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Title: Annotated Bibliography on Anarchism Author: Ruth Kinna Date: 24 April 2019 Language: en Topics: sociology, introductory, annotated bibliography, UK Source: https://www.oxfordbibliographies.com/view/document/obo-9780199756384/obo-9780199756384-0059.xml Notes: LAST REVIEWED: 10 MAY 2017; LAST MODIFIED: 24 APRIL 2019
Anarchism developed as a distinctive strain within radical and
revolutionary thought in the mid-19^(th) century. The political theory,
often associated with Pierre-Joseph Proudhon (b. 1809âd. 1865), Michael
Bakunin (b. 1814âd. 1876), and Peter Kropotkin (b. 1842âd. 1921),
appeared in parallel with a worldwide, international movement that
shaped anarchist practices and that gave expression to a critique of
capitalist exploitation, state tyranny, and an idea of rebelliousness
that has been influential in sociopolitical, economic, and cultural
realms. Contemporary anarchists argue about both the continuities and
the discontinuities between the historical and modern movements and the
antecedents of European anarchism, but there is a strong consensus that
anarchism cannot be reduced to a single set of principles, conceptual
arrangements, or theoretical positions that might be applied in
practice, analysis, or critique. Because canonical approaches to the
history of anarchist ideas are typically resisted, and because the
ideological boundaries of anarchism remain contested, anarchist
approaches to sociological issues are distinguished by their diversity
and are difficult to pin down. However, the anarchistsâ traditional
opposition to processes associated with state formation, and their
interrogation of the complex relationships between these processes and
capitalism, society, technology, and culture, are important frames for
the discussion of perennial themes, notably, domination, organization,
and transformation. Reflections on the rise of the modern European state
and the possibility of nonstate organization have long encouraged an
interest in anthropology, supporting strongly normative accounts of
mutuality, cooperation, and reciprocity. In the anticapitalist
mainstream, anarchism supports a rich tradition of thinking about
self-regulation, self-management, and decentralized federation. The
anarchistsâ principled rejection of authority has fostered an interest
in systems of education, law, punishment, concepts of crime, and the
institutionalization of love in heterosexual relationships, generating
cultural practices and literatures that are at once subversive and
utopian. Anarchist utopianism is in turn an important strain in urban
design, art, and ecology. The anarchist eschewal of institutional
politics and advocacy of direct action have focused attention on issues
of struggle, protest, and violence as well as the theorization of direct
action and prefigurative change. Notwithstanding anarchist suspicions of
the elitism and complicity of academic institutions, anarchism has had
an influence on mainstream sociology and is equally influenced by
critical strains within it. The relationship with Marxism, though often
unhappy, has provided one route into sociology. Max Weberâs engagements
with anarchism have provided another; and, in late-20^(th)- and
early-21^(st)-century history, anarchists have begun to develop
approaches to sociology that resonate with both traditions.
Since the anarchistic nature of the global protest âmovement of
movementsâ in the late 1990s and the overtly anarchist politics of
anticapitalist currents within it, recent waves of social movement
activism have renewed scholarly interest in anarchism, resulting in the
appearance of a number of introductory texts.
presents a dedicated sociological analysis that treats anarchism as a
philosophy and movement. The other introductions included here are
edited collections that usefully map the ground of anarchist activism
and also apply anarchist social theory to an ever-expanding range of
research areas. In the thirty years between the student protest movement
and emergence of the global social justice campaigns, little work of
this kind was available: introductions tended instead to be historical
and designed to explain or defend the ideas of a movement considered to
be moribund.
(originally published in 1979) was an exception, and the revised edition
remains an important statement of anarchist practices and philosophy
that brings together articles by a number of leading writers, from Bob
Black to Colin Ward. One of the themes probed in Ehrlichâs collection is
the relationship of historical to contemporary anarchism and the degree
to which the protest movements of the 1960s renewed anarchist traditions
or even encouraged a metamorphosis. These themes were revived in the
1990s.
argues that anarchist practices had altered radically in the late
20^(th) century and that this change demanded a revision in anarchist
thinking. This workâs approach brought postmodernism and
poststructuralist theory to bear on anarchist analysis in order to
challenge what the authors saw as the class bias of anarchist theory.
