This document provides notes, using arguments and quotes from key thinkers, analysis to help understanding and also comparison between different forms of the ideology.
Philosophical Anarchists
o Using it as a yardstick to measure other societies – comparing conservatism, liberalism,
socialism to anarchism
Utopianism
Human Nature
Society
How to get from life in state to a stateless society?
Violence
o Quick, efficient, potentially effective
o But people could died, people would still end up with power – cycle of violence – constant
situation of different groups trying to take power
Through parliament
o More peaceful
o Might take time, you’d have to use state which is inimically opposed to anarchism, person
who goes into power may just be corrupted themselves
Try and un-corrupt people through moral reform and education
o Improving people’s rational faculties
o Arguably too late for that due to state’s impact on corrupting human nature, state controls
education to ensure everyone is compliant
Non Violent Methodologies – disengage and not cooperate with the state
Thinkers
o Henry David Thoreau American Individualist – Resistance to Civil Government 1849
If a thousand men were not to pay their tax bills this year, that would not be a violent
and bloody measure, as it would be to pay them, and enable the State to commit
violence and shed innocent blood. This is, in fact, the definition of a peaceable
revolution, if any such is possible.
“Law never made men a whit more just; and, by means of their respect for it, even the
well-disposed are daily made the agents of injustice
o Leo Tolstoy (Christian-Anarchist) The Kingdom of God is within you 1894
Some persons maintain that freedom from violence, or at least a great diminution of it
may be gained by the oppressed forcibly overturning the oppressive government and
replacing it by a new one under which such violence and oppression will be unnecessary,
but they deceive themselves and others, and their efforts do not better the position of
the oppressed, but only make it worse. Their conduct only tends to increase the
despotism of government. Their efforts only afford a plausible pretext for government to
strengthen their power
o Mahatma Gandhi – Anti-Colonial Anarchist- Swaraj (Self-Rule) Letter to Tolstoy 1946
In such a state (where swaraj is achieved) everyone is his own ruler. He rules himself in
such a manner that is never a hindrance to his neighbour.
It is swaraj when we rule ourselves
Shows human dignity and human control and restraint which the British state claimed
Indians don’t have but through non-violence it shows that Indians were able to stay non-
violent and undermined British state power over India after Amritsar Massacre
o Proudhon General Idea of the Revolution in the 19th century and Kropotkin shown
sympathy
Education and advocacy
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