Anarchism

Anarchism can refer to any of a range of political views, characterized by a rejection of authority in various forms.

Schools of anarchist thought

From William Godwin's utilitarian anarchism to Pierre-Joseph Proudhon's mutualism, to Max Stirner's egoism, to Benjamin Tucker's radical individualism, to Peter Kropotkin's anarchist communism, the roots of anarchist thought in modern political philosophy are varied, with many different views of what a society without government should be like. A listing in chronological order of inception follows:

Related Topics:
William Godwin - Pierre-Joseph Proudhon - Mutualism - Max Stirner - Egoism - Benjamin Tucker - Radical individualism - Peter Kropotkin - Anarchist communism

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Individualist anarchism

Individualist anarchism is a philosophical tradition that opposes collectivism and has a particularly strong emphasis on the supremacy and autonomy of the individual. While individualist anarchists include Europeans such as William Godwin, Pierre-Joseph Proudhon, and Max Stirner, the term is most often used in association with the American tradition of individualist anarchism, which advocates private property (individual ownership of the "full produce" of one's labor) and a competitive market economy where this property and labor may be bought and sold (therefore opposing communism). They espouse a labor theory of value, and, as a result, they regard profit (and hence, capitalism insofar as it allows that) as being exploitative; they believe profit is only made possible by reduced competition due to government regulations on banking and currency issuance, as well as by protection of vacant land. Wage labor is supported as long as wages adhere to the labor theory of value, hence, traditional individualists tend to advocate, and practice, an economic system called mutualism as an alternative to capitalism and communism. Traditional individualists do not oppose the private ownership of capital, with an important exception: Most oppose property titles to unused land since it is not the product of labor and therefore oppose its purchase and sale; however, individuals may possess land by occupation or use and must continue using it to retain title to it. Unused land is not considered to be collective property of the community --is simply unowned and therefore no permission is needed from the community to put it to private use and no compensation is due to them. Individualism contrasts with collectivist forms of anarchism (anarcho-communism and anarcho-syndicalism), and the relationships between these groups of been characterized by varying degrees of antagonism and harmony throughout their history. As a testament to the liberal character of American individualist anarchism, the most famous individualist, Benjamin Tucker, refers to his philosophy as "unterrified Jeffersonianism." To protect individual liberty and private property, individualists tend to advocate "private police" and private courts.

Related Topics:
Collectivism - William Godwin - Pierre-Joseph Proudhon - Max Stirner - American tradition of individualist anarchism - Market economy - Labor theory of value - Mutualism

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Notable figures that assist in comprising the American tradition include Josiah Warren, Benjamin Tucker, Lysander Spooner, and Ezra Heywood. Many also consider Henry David Thoreau as an individualist anarchist due to his position that individuals should not be governed and his belief that all should be free to withdraw themselves from "any incorporated body." Noteworthy anarchist writer and poet John Henry Mackay is also considered an individualist anarchist. Contemporary individualist anarchists include Robert Anton Wilson, James J. Martin, Joe Peacott, Kevin Carson, Keith Preston, and Larry Gambone. Wendy McElroy, an anarcho-capitalist, also labels herself an individualist anarchist, albeit not a classical one. Italian anarcho-capitalist Guglielmo Piombini also regards his philosophy as individualist anarchism.

Related Topics:
Josiah Warren - Robert Anton Wilson - James J. Martin - Joe Peacott - Kevin Carson - Keith Preston - Larry Gambone - Wendy McElroy - Anarcho-capitalist