The trend in anarchist theory that Purkis and Bowen encouraged is now
well established in a body of work referred to as postanarchism, and it
is difficult to make sense of modern anarchism without engaging with
postanarchist ideas about history, philosophy, and method (see
).
provides an excellent critical guide. Although postanarchism is one of
the main currents within anarchist theory, it is not the only marker of
the increasing scholarly interest that has been shown in anarchism since
the early 1990s. Two others are the application of anarchist critique in
political and sociological analysis and as a contribution to social
transformation. The collections
, on the one hand, and
, on the other, are exemplars. In addition,
presents a pioneering analysis of anarchist and sociological traditions.
Scholars continue to debate the history of anarchist ideas and probe the
boundaries of anarchism as an ideology:
and
survey contemporary anarchism and also address the issues of continuity
and discontinuity that the explosion of late-20^(th)-century research in
anarchism has provoked.
develops a novel framing of anarchism as an ideology, using Michael
Freedenâs conceptual-morphological approach.
combines historical and conceptual approaches to explore the
distinctiveness of anarchism.
II, and Deric Shannon, eds. 2009. Contemporary anarchist studies: An
introductory anthology of anarchy in the academy. London and New York:
Routledge.An important collection of contemporary writing, bringing
together articles on theory, methodology, pedagogy, praxis, and thinking
about the future.
Rev. ed. Edinburgh and San Francisco: AK.Originally published in 1979,
as Reinventing Anarchy: What Are Anarchists Thinking These Days? (London
and Boston: Routledge and Kegan Paul). The revised and updated
collection, by leading writers from a variety of traditions, is
organized into eight sections that consider approaches to anarchism, the
state and organization, movements toward anarchy, anarchafeminism, work,
culture, self-liberation, and tactics.
Anarchism: A conceptual approach. New York and London: Routledge.Divided
into three sections, the collection outlines anarchismâs core, adjacent,
and peripheral concepts to construct an ideology of anarchism. Chapters
are written by leading scholars and are intended as stand-alone
contributions to conceptual debates as well as elements of a larger
whole. The editorsâ intention is to highlight the stability of the six
core concepts (anti-hierarchy, prefiguration, freedom, agency, direct
action, and revolution) while showing how their interrelationship with
adjacent and peripheral concepts, including horizontalism,
intersectionality, and ecocentrism, resist doctrinal rigidity.
anarchism. Lanham, MD: Lexington Books.A collection of issue- and
practice-based essays in philosophy, social and political science,
history, culture, religion, and ecology, written by an international
group of activists and scholars, from a range of methodological and
political perspectives.
Continuum.A research guide intended to survey debates in particular
fields of anarchist research. Includes a collection of essays that
examine contemporary methods of analysis in anarchist studies and the
relationship of anarchism to art, sociology, geography, gender, history,
literature, ecology, social movements, social transformation, and
ethnicity.
anarchism. London: Palgrave Macmillan.A mammoth collection organized in
four sections: core problems, core traditions, key events, and
applications. The volume includes analysis of concepts including freedom
and the state as well as strands within anarchism, notably anarchist
feminism and green anarchism; historical snapshots of anarchism in 1890s
France and in 1968; and analysis of anarchism and ethics, art, and the
wave of occupations in the early 21^(st) century.
anarchism: Unorthodox ideas for a new millennium. London and New York:
Cassell.This groundbreaking collection highlights a shift in theory and
practice from historical anarchist traditions, aligning anarchism with a
range of horizontal movements. The authors followed this collection, in
2004, with Changing Anarchism: Anarchist Theory and Practice in a Global
Age (Manchester, UK, and New York: Manchester Univ. Press).
reader. London and New York: Pluto.A guide to one of the most
influential theoretical currents within anarchist scholarship, which
examines work by postanarchists and their critics. The introduction is a
masterful survey of the arguments and debates.
Reflections on anarchist sociology. Boston, MA: Brill.Explores the
intersection of anarchism and sociology from Weber and Marx; presents
the sociological theory of key anarchists including P. -J. Proudhon,
Emma Goldman, and Colin Ward; and highlights the transformative dynamic
of anarchist social theory.
imagination: Militant investigations, collective theorization. Oakland,
CA: AK.An exercise in militant research, this book consciously
challenges conventional scholarship by sharing experiences, ideas, and
understandings in order to contribute to social transformation.
