Anarchism

1
Anarchism

• The Ideological Opposite of Authoritarianism

2
Socialisms Ungrateful Son

• Anarchy believes in Equality, Egalitarianism and
  redistributing wealth
• However
• They also believe that ALL forms of government
  are harmful
• Reactionary governments
• Or even Radical Socialist Governments
• The Individual should choose how to run his own
  life
• Individuals will work in teams to promote peace
  and harmony
• Inherent contradiction?
• What if the individual chooses to oppress or
  exploit rivals?
• Libertarianism versus Anarchism?
• Identified as extreme Revolutionaries by ruling
  classes
• Sometimes called Revolutionary Socialists
• Anti-Nationalist Grouping

3
Anarchisms Heritage

• 18th Century England
• Diggers Anabaptists
• Early 19th Century France
• Proudhon
• Mutualism
• Avoid parliamentary Politics
• Use direct action
• Property is Theft
• Late 19th Century Russia
• Russian Aristocratic Exiles
• Bakunin and Kropotkin
• Anti-Capitalist

4
Marx v Bakunin

• 1848 Worked together during Revolutions
• Bakunin split from the communists at the First
  International
• Marx organises the working class in order to
  seize power in states
• Revolutionary Socialists (Anarchists) organise
  in order to destroy states!
• Bakunin thinks that Industrial workers corrupted
  by Capitalism
• Concentrates on Peasants and Unemployed
• 1871 Paris Commune
• Anarchists and Marxists disagree on failure of
  workers commune
• Marxists not centralised enough
• Could not resist crushing forces
• Anarchists too centralised
• The authority corrupted the new rulers and lost
  them support

5
Legacy of Anarchist Tactics

• Revolutionary Avant-Garde
• Use of General Strikes to paralyse industries
• Use of Terrorism
• Sensational acts to publicise injustice and
  shatter confidence of rulers
• Assassinations Included
• Alexander II, 1881
• Russian Government is an Absolute Autocracy
  moderated by Assassination
• President Carnot of France, 1894
• Empress Elizabeth of Austria, 1896
• Premier Castillo of Spain, 1897
• King Umberto of Italy, 1900
• Offered Moral Protest against Coercion
• Especially in States where there was no
  possibility of political dispute or dialogue