppression occurred in the dominance of male over female. | |||
| ] opposes the existence of a state, capitalism, and subjugation and domination of people of color, and favors a non-hierarchical organization of society. Theorists include ], ], and ]. | |||
| Since the late 1970s anarchists have been involved in fighting the rise of ] groups. In Germany and the United Kingdom some anarchists worked within ] ] groups alongside members of the ] left. They advocated directly combating fascists with physical force rather than relying on the state. Since the late 1990s, a similar tendency has developed within US anarchism. | |||
| ===The environment=== | |||
| {{seealso|Green anarchism|Eco-anarchism|Social ecology|Anarcho-primitivism|Ecofeminism|Green syndicalism}} | |||
| ] ]]] | |||
| The environment and sustainability have been an issue for anarchists from at least as far back as Kropotkin's '], but since the late 1970s anarchists in ] and European countries have been agitating for the natural environment. ] or ] believe in ]. This is a worldview that embraces ] and ]. Eco-anarchists often use ] against what they see as earth-destroying institutions. Of particular importance is the ] movement, that takes action such as ]. The more militant ], which grew out of Earth First!, also has connections with the anarchist movement. Another important component is ], which sees the domination of nature as a metaphor for the domination of women. | |||
| ] is a predominantly Western philosophy that advocates a return to a pre-industrial and usually pre-agricultural society. It develops a critique of industrial civilization. In this critique ] and ] have ] people from the natural world. This philosophy develops themes present in the political action of the ] and the writings of ]. Some primitivists advocate a complete process of ']' and a return to ] ] lifestyles while others only wish to see an end to industrial society and do not oppose ] or ]. Key theorists in the former category include ] and ] while the 'Unabomber' ] belongs in the latter. Today there is much conflict between primitivists and followers of more traditional forms of ] anarchism, such as the ] of ]. | |||
| ===Religion=== | |||
| ] ]]]{{main|Anarchism and religion|Buddhist anarchism|Christian anarchism|Islam and anarchism}} | |||
| From ] and ] to the Spanish anarcho-syndicalists, Anarchists have traditionally been skeptical about and opposed to ], believing that most organized religions are ] in nature and, more often than not, aligned with contemporary power structures like ] and ]. Nonetheless, there are those who reconcile anarchism with religion. | |||
| ] believe that there is no higher authority than ], and oppose earthly authority such as ] and established churches. They believe that Jesus' teachings and the practice of the ] were clearly anarchistic, but were corrupted when "Christianity" was declared the official religion of Rome. The most famous Christian anarchist was the Russian novelist ] whose ']' is considered a key christian anarchist text. The ] is a modern Christian anarchist organisation. | |||
| ] was most influential in the 1920s. Strands of Chinese anarchism included ]'s ] which was influenced by ] and the ]. | |||
| ==Recent Developments within Anarchism== | |||
| Anarchism generates many eclectic and syncretic philosophies and movements. Since the Western social ferment in the 1960's and 1970's a number of new movements and schools have appeared. Most of these stances are limited to even smaller numbers than the schools and movements listed above. | |||
| ]]] | |||
| *'''Post-left anarchy''' - ] seeks to distance itself from the traditional "left" - communists, socialists, social democrats, etc. - and to escape the confines of ] in general. Post-leftists argue that anarchism has been weakened by its long attachment to contrary "leftist" movements and single issue causes (], ], etc.). It calls for a synthesis of anarchist thought and a specifically anti-authoritarian revolutionary movement outside of the leftist milieu. Important groups and individuals associated with Post-left anarchy include: ], the magazine ] and its editor ], ], ] and others. | |||
| *'''Post-Anarchism''' - The term ] was originated by ], first receiving popular attention in his book '']'' to refer to a theoretical move towards a synthesis of classical anarchist theory and ] thought. Subsequent to Newman's use of the term, however, it has taken on a life of its own and a wide range of ideas including ], ], ], ] and Zapatismo. By its very nature post-anarchism rejects the idea that it should be a coherent set of doctrines and beliefs. As such it is difficult, if not impossible, to state with any degree of certainty who should or should not be grouped under the rubric. Nonetheless key thinkers associated with post-anarchism include ], ], ] and ]. | |||
| *'''Insurrectionary anarchism''' - ] is a form of revolutionary anarchism critical of formal anarchist labor unions and federations. Insurrectionary anarchists advocate informal organization, including small affinity groups, carrying out acts of resistance in various struggles, and mass organizations called base structures, which can include exploited individuals who are not anarchists. Proponents include ] and ], author of works including "Armed Joy" and "The Anarchist Tension". This tendency is represented in the US in magazines such as ] and ]. | |||