There are a number of anarchist readers and reference books available in
print, but the most accessible, comprehensive sources are online.
Anarchism has a strong web presence, and sites usefully hold valuable
information about infoshops, discussion forums, archives, organizing,
and publishing. Most have blogrolls and hyperlinks to other anarchist
sites: new users learn easily how to navigate anarchist networks. Sites
typically have information about the host group, which helps users
situate the selection of sources in the spectrum of anarchist politics.
The sites listed here include some of the best-known sources for
reference materials and excellent coverage of anarchist political
theory, politics, and movements. The
specializes in contemporary anarchist writing, though it also holds
historical texts: the collection is constructed by free, open
subscription, and it is fast becoming the most significant repository
for anarchist scholarship. The collection is mainly, but not
exclusively, English language. The
offers access to research in French, Spanish, and English, with links to
and information about film, music, and literature. The
collects and preserves anarchist materials and produces publications
based on original research. This site is an invaluable source of
information for researchers working on anarchist movements. The
has a rich collection of historical materials, commentaries, articles,
and original translations of work by Proudhon and Bakunin.
is a growing digital archive collecting materials from the anarchist
communist movement. The
is a static site but serves as a contemporary movement archive for the
period 1992â2000. The
is particularly useful for those interested in the history of anarchist
and anticapitalist actions.
.An extensive and growing library of anti-state and anticapitalist
writings, by anarchists and of interest to anarchists. Includes
contemporary and historical texts and is easy to search.
.A repository for historical materials relating to class-struggle
anarchisms. The online library has useful reviews and extensive
information about anarchist history and the international movement.
.A multilingual online archive and database that provides access to an
enormous range of full-text materials, essays, academic papers, and
dissertations by leading authors and contemporary historians of
anarchism. This site has an online discussion forum and carries news
about contemporary events.
.A repository for zines, pamphlets, posters, books, and journalsâUK and
international.
.This project ran from 1997 to 2000 and was last updated in 2002, but it
remains an incredibly rich resource for English and non-English-language
materials. The site offers access to an extensive library of anarchist
and radical writings, images, and links to resources.
.An archive of photos, books, and pamphlets documenting anarchist
history and popular struggles (such as womenâs campaigns, particularly
in Ireland) and also covering the Zapatistas and globalization.
There are a significant number of bibliographies available online.
Support for those new to anarchism can also be obtained through a number
of academic anarchist groups, notably, the
Anarchist Studies Network (ASN)
and the
North American Anarchist Studies Network (NAASN)
. Requests for help are readily met by members, and a number of
subject-specific reading lists have been created and are available on
the ASN site. For a consolidated bibliography, including a guide to work
in French, Spanish, Portuguese, Dutch, Swedish, Danish, Norwegian,
Finish, German, Chinese, Russian, and Italian, see
(cited under
). The
is an excellent starting point for online historical research. The site
is easy to navigate, and the bibliographies are linked to particular
writers, movements, and events.
is still an invaluable guide, particularly for those new to anarchism.
An Anarchist FAQ: Bibliography
and
Anarchism: The Unfinished Revolution; Bibliography
are organized alphabetically, excellent for browsing and for finding
publishing details of books and pamphlets. The latter includes links to
some online material and contains Robert Goehlertâs âAnarchism: A
Bibliography of Articles, 1900â1975,â a guide to academic scholarship on
anarchism. The
lists works by author and theme and has links to online French-language
texts.
Anarchism: The Unfinished Revolution; Bibliography
.Multilingual bibliography of books, articles, Internet sites, and audio
and video material.
An Anarchist FAQ: Bibliography
. Bibliography produced by the anarchist-communist FAQ Editorial
Collective. There are some gaps in the publication details, in the
process of revision, and the list is usefully subdivided into four
sections.
. An extensive online research center and archive for historical
anarchism, with bibliographical information about a wide range of
writers and movements, periodicals, and key events and a selected
general bibliography.
.Lots of downloadable documents, historical and contemporary. The old
site included entry points for French, English, Chinese, Castilian, and
Catalan readers but is in redevelopment.
