ANARCHISM

edexel

types of anarchism

• philosophical

• communist

• collectivist

• individualist

• anarcho-capitalism

• mutualist

• archo-syndicates

Philosophical anarchism

based on positive view of human nature. stresses sovereignty of the individual and their ability to exercise that sovereignty rationally and with sympathy for others.

• Jean-Jacques Rousseau 1712-78

• William Godwin 1756-1836

‘ mankind is born free but is everywhere in chains’ - unfairly restrict individuals freedom.

Empty Cages Collective

founded in UK 2014

an informal network of people who cooperate to oppose the expansion of the UK prison capacity.

2021 they campaigned vagiantis the building new prison at HMP Wellingborough including blockade.

opposes the detention of migrants and asylum seekers.

• long term goal for abolition of prisons, creates more social problems than they solve.

communist anarchism

stress mankind’s innate sense of social order, seeing people as social animals who prefer to cooperate than to coopete with each other. proposes small, independent voluntary communities know as communes.

• Peter Kropotkin

stateless, self-governing communist society

collectivists anarchism

associated with the industrial working class. collectivists propose the creation of associations of workers who will cooperate and trade with each other to their mutual benefit.

• Mikhail Bakunin

response to industrialisation. ‘ socialism without a state’

Individualist anarchism

are opposed to all social and political restrictions on free choice. they want individuals to be left alone to persuade what they view as their own best interests.

• Max Stirner - violent approach

• henry Thoreau 1817-62 - withdrew from society to live in the woods

Anarcho-capitalism

Murray Rothbard 1926-95

stateless society, free-market capitalism is allowed a complete free rein, no taxation and no regulation of the economic market.

Max Stirner and Egoistical anarchism

Human nature: people are self interested egoists, desire for self realisation. drives a persons behaviour and choice.

state: state denies peoples right to fulfil their egoism and individualism. should be abolished, no form of organisation should be imposed on society

society: society of any kind restrains people. we must completely self-reliant. people might choose to form connections with others.

economy: accumulation and retention of property is our main economic motivation. free individuals will find beneficial ways to trade with one another.

Peter Kropotkin and communist anrchism

human nature: prefer to achieve goals collectively. with state removed, peoples caring, empathetic nature will come to the fore.

state: supresses individual liberty and exploits producers and consumers. acceptable to use violent means to abolish state power. replaced with voluntary system of independent self-governing communities

social: people should live in cooperative communities which are free from coercion. society should not involve any elements of force or power.

economy: replaced with common ownership of the means of productions, disruption and exchange. communes world be voluntary and free from control from above.

Mikhail Bakunin and collective anarchism

human nature: fundamentally social animals and productive work characterises our humanity.

state: is a servant of capitalism. both must be destroyed.

society: federal system and the abolition of national boundaries. federations of workers would cooperate, not compete with each other.

economy: market system of exchange should be abolished and replaced by exchanged based on the true value of labour and goods.

Pierre-Joseph Proudhon

human nature: we are characterised by our productive abilities and our creativity as producers.

state: oppressive and must be abolished, peaceful democratic means but might be achieved by force.

society: mutualism is the basis of a strong society. involves people being bound together by mutually beneficial economic and social relations.

economy: people should be divided into independent productive unit trading with each other on a mutually beneficial basis.

Emma Goldman

human nature: individual liberty must be upheld. the desire for freedom is fundamental to mankind.

state: the state is only one source of oppression and denial of liberty. religion and property ownership are equally oppressive.

society: what is needed is a society in which all people are treated as equal. also essential are economic, gender and racial equality.

economy: liberty is more important than economic justice, but communism is preferable to other economic systems.

Anarcho-syndicates

human nature: people need and benefit from social solidarity. with the removal of the oppressive state, a persons occupation can become truly fulfilling. it will also become and expression of that persons personality.

state: state should be removed, ideally though a revolution.

society: new social order would emerge following with the removal of the state, based on the trade union organisation. promote the bests interests of everyone in society.

economy: workers are naturally inclined to from groups with those in similar occupations. these groups allow workers collectively to resist capitalism. once capitalism has been overthrown, these groups will form a basis of economic organisation.

mutualist anarchism

advocates for workers control of the means of production, a free market made up of individuals artisans sole proprietorships and workers cooperatives, and occupation and use property rights - oppose all form of economic rent, profit and non-nominal interests - relying on exploitation of labour.

they seek to contract an economy without capital accumulation or concentration of land ownership.

core view of human nature

• egoistical view of human nature

• blank slate view - born without innate characteristics

• positive view - naturally good when born, social and prefer to live in groups - capable of moral perfection

core view of the state

• unnecessary - replaced with voluntary associations of one kind or another

• state is evil - corruptive and oppressive

• rejection of government by consent - erodes peoples rights

• rejection of representative democracy - divide people, tyranny of the majority, infringes individuals rights

• rejection of direct democracy

• rejection of socialist state - quickly corrupted

core view of society

• anarchism and order - order promotes freedom and security

• utopianism - social harmony reigns and no conflicts

criticisms of anarchist view of society

• never explain exactly how their visions will be achieved

• only small scale experiments - never large scale created - it is a dream

• over-optimistic view of human nature

• collectivist anarchist misunderstand the importance of private property to individuals - causes dissatisfaction

• naïve in believing that equality can be achieved without a state to manage economy - redistribute resources

• never create an orderly society because capitalism creates winners and losers.

core view of economy

• collectivism and economic freedom

To what extent are collectivist anarchism and individualist anarchism united over the idea that anarchy is order? AO1

Agreement

• All anarchists wish to see the overthrow of the state is necessary to create order as the state corrupts human nature.

• All anarchists see the state acting in a way to limit or restrict liberty and economic freedom, which is the basis of order.

• All anarchists see the state as the creator of disorder not order and believe in a peaceful, stable, stateless society.

Disagreement

• There is disagreement over the process of bringing an end to the state.

• There is disagreement over why the state should be rejected.

• There is a disagreement over the nature of the stateless society.

To what extent are collectivist anarchism and individualist anarchism united over the idea that anarchy is order? AO2+AO3

agreement

• All states are immoral (Goldman), oppressive and coercive bodies that corrupt and distort human nature creating greed, corruption and destroying autonomy creating disorder (AO2), so the state in whatever form must be rejected if anarchy is order is to be achieved so that human nature can flourish. (AO3).

• Anarchists see the state as removing the creativity and prospects for liberty (Stirner) and economic freedom (Kropotkin) which are essential for order (AO2) and only by abolishing the state can liberty be realised and order achieved through anarchy (AO3).

• The state is the defender and perpetuator of inequality and division in society - government is the creator of disorder not order (Proudhon

disagreement

• While anarchists agree on the rejection of the state, there is disagreement over the approach from anarchism with the individualist tradition of insurrection associated with Stirner, and the debate within collectivism over the violent overthrow of the state associated with Bakunin or the non-violent ideal of building the seeds of the new society in the shell of the old (Proudhon) (AO2), showing very clear differences in how the state should be rejected in order to create the new anarchist world (AO3)