Anarchism

MASTER NOTES — ANARCHISM (POLI 101 WEEK 7)

WHAT IS ANARCHISM

Anarchism comes from the Greek “anarkhos” meaning “without rule.”

The term became widely used during the French Revolution, where it was initially used negatively to describe chaos, disorder, and the breakdown of civilized society.

HOWEVER:

  • Anarchists reject this meaning completely

  • They argue anarchism is a positive, structured political ideology

From slides:

  • A condition where political hierarchy and authority are suspended

  • People act as equals

  • Emphasis on:

    • horizontal organization (no top-down authority)

    • “organization without subordination”

CORE DEFINITION (IMPORTANT FOR EXAMS)

Anarchism is defined by:

  • The belief that political authority (especially the state) is evil and unnecessary

  • The goal of creating a stateless society

  • The rejection of:

    • law

    • government

    • hierarchy

CORE IDEAS / THEMES

1. ANTI-STATISM (MOST IMPORTANT)

Anarchism = total rejection of the state

Why?

The state is:

  • sovereign (has ultimate authority)

  • compulsory (you don’t choose it)

  • coercive (uses force/punishment)

Thus:

  • It violates freedom

  • It violates equality

  • It creates oppression

From slides:

  • “Political authority… is evil and unnecessary”

  • The state is an offence against freedom and equality

Key anarchist view:

  • The state = legalized oppression

  • Backed by:

    • police

    • military

    • prisons

(Emma Goldman: government = “club, gun, handcuffs”)

2. NATURAL ORDER (VERY IMPORTANT)

Anarchists argue:

👉 Order does NOT need government

Instead:

  • Humans can organize themselves through:

    • cooperation

    • voluntary agreement

This directly challenges:

  • Hobbes → humans are selfish → need state

  • Locke → need government for order

Anarchist response (Godwin):

  • Humans are rational and capable of cooperation

  • Government actually creates disorder, not solves it

3. HUMAN NATURE (NUANCED)

Important: anarchists are NOT naive

They believe:

  • Humans are shaped by environment

  • Humans can be:

    • cooperative OR selfish

BUT:

  • Power corrupts people

Key idea:

  • It’s not humans that are the problem

  • It’s power, hierarchy, and inequality

4. ANTI-HIERARCHY

Anarchism opposes:

  • political hierarchy (state)

  • economic hierarchy (capitalism)

  • religious hierarchy (church)

Hierarchy creates:

  • domination

  • inequality

  • dependence

5. ANTI-CLERICALISM

Anarchists also oppose religion (organized religion specifically)

Why?

  • Religion promotes:

    • obedience

    • submission

  • It supports state authority

Example:

  • “divine right of kings”

BUT:

  • Some anarchists still support spiritual ideas (e.g., Buddhism, Daoism)

6. ECONOMIC FREEDOM

Anarchists want to transform:

  • economy AND state

They oppose:

  • capitalism (collectivists)

  • state-controlled economies (all anarchists)

BUT:

  • Big division:

    • collectivist anarchism → no private property

    • individualist anarchism → supports markets

HISTORICAL CONTEXT

Early roots:

  • Ancient Greece (Stoics, Cynics)

  • Religious traditions (Buddhism, Daoism)

First major thinker:

  • William Godwin (1793)

19th century:

  • Part of socialist movement

  • Conflict with Marxists

Key moment:

  • First International (Marx vs Bakunin)

Early 20th century:

  • Anarcho-syndicalism = mass movement

  • Strong in:

    • Spain

    • France

    • Italy

Example:

  • Spanish Civil War → anarchist unions huge (CNT)

Decline:

  • Rise of:

    • authoritarian regimes

    • communism (Lenin)

Revival:

1960s–present:

  • New Left (protests, activism)

  • New Right (anarcho-capitalism)

  • Anti-globalization movement

  • Occupy movement

Example:

  • “Battle of Seattle” (1999)

REAL-WORLD / HISTORICAL EXAMPLES (SLIDES)

1. Ionian City-States

  • No class divisions

  • No hierarchy

  • “isonomia” = non-rule

2. Zomia Region

  • Southeast Asia

  • People avoided states for centuries

Avoided:

  • taxes

  • slavery

  • war

Used:

  • egalitarian systems

  • rebellion

  • even lack of writing

TYPES OF ANARCHISM (VERY IMPORTANT FOR EXAM)

Big split:

1. COLLECTIVIST ANARCHISM

2. INDIVIDUALIST ANARCHISM

Both:

  • want stateless society
    BUT:

  • completely different visions

COLLECTIVIST ANARCHISM

CORE IDEA

  • Humans are social beings

  • Cooperation > individual self-interest

KEY PRINCIPLES

  • Reject capitalism (exploitation)

  • Support revolution

  • Support collective ownership

  • Believe:

    • society can function without authority

SIMILARITIES WITH MARXISM

Both:

  • anti-capitalist

  • pro-revolution

  • pro-collective ownership

  • believe state will disappear

KEY DIFFERENCE FROM MARXISM

Marxists:

  • temporary state (dictatorship of proletariat)

Anarchists:

  • NO STATE EVER

  • must be abolished immediately

VARIANTS

1. MUTUALISM (moderate)

  • Associated with Proudhon

  • Small communities

  • Fair exchange

  • No exploitation

2. ANARCHO-SYNDICALISM

  • Trade unions = key

  • Class struggle

Workers vs:

  • elites

  • politicians

  • police

Methods:

  • strikes

  • direct action

Goal:

  • decentralized worker society

3. ANARCHO-COMMUNISM (most radical)

  • No private property

  • Everything shared

Key idea:

  • “Mutual Aid” (Kropotkin)

Evolution favors:

  • cooperation
    NOT competition

Society:

  • small communes

  • direct democracy

INDIVIDUALIST ANARCHISM

CORE IDEA

  • Based on liberalism

  • Individual = supreme authority

KEY BELIEFS

  • Absolute individual freedom

  • Any constraint = evil

  • State = worst constraint

DIFFERENCE FROM LIBERALISM

Liberals:

  • accept minimal state

Anarchists:

  • reject ALL state

VARIANTS

1. EGOISM

  • Max Stirner

  • Do whatever you want

  • Ignore:

    • law

    • morality

    • religion

2. LIBERTARIANISM

  • Thoreau

  • “best government = none”

Key idea:

  • follow conscience

  • civil disobedience

Solution to order:

  • market exchange

3. ANARCHO-CAPITALISM

  • Free market replaces state

  • No regulation

  • Private property

Belief:

  • market can provide everything

CYBERSPACE & MODERN ANARCHISM (TEXTBOOK)

Some argue:

  • Internet = anarchist system

Why?

  • no central authority

  • free expression

Examples:

  • Bitcoin

  • Uber / Airbnb

BUT:

  • Big Tech dominates now

  • states use internet for control

CRITICISMS OF ANARCHISM

1. Unrealistic / Utopian

  • Can society function without:

    • laws?

    • police?

    • government?

2. Problem of Order

  • What stops:

    • crime?

    • conflict?

3. Strategy problem

  • Cannot use:

    • elections

    • government

So how do they achieve change?

4. Association with violence

  • terrorism historically

FUTURE OF ANARCHISM

Weakness:

  • rarely successful long-term

BUT:

  • still influential

Why?

  • strong moral appeal

  • attracts young people

  • influences movements:

    • climate activism

    • anti-globalization

    • social justice

FINAL EXAM THEMES (IMPORTANT)

If you get essay:

You can structure around:

  1. Anti-statism

  2. Natural order

  3. Human nature

  4. Collectivist vs individualist

  5. Feasibility (utopian vs realistic)