1900â1975. Political Theory 4.1: 113â127.DOI: 10.1177/009059177600400111
An expanded version, with some texts hyperlinked, is available at
Anarchism: The Unfinished Revolution; Bibliography
.
annotated bibliography. Bibliographies and Indexes in Law and Political
Science. New York: Greenwood.Bibliographies for and about selected
figures, with sections for those âon the marginsâ of anarchism (Ivan
Illich, William Morris, Murray Rothbard). Movement histories are
subdivided by country. There are useful sections for theses; journals,
both historical and contemporary; and other bibliographical sources and
an index of authors and activists.
Readers looking for insight into anarchist history and practices have a
choice of three important documentary collections.
provides a guide to the development of the European libertarian
movement.
outlines a broader history of anarchist ideas extending beyond Europe.
Grahamâs volumes examine the relationship between self-identifying
anarchists and other antiauthoritarians and draw from a range of
anarchist currents: anarcho-communists and anarchafeminists,
class-struggle anarchists, and art activists.
is a unique introduction to art activism and grassroots organizing. The
materials this work brings together have been gathered from the Canadian
movement, but the scope of the activism and the creative, playful
approaches are indicative of wider trends.
Vancouver, Canada: Arsenal Pulp.A collection of Canadian materials that
demonstrate the interlacing of art, protest, and community activism,
examining a wealth of contemporary issues, including racism, patriarchy,
squatting, wandering, and antiwar protest.
libertarian ideas. 3 vols. Montreal: Black Rose.These volumes are the
standard reference, in the early 21^(st) century, for the history of
anarchist ideas. The material is drawn from diverse historical and
cultural contexts.
anarchism. Translated by Paul Sharkey. Oakland, CA, and Edinburgh:
AK.English translation of Ni Dieu, ni maĂźtre: Anthologie de
lâanarchisme, originally published in 1970 (Paris: Maspero). A rich
collection of historical documents, letters, manifestos, and reports,
collated by a leading figure in the French left-libertarian movement.
Anarchism is well served by scholarly journals, though a greater number
of exchanges are conducted through a range of insightful and provocative
magazines and periodicals produced in activist communities.
(cited under
) and
(cited under
) both contain extensive lists of contemporary and historical activist
journals.
There are a number of active and historic peer-review journals.
Anarchist Developments in Cultural Studies
encourages work that leans toward cultural studies and cuts across
disciplinary boundaries.
and
similarly encourage theoretical innovation and work that is politically
engaged. Both publications are scholarly but seek to challenge academic
conventions.
is not explicitly anarchist but presents innovative work in
organizational studies and is open to anarchist approaches;
stresses anticapitalist activism and alternative community and group
action.
and
Perspectives on Anarchist Theory
provide an outlet for multidisciplinary scholarship on socialist
anarchism; the latter principally publishes online and is explicitly
committed to social theory relevant to anticapitalist activism.
also supports activist scholarship and has a particular interest in
issues of social justice.
is a French-language journal, offering cutting-edge research that is
usually themed.
peer-reviewed papers, with a particular focus on alternatives to
neoliberal capitalism and the exploration of alternative, sustainable,
nonhierarchical ways of living and indigenous struggles. Last issue on
the site is 2015.
journal, with an interdisciplinary emphasis and interest in challenging
anarchist orthodoxies. Issues appear occasionally, the most recent is
2018.
across the political spectrum, in a wide range of disciplinary fields.
and theoretical questions of organization and in organizational
processes.
interdisciplinary, peer-reviewed journal designed to promote dialogue
about research on social justice and the interrelationships of theory
and practice.
A number of nonanarchist journals have published a substantial body of
anarchist research, notably, the Journal of Political Ideologies,
International Review of Social History, and Antipode. A selection of
special issues on anarchism is provided here. Each has a particular
disciplinary focus. Antipode is a journal for radical geographers, and
this special issue (
) explores anarchist theory and practice using concepts of spatiality
and territoriality familiar in the field. The collection includes
articles on contemporary activism, indigenism, and pedagogy.
Contemporary Chinese Thought publishes translations of articles from
Chinese sources, principally scholarly journals, and the special issue
explores the work of the writer and political activist Ba Jin (Li
Yaotang, b. 1904âd. 2005). The Contemporary Justice Review (
) is an interdisciplinary journal that looks at issues of restorative
justice, and it has an activist learning. This issue includes essays
written from anarchist perspectives.
