Anarchism Flashcards
What is the anarchist view of human nature?
- Hold a positive view of human nature
* Potentially for development but also for selfishness and corruption
How do the varying branches of anarchism subscribe to human nature?
3 different views
• Anarcho-individualist: humans are self interested and egotistical, will cooperate if its in their own self interest
• Anarcho -communists: human nature is a ‘tabula rasa’ (blank state) moulded by the society
• Some Anarcho-collectivists: humans are born good, sociable and rational. Prefer altruism to selfishness with cooperation over competition
What is anarchism’s view of the state?
- Defined by its rejection of the state - all forms of government and its powers
- Abolition of all systems based upon hierarchy such as church, capitalism and social relationships such as sexism
- The state is unjust immoral, commanding, controlling and corrupting
Why do the different branches of anarchism call for the abolition of the state?
- Anarcho-individualists: rejections of the state allows for autonomy and individuality to be explored freely
- Anarcho-collectivists: reject state as liberty must include equality to allow people to be altruistic and cooperative
Describe the core view held by anarchists on what society is
- Future anarchist society will be peaceful, stable and stateless
- Based upon liberty and economic freedoms
- This view is criticised as Utopian but anarchist say it will come about naturally
- No clear blueprint but it will be based upon direct democracy, decentralisation and voluntary cooperation of free individuals
How do anarchist hold different views about society
- Anarcho-individualist: self interested, rational, competitive nature of humanity will form basis of society
- Anarcho-collectivists: Natural order will emerge based on altruism, solidarity and cooperation
What is the anarchist suggestion of how the economy should be run?
- Free individuals manage their own affairs
* The current state encourages exploitation
Why is the economy the key area that anarchists disagree over
- Most anarchist (collectivist and individualist) enforce that the economy should be based on collective ownership and mutual cooperation
- Anarcho-capitalists say that private property and competitive free market should remain to allow true freedoms
- Mutualists blend elements of collectivism with individualism
Give an overview of Max Stirner’s view of • Human nature • The state • Society • The economy
- Fundamentally self interested egoists
- The state is a complete denial of egoism and individualism
- Society of any kind restrains. We much be completely self reliant
- The accumulation and retention of powert is our main economic motivation
Give an overview of Peter Kropotkin’s view of • Human nature • The state • Society • The economy
- People are sociable and prefer collective activity
- The capitalist state must be destroyed by revolution and replaced by a voluntary system of independent, self governing communities
- The commune should be the basis of society, communes = small independent, internally democratic units
- Capitalism was to be replaced by the communist system
Give an overview of Mikhail Bakunin view of • Human nature • The state • Society • The economy
- Humans are fundamentally social animals and productive work characterises our humanity
- The state is a sergeant of capitalism and must be destroyed by revolution
- Proposed a federal system and abolition of national boundaries. Federations of workers would cooperate and not compete with each other
- Market system of exchange to be abolished and replaced by exchange based on true value of goods
Give an overview of Pierre-Joseph Proudhon’s view of • Human nature • The state • Society • The economy
- Humans are characterised by our productive abilities and creativity as producers
- The state is oppressive and must be abolished if possible by peaceful, democratic means
- His theory of society was known as mutualism - people bound together but socio-economic relations which are mutually beneficial
- People should be divided into independent productive units, trading with each other on a mutually beneficial basis
Give an overview of Emma Goldman’s view of • Human nature • The state • Society • The economy
- Stressed need for individual liberty, desire for freedom is fundamental to mankind
- The state is only one source of oppression and denial of liberty. Religion, private property are equally oppressive
- Society where all are treated equally, campaigned for economic, gender and racial equality
- Violent opponent of capitalism, more concerns with liberty than economic justice but fundamentally communist
What are the fundamental ideas of anarchism?
- Liberty
- Anti-statism and anti-clericalism
- Mutualism
- Direct Action
- Voluntary association
KEY THINKER
Max Stirner 1806-1856
What was Stirner’s key idea?
- The Ego - that human nature was driven by individual desire, rationalism and self-desire
- This human nature should be out above everything else and not be controlled or restained