Anarchism Class PPT

Poli Sci

Anarchy

 Without rule
 Implies chaos

Anarchism

 Political authority in all its forms, especially the state,
is evil and unnecessary
 Creation of a stateless society

Origins and development

 Godwin
 Proudhon
 Bakunin
 Anarcho-syndicalism
 Spanish Civil War

Core Themes of Anarchism

Anti-statism
 Faure- Anarchism is the negation of the principle of
authority
 Authority is an offense against the principles of
freedom and equality
 To be subject to authority is to be diminished, to be
dependent

Authority gives rise to a psychology of
power based on domination and
submission
 Focus of critique of authority- political authority

Anarchist critique of the state

 State is sovereign- It exercises domination over
subjects
 State is compulsory- You have no choice in following
its dictates
 Social contract is an illusion- We are born into an
existing state and do not give it our consent
 State is coercive- state power rests on violence
 State is exploitive- taxation

Anarchist view of human nature

 Optimistic to the point of utopian about basic human
goodness
 Deeply pessimistic about corrupting effects of power

Utopianism

 Natural order of society is cooperative
 Humans are naturally good but are corrupted by power
 Society should be based on mutual aid and
cooperation
 State is unnecessary
 People can live together in natural balance- social
ecology

Anti-clericalism

 Opposition to religion and the Church
 Organized religion depends on authority over people
 Religion tries to impose morality on people

Economic Freedom

 Challenge economic power
 Opposition to corporations and big economic interests
 Interested in small-scale economies

Collective vs. Individual

personal autonomy vs. communal cooperation

Person ownership of property vs communal ownership

Mutual aid and support to suppression inequality and oppression vs the pursuit of freedom through individual autonomy without restriction or interference

Collective Anarchism-Social anarchism

 Rejects capitalism
 Favors revolution
 Collective ownership and communal organization of
life
 Full communism would be stateless
 Human beings can operate without government

Individualist Anarchism

 Egoism
 Libertarianism
 Anarcho-capitalism
 Primacy of individual
 Central importance of freedom

Individual Anarchism-Egoism

 Each individual is self-serving and self-seeking
 Individual is the center of the universe subject to no
higher law
 Nihilism

Individual Anarchism-Libertarianism

 Henry David Thoreau- Government governs best that
governs not at all
 Individual must follow conscience regardless of law
 Civil disobedience
 Individuals should pursue their interests without
interference from the state
 People can resolve problems through reason

Individual Anarchism-Anarcho-capitalism

 Markets should replace the state
 Free individuals and free markets are the basis of
society

Roads to anarchy

 Revolutionary violence
 Direct action
 Nonviolent protest

Anarchism today

 Anti-globalization/anti-capitalism movements
 Black blocs
 Earth First!
 Occupy movement

Collective Anarchism-Mutualism

 Fair and equitable exchange system
 Some private property
 Society based on mutual aid

Collective Anarchism-Anarcho-syndicalism

 Revolutionary anarchist trade unions
 Unions would run factories and carry out mutual trade
 Georges Sorel- Political myth- General strike
 Direct action- sabotage and strikes