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1-Page Summary of Anarchism

Overview

There’s no doubt that you’ve heard of anarchy. It has a negative connotation, but it doesn’t necessarily have to be that way. In fact, the word was used by many philosophers in the nineteenth century to describe their vision for an egalitarian and just society.

Anarchism seeks to remove all hierarchies from human life. These can include the state, patriarchy or religion. In its place, anarchists envision a society based on mutual cooperation and direct democracy; communities that are federal with each other for the benefit of all people.

Although anarchism grew out of the failures in France, it is still relevant today. It’s especially important because we’re facing crises such as increasing inequality and climate change. Anarchist theories provide an unlikely solution to these problems. In this article, you’ll learn how a large-scale anarchist movement flourished during the Spanish Civil War; why Proudhon said that property was both “theft” and “freedom”; and how anarchists could help solve overcrowding in prisons.

Big Idea #1: Anarchism is a political philosophy revolving around the rejection of all hierarchies.

The word anarchy comes from the Greek anarkhia, which means “without a leader.” However, it was in the mid-19th century that French anarchist Pierre-Joseph Proudhon used anarchism to describe his political ideology. This ideology contends that society can be organized without central governments or authorities.

Some people believed that society should be organized around voluntary agreements between individuals and groups. These people also thought that such a system would meet the needs of all its members, as well as be efficient and fair.

The French Revolution failed to achieve its goals. The peasants and workers were disappointed when they saw that the new ruling class was no better than the previous one. They realized that it wasn’t just bad rulers who caused problems, but the rule itself which put one group of people above another.

Anarchists have been concerned with the state since the eighteenth century. The problem of how to abolish it and build a fairer society has been debated among anarchists for years.

Anarchism is a political philosophy that rejects the idea of government. There are many different types of anarchism, but all anarchists believe in freedom from control and oppression.

An anarchist society would likely be organized with four main principles.

Anarchist organizations should be voluntary, functional and temporary. Membership must not be required because it would impede individual freedom. Organizations should have a clear purpose for existing and they shouldn’t last forever, as this would make them useless after serving their original purpose.

Anarchist organizations should be small. If there are too many people in an organization, it’s more likely that they will form hierarchies and develop a power structure.

Maybe this all seems like impractical theorizing? Well, we’ll explore how specific anarchist thinkers envisioned social change and how it worked in practice.

Big Idea #2: Anarchism was promulgated by the likes of Peter Kropotkin and Pierre-Joseph Proudhon, and it worked best in Spain.

While many have tried to define and categorize anarchism, there are three parts of its history that can’t be overlooked. First was the political theory of Peter Kropotkin, who argued that property is theft. Second was Pierre-Joseph Proudhon’s assertion that “property is freedom.” For him, this wasn’t contradictory – property was theft since it usually came from exploitation or conquest. Third were the ideas surrounding the Spanish Civil War and how anarchists responded to them.