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Anarcho-communism

Anarcho-communism shares many things in common with anarcho-syndicalism but generally rejects private property in favor of collectivizing the means of production and products of labor. The Florence Conference of the Federation of the International, formulated by Carlo Cafiero, Errico Malatesta, Andrea Costa and other ex-Mazzinian Republicans, in laying out the principles of anarcho-communism states: "Italian Federation of the International considers the collective property of the products of labour as the necessary complement to the collectivist programme..." Cafiero notes, in Anarchie et Communisme, that private property in the product of labor will lead to unequal accumulation of capital, and therefore undesirable class distinctions. Anarcho-communism developed as a rejection of the individualist anarchism of Proudhon; Joseph Dejacque wrote to Proudhon criticizing him for his support of private ownership of the product of labor and a market economy: "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." Anarcho-communists advocate an egalitarian society without markets or wages, and instead, propose collectives based on direct worker control, gift economies, self-management over community institutions, and mutual aid based upon the idea of "from each according to their ability, to each according to need." Anarcho-communists also propose large- and small-scale connections of communities, groups, and workplaces through federations and networks created by free association and popular affinity. Anarcho-communists want direct worker control over production, and have decisions made through workers councils and assemblies. Communities would be organized through systems of direct democracy, and through various organizations and collectives to carry out various tasks.

Related Topics:
Carlo Cafiero - Errico Malatesta - Andrea Costa - Mazzinian - Proudhon - Joseph Dejacque - Gift economies - Federation - Network - Free association - Workers councils

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Peter Kropotkin, Emma Goldman, Alexander Berkman, and most recently, groups like NEFAC (North Eastern Federation of Anarcho-Communists), have advocated various forms of anarcho-communism. Joseph Dietzgen and Guy Aldred tried to overcome the differences between Marxism and anarchism. Historically, anarcho-communism is believed to have been put into practice by millions of people in the anarchist collectives and communes of the anarchist-controlled region of Ukraine during the Russian Revolution, and during the Spanish Civil War in the Aragon and Catalonia regions of Spain.

Related Topics:
Peter Kropotkin - Emma Goldman - Alexander Berkman - NEFAC - Joseph Dietzgen - Guy Aldred - Ukraine - Spanish Civil War - Aragon - Catalonia

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Anarcho-communists are split generally on the Platform, or the "Organizational Platform of Libertarian Communists", written by Ukrainian anarchist militant, Nestor Makhno. The Platform calls for anarchist organisations based on "Theoretical Unity, Tactical Unity, Collective Action and Discipline, and Federalism", and has been accepted by some anarchists and scorned by others.

Related Topics:
Platform - Ukrainian - Nestor Makhno

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Anarcho-communists today are involved in various broad labor and community issues; generally revolving around housing, labor struggles/strikes, anti-racism, and building the anarchist movement. Anarcho-communists have generally called for more cohesive groups and structures of anarchist groups and thereby garnered criticism from other anarchist sects. Various large-scale groups of anarcho-communists exist today with the larger groups existing throughout various countries.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Traditional American individualist anarchists, have denied that anarcho-communism is a form of anarchism. Benjamin Tucker has referred to it as "pseudo-anarchism." http://www.geocities.com/listen_liberty/shouldlaborbepaidornot.html

Related Topics:
American individualist anarchist - Benjamin Tucker

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Anarcho-syndicalism

Anarcho-syndicalism is the anarchist wing of the labor union movement. Its primary aim is the end of the wage system and the abolition of private property, both of which are believed to lead to class divisions. It is not so much a separate "school of thought" within anarchism as it is a particular focus within the wider anarchist movement (on industrial action and anarchist unionism). It is generally regarded as being compatible with all other forms of anti-capitalist anarchism. Anarcho-syndicalism functions on principles of workers solidarity, direct action, and self-management.

Related Topics:
Labor union - Direct action

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Workers solidarity is the belief that all workers -- no matter what race, gender, or ethnic group -- are in a similar situation vis-à-vis their bosses. Furthermore, within capitalism, any gains or losses made by some workers in their relation to bosses will eventually impact all workers. Therefore, in order to gain liberation, all workers must support one another in their struggle against bosses.

Related Topics:
Race - Gender - Ethnic group - Struggle against bosses

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Anarcho-syndicalists only believe in direct action — that is, action directly designed to confront a problem. Direct action can range from traditional strike action to active sabotage.