, a special issue of the Journal of Modern Periodical Studies, is
devoted to the study of periodicals, modernist or otherwise, between
1880 and 1950. The Journal of Political Ideologies offers scholarly work
in the field of ideologies and examines the methodological issues raised
by the study of ideology and this special issue (
) explores themes of utopianism and servitude. The Journal for the Study
of Radicalism (
) is a scholarly journal devoted to the discussion of radical social
movements and their histories. The 2010 and 2011 special issues were
stimulated by the attention anarchism attracted as a result of the
global justice movement. The 2016 issue has a historical focus. Working
USA (
Special Issue: The Rebirth of Laborâs Militant Legacy: Anarchism, Syndicalism, and Class Struggle
) also has a movement focus but encourages the analysis of labor
movements through cross-disciplinary social science methods. Millennium
is a journal that publishes work in international relations, and this
issue (
) includes seven papers that discuss issues of globalization and protest
as well as anarchist-informed theoretical approaches to international
anarchy. SubStance is a journal of literature and culture, though the
special issue on anarchism (
) studies postanarchist politics.
Journal of Modern Periodical Studies 4.2.The issue explores the
dovetailing of anarchism and modernism. The focus is on critiques of
European nationalism, capitalism, industrialization, postivisitic
scientism, and doctrines of progressive evolution. Patricia Leighten,
Kathy Ferguson, Mark Antliff, Theresa Papanikolas, Nina Gourianova, and
James Gifford explore avant-garde aesthetics and subversion in
anarchist-modernist subcultures, and Allan Antliff provides a helpful
introductory analysis.
SubStance 36.2.Includes essays by Allan Antliff, Lewis Call, Saul
Newman, and Todd May.
Anarchism, part 1. Journal for the Study of Radicalism 4.2.The first of
two consecutive issues devoted to anarchism; Part 2: issue 5.1 (2011). A
further special on anarchism, edited by Andrew Hoyt, appeared in 10.2
(2016).
(1985) has the section âAnarchist Leanings.â A special issue, Anarchist
Geographies, was published in 44.5 (2012). The journal has a long
history of publishing anarchist-inspired research.
Journal of Political Ideologies 16.3.The journal has published a
substantial body of work on anarchism, libertarianism, ecoanarchism, and
utopianism and essays by anarchist scholars, including Benjamin Franks;
Uri Gordon; Carissa Honeywell; and, in this issue, Carl Levy and Saul
Newman.
from an anarchist perspective and consider the significance of the
global protest movement in international politics.
anarchist critic of Marxism. Contemporary Chinese Thought 46.2.An
introduction to Ba Jin (b. 1904âd. 2005) and translations of texts on
Marxism and the dictatorship of the proletariat, Lenin, Kropotkin, and
the Russian Revolution.
syndicalism, and class struggle. 2009. Working USA 12.3.Includes essays
by Jeffrey Shantz, Heather Gautney, and Uri Gordon.
community.
When anarchism developed as a distinctive and recognizable current
within revolutionary and radical movements in the late 19^(th) century,
leading figures within them made strenuous efforts to explain and
propagate anarchist ideas. These ideas remain influential, and packaged,
as âclassical theory,â they continue to provide a springboard for
contemporary anarchist theory (see
). However, the political, cultural, and historical parameters of
anarchist ideas are contested, and anarchists are resistant to the
canonization of ideas and to the scholarly reification that sometimes
results from sustained academic scrutiny. For this reason, there is no
consensus about core ideas and no single body of work to which
anarchists refer as a touchstone to elaborate their ideas. The following
sections have been chosen to provide an indicative guide to anarchist
debates, particularly those in which anarchist interests touch on
sociological themes, and to outline some of the important theoretical
and political strains within the contemporary anarchist movement. The
commentaries indicate when crosscurrents within the anarchist movement
have affected the framing of debates. The list does not include major
works in anarchist history or in political theory, for example; for this
and other literatures, see
.
Anarchism has attracted a number of feminist voices: Louise Michel (b.
1830âd. 1905), Emma Goldman (b. 1869âd. 1940), Voltairine de Cleyre (b.
