What is anarchism?
Contents
Anarchism is a political philosophy and movement that rejects involuntary, coercive forms of hierarchy and is sceptical of authority. Notably, anarchists tends to call for the abolition of the state, arguing that it is unnecessary, undesirable and harmful.
The philosophy of anarchism, and the movements that have sprung from it, are diverse and they embody many (sometimes conflicting) attitudes, tendencies and schools of thoughts. Historically and contemporary, the various branches of anarchism have complex relationships with ideologies such as communism, collectivism, libertarianism, and trade unionism. Phenomena such as civilization, religion, and technology are lauded in some anarchist movements and sharply criticized or outright rejected in others.
Opposition to the state is central to anarchist thought, but defining anarchism has proven difficult for both anarchists themselves and scholars studying the subject. Major elements included in many (but not all) proposed definitions of anarchism are rejection of the state apparatus, the will for a non-coercive society, and the belief that human nature allows for humans to progress toward and exist in such a society.
The words anarchism, anarchist and anarchy all stem from the Ancient Greek word anarkhia which means “without a leader/ruler”. In Ancient Greek, arkhos means leader/ruler, while the prefix -an denotes “without”.
Elements of anarchist thoughts are found throughout history, but the term is much younger and modern anarchism as a philosophical and political movement did not emerge until after the European Enlightenment. The words anarchisme and anarchy is known in English since the 16th century AD, but the early use of these terms denoted disorder rather than anything political or philosophical. The oldest known use of the term anarchism in English is from 1642.
The history of labelling your opponent an anarchist goes back to at least the French Revolution, while calling yourself an anarchist is a younger tradition. One early example of a self-identified anarchist is the political philosopher Pierre-Joseph Proudhon, who lived in 1809-1865.
Modern anarchism emerged from the European Enlightenment, and flourished in the field of politics during the latter half of the 1800s and first decades of the 1900s. During this era, anarchist movements played a significant role in working class struggles for emancipation in many different parts of the world. Several working-class revolutions have been carried out with the theoretical and practical support of anarchist movements. Generally speaking, the end of the Spanish Civil War in 1939 is acknowledged as the end of the classical era of anarchism.
Anarchism and religion
Many anarchist movements were and are sceptical or outright opposed to religion (especially in its organized forms), but there are also plenty of examples of devotedly religious individuals and movements that have embraced anarchism based on religious arguments. A third group of anarchists also exist: those who believe in god or gods, but argue that organised religion has strayed from its humble origins and become authoritarian, hierarchical and a tool for the state.
In the words of contemporary English author Peter Marshall:
“The original message of the great religious teachers to live a simple life, to share the wealth of the earth, to treat each other with love and respect, to tolerate others and to live in peace invariably gets lost as worldly institutions take over. Religious leaders, like their political counterparts, accrue power to themselves, draw up dogmas, and wage war on dissenters in their own ranks and the followers of other religions. They seek protection from temporal rulers, bestowing on them in return a supernatural legitimacy and magical aura. They weave webs of mystery and mystification around naked power; they join the sword with the cross and the crescent. As a result, in nearly all cases organised religions have lost the peaceful and tolerant message of their founding fathers, whether it be Buddha, Jesus or Mohammed.” (Source: Peter Marshall, Alexandre Christoyannopoulos (ed.). Religious Anarchism: New Perspectives. 2011, p. xx. Introduction)
Post-structuralist anarchism
Postanarchism, also known as post-anarchism or post-structuralist anarchism, is a branch within the anarchist theory that accepts a post-structuralist account of power and aims to reconcile anarchist theory with postmodern philosophy. Most post-structuralist anarchism movements pay special attention to Lacanian psychoanalysis, the schizoanalysis of Deleuze and Guattari, and the works of Michel Foucalt.
Examples of well-known post-anarchist theorists are Duane Rousselle, Saul Newman, Lewis Call, and Todd May.
The term post-anarchism was coined by the philosopher Hakim Bey in his 1987 essay “Post-Anarchism Anarchy”. In 1994, political philosopher Todd May wrote about poststructuralist anarchism, a theory grounded in a post-structuralist understanding of power but with the anarchist approach to ethics.
The academic journal “Anarchist Developments in Cultural Studies” has become one of the most important vehicles for disseminating post-anarchist theory in academic circles.
Post-left anarchism
Post-left anarchism is a current in anarchist thought that criticises anarchisms relationship with traditional left-wing politics. It has rose to prominence in the 21st century, but is still fairly small.
Strongly influenced by anti-authoritarian post-modern philosophy, post-left anarchists have criticised classic anarchisms emphasis on the working class and class struggles. Post-left anarchism rejects Enlightenment rationality and deconstructs topics such as gender.
Many (but not all) post-left anarchists advocate for anarcho-privitism and are influenced by green anarchy.
Anarcho-capitalism
Anarcho-capitalism is a political philosophy that calls for replacing centralized states with a system of private property enforced by private agencies, free markets and a right-libertarian interpretation of self-ownership.
Anarcho-capitalists (“ancaps”) believe in a self-regulating society where participation in the free market encourages civilized behaviour. In an anarcho-capitalist society, the system of private ownership is enforced by private defence agencies and insurance companies selected by customers and operating on a competitive market. These private entities will fulfil the roles of police force and court system.
The term anarcho-capitalism was coined by Murray Rothbard in the 1940s. In his work, Rothbard combined elements from classical liberalism and the Austrian School with 19th-century United States individualist anarchists.
Classic anarchists do not recognize anarcho-capitalism as an anarchist school of thought, as they see anarchism incompatible with capitalism and economic inequality. While both classical anarchists and anarcho-capitalists share an antipathy against power by government authority, the anarcho-capitalists do not mind power being wielded through free-market capitalism and puts laissez-faire economics before economic equality.
This article was last updated on: February 8, 2022