Related Topics:
Strike action - Sabotage

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Furthermore, anarcho-syndicalists believe that workers' organizations — the organizations struggling against the wage system who, in anarcho-syndicalist theory, will eventually form the basis of a new society – should be self-managing. They should not have bosses or "business agents"; rather, the workers should be able to make decisions that affect them amongst themselves.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The International Workers Association is an international anarcho-syndicalist federation of various labor unions from different countries. The Industrial Workers of the World, a once-powerful, still active, and again growing labor union, is considered a leading organ of the anarcho-syndicalist program in the United States. The Spanish Confederación Nacional del Trabajo played a major role in the Spanish Civil War, and today it is the third biggest union in Spain. Other major anarcho-syndicalist organizations include the Workers Solidarity Alliance, and the Solidarity Federation in the UK.

Related Topics:
International Workers Association - Industrial Workers of the World - Confederación Nacional del Trabajo - Spanish Civil War - Workers Solidarity Alliance - Solidarity Federation

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Anarcho-communist critics of anarcho-syndicalism oppose the strategy of unions, believing them to feed into the concept of capitalism and because they are hierarchically organized. Also, some contend that its focus on proletarian class struggle overlooks the needs of segments of society such as parents or others occupied with child-rearing or domestic labor, although some anarcho-syndicalist thought attempts to address other sectors of economic life. Post-left anarchist thinkers, notably Bob Black, contend that an anarcho-syndicalist revolution would leave in place social systems they find oppressive (work and workplaces, for example), although anarcho-syndicalists contend that worker self-management would render those systems fundamentally more humane. At issue also is the willingness of various anarcho-syndicalists groups to collaborate with government in their activities.

Related Topics:
Anarcho-communist - Class struggle - Bob Black - Work

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Some, generally primitivsts, hold that anarcho-syndicalism is not a form of anarchism and attack it as a purely workerist ideology. For example, Feral Faun argues in "The Bourgeois Roots of Anarcho-Syndicalism" that anarcho-syndicalism is actually a non-anarchist form of liberalism that, by default, supports capitalism. http://www.insurgentdesire.org.uk/syndicalism.htm

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Anarcho-capitalism

Anarcho-capitalism envisions a stateless society where private ownership of the means of production is supported, and economic decisions are made privately through the operation of a free market. Like most modern economists, anarcho-capitalists espouse a subjective theory of value rather than a labor theory of value; therefore, they have no opposition to profit. Anarcho-capitalism is an anti-state form of liberalism derived from 19th century American individualist anarchism, abolitionism, and classical economics. Anarcho-capitalists, like all other anarchists, oppose traditional capitalism, state capitalism, and mercantilism.

Related Topics:
Free market - Subjective theory of value - Labor theory of value - Profit

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Much of the credit for the foundations of anarcho-capitalist theory goes to Murray Rothbard who formally synthesized classical liberalism with Austrian economics. Other important anarcho-capitalists include David Friedman, Jan Narveson, Hans-Hermann Hoppe, and Lew Rockwell. Some minarchists, such as Ayn Rand, Robert Nozick, and Robert Heinlein, have also contributed to the theory and popularity of anarcho-capitalism.

Related Topics:
Murray Rothbard - Classical liberalism - Austrian economics - David Friedman - Jan Narveson - Hans-Hermann Hoppe - Lew Rockwell - Minarchists - Ayn Rand - Robert Nozick - Robert Heinlein

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Anarchists who oppose private ownership of capital tend to deny that anarcho-capitalism is a form of anarchism, arguing that hierarchical institutions are inevitable in any capitalist system. On the other hand, there are contemporary American individualist anarchists that do regard it as a form of anarchism. http://world.std.com/~bbrigade/badpp3.htm http://www.attackthesystem.com/capitalism.html http://www.spaz.org/~dan/individualist-anarchist/ac-vs-ia.html Moreoever, anarcho-capitalists Wendy McElroy and Guglielmo Piombini regard their philosophy as "individualist anarchism." Anarcho-capitalism is compared and contrasted with classical individualist anarchism in the article Individualist anarchism and anarcho-capitalism.

Related Topics:
American individualist anarchists - Individualist anarchism and anarcho-capitalism

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

See also Leo Tolstoy.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~