Anarchism

Anarchism is a generic name given to theories and movements which call for the abolition of government and other forms of authority - the simplest possible civics. In the view of anarchists, the complexity of civics is inversely related to its potential for fairness - thus simpler is better.

Anarchists also argue that ethical relationships can be based only upon voluntary association.

Anarchism first achieved mass media attention; during the Second Industrial Revolution, when anarchists assasinated the rulers of Russia (1881), the French Republic (1894), Italy (1900), and the United States (1901). Anarchists are divided on whether, or not, to accept violence as a political tool. Most anarchists reject such "propaganda by deed" as ineffectual at best and counter productive at worst. Although some are pacifists most would accept the need for a robust self defence of a revolution by the working class.

Table of contents

1 Anarchism: the basics 2 Diversity of Anarchism 3 Thematic articles 4 See also 5 Terms of Anarchist Theory 6 Anarchist Organizations 7 External links

Anarchism: the basics

In contrast to common misconceptions, the anarchy sought by most anarchists is not chaos or anomie -- that is, anarchists do not desire an absence of order, rules, and organized structure. Anarchists oppose hierarchy, power and authority; which they argue to be immoral, oppressive, and detrimental to society. They philosophise on the distinction between order and hierarchy, rules and authority, organised structure and power. To what end is not apparent to many non-anarchists.

Some critics of anarchism suggest that it is a rhetorical form, whereby individuals can cloak the pursuit of their own interests behind an interlocking web of abstract concepts. Freedom is speculated as unconstrained desire which Marx suggested was the material basis of the Anarchy of the market. Marxism in contrast uses the fluid manipulation of concepts through dialectical materialism, and hence marxists often dismiss anarchism as the politics of those who do not know what they want. This may explain the development of anarchism into identity politics, albeit with a dissident White identity.

For a dictionary definition, see wiktionary:anarchism

Diversity of Anarchism

On first approximation, we can distinguish two main trends in anarchist traditions:

• individualist anarchism insists on individual autonomy against authority and coercion.
• libertarian socialism proposes self-management in an egalitarian society.

These trends are not always mutually exclusive, and do not cover all the nuances of anarchist movements that may or may not be loosely attached to them.

Thematic articles

Anarchism is a vast subject that touches a lot of topics. Below are links to articles that discuss and argue various aspects of anarchism, from the points of view of anarchists of various trends, as well as of non-anarchists.

• historical origins of anarchism (up to the nineteenth century)
• anarchism and democracy (what place for democracy in an anarchy?)
• anarchism and violence (some are revolutionaries, other are non-violent, etc.)
• anarchism and nature (ecology vs technology, etc.)
• anarchism and sex (marriage, sexism, etc.)
• anarchism and counter-culture
• spanish anarchism (the anarchist movement and spanish civil war)
• unclassified anarchists (anarchists who do not clearly fit categories)

See also

• individualist anarchism, voluntaryism
• libertarian socialism, anarcho-syndicalism, anarcho-communism, Class War, syndicalism, anti-globalization movement
• nihilism, primitivism, green anarchism, eco-anarchism, social ecology, anarchafeminism, anarchist groups, anarchism in the arts, anarcho punk, pacifism, tolstoyans, situationists, TAZ
• anarcho-capitalism, libertarianism, classical liberalism
• anarchy, anomie, State, statism
• ideology, politics, political models
• crypto-anarchism

Terms of Anarchist Theory

• intellectual worker
• monopoly on violence
• Direct action
• Direct democracy

Anarchist Organizations

• Anarchist Black Cross
• Anarchist Federation
• Anarchist Football Network
• CrimethInc
• NEFAC
• Anarchist Communitarian Network
• Red and Anarchist Action Network

External links

• Anarchist FAQ.
• The Anarchist FAQ, from a left-anarchists perspective.