| *'''Small 'a' anarchism''' - Small 'a' anarchism is a term used in two different, but not unconnected contexts. Dave Neal posited the term in opposition to big 'A' Anarchism in the article . While big 'A' Anarchism referred to ideological Anarchists, small 'a' anarchism was applied to their methodological counterparts; those who viewed anarchism as "a way of acting, or a historical tendency against illegitimate authority." As an anti-ideological position, small 'a' anarchism shares some similarities with ]. ] and ] offer an alternative use of the term, applying it to groups and movements organising according to or acting in a manner consistent with anarchist principles of decentralisation, voluntary association, mutual aid, the network model, and crucially, "the rejection of any idea that the end justifies the means, let alone that the business of a revolutionary is to seize state power and then begin imposing one's vision at the point of a gun."<ref> by David Graeber | |||
| and Andrej Grubacic</ref> | |||
| ==Criticisms of anarchism== | |||
| {{main|Criticisms of anarchism}} | |||
| The theory and practice of anarchism has been controversial since it came to prominence in the 19th century. Some of the criticisms made of anarchism come from the interests it opposes, such as governments. Other criticisms have been made internally of other anarchists or by political movements that appear to share similar goals, such as ]. Many question the idealist nature of anarchism, and have misgivings about its practical application in the real world. Some point to anarchism's inability to establish a viable anti-state. Social scientists note that hierarchies appear to be synonymous with human civilization. | |||
| ==Cultural phenomena== | |||
| ] (1928–)]] | |||
| The kind of anarchism that is most easily encountered in popular culture is represented by well-known figures who publicly identify themselves as anarchists. The following figures are examples of prominent publicly self-avowed anarchists: | |||
| *the ] professor of ] ] | |||
| *the social historian ]<ref>"Something of an anarchist," , 2003</ref> | |||
| *author ] | |||
| *author and speaker ] | |||
| *author ] | |||
| *]ist ] | |||
| *] fighter and champion ] | |||
| *], author and critic ] | |||
| *], actor, film director, writer and comedian. | |||
| In ], the ] was created in downtown ]. The housing and employment crisis in most of ] led to the formation of ] and squatter movements like the one still thriving in ], in ]. Although not always explicitly anarchist, militant ] in places like Germany, and the uprisings of ], ], and ] groups in France and Italy also helped to give popularity to anti-authoritarian, non-capitalist ideas. | |||
| In various musical styles, anarchism rose in popularity. Most famous for the linking of anarchist ideas and music has been ], although in the modern age, hip hop, and folk music are also becoming important mediums for the spreading of the anarchist message. In the ] this was associated with the ] movement; the band ] is celebrated for its anarchist and ] ideas. | |||
| ''For further details, see ] and ].'' | |||
| Recent technological developments have made the anarchist cause both easier to advance and more conceivable to people. Many people use the Internet to form on-line communities. ] has been undermined to some extent and a gift-culture supported by ], collaborative software development, and ] (] ]) has arisen. These cyber-communities include those that support ], ], ], and ]s. Others use technology to remain anonymous, communicate securely using ], and maintain financial privacy through ]. ''See also'': ] and ]. | |||
| ==See also== | |||
| {{Political ideology entry points}} | |||
| <!-- (Please take care in adding to this list that it not grow excessively large, consider adding to the list of anarchist concepts page) --> | |||
| There are many concepts relevant to the topic of anarchism, this is a brief summary. There is also a more extensive ]. | |||
| *], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ] | |||
| *] | |||
| *] | |||
| *] | |||
| *] | |||
| *] | |||
| *] <!-- hmm should this and the article above be merged? didn't see it before...--> | |||
| *] | |||
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| *] | |||
| ===Historical events=== | |||
| *] (1871) | |||
| *] (1886) | |||
| *] (1910) | |||
| *] (1918-1922) (see also ]) | |||
| *] (1921) | |||
| *] (1923) | |||
| *] (1929-1931) | |||
| *] (1936) (see also ]) | |||
| *May 1968, France (1968) | |||
| *] (1999) | |||
| *] (2001) | |||
| ===Anarchism by region=== | |||
| {{main|Anarchism by country}} | |||
| *] | |||
| *] | |||
| *] | |||
| *] | |||
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| *] | |||
| ===Anarchism by culture=== | |||
| *] | |||
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| ===Books=== | |||
| {{main|List of anarchist books}} | |||
| *], '']'' | |||
| *], '']'' | |||
| *], '']'' | |||
| *], '']'' | |||
| *], '']'' | |||
| *], '']'' | |||
| *], '']'' | |||
| *], '']'' | |||
| *], '']'' | |||
| ==Notes and references== | |||
| <div class="references-small"> | |||
| <references /> | |||
| </div> | |||
| ==External links== | |||
| An overwhelming diversity and number of links relating to anarchism exist. Below are but a few. | |||
| {{wikiquote|Definitions of anarchism}} | |||
| * at ] - "]" written by a group of ]. | |||
| * - a FAQ written by ] economics professor ]. | |||
| * extensively archives information relating to famous anarchists. This includes many of their books and other publications. | |||
| *1,500+ anarchists listed, with short bios, links & dedicated pages | |||
| <!-- Attention! The external link portion of this article regularly grows far beyond manageable size. Please only list an outside link if it applies to anarchism in general and is somewhat noteworthy. Links to lesser known sites or submovements will be routinely | |||
| moved to the list page to keep this article free of clutter --> | |||
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Revision as of 18:23, 16 September 2006
Anarchism is the dumbest idea. You have to be an idiot to belive in such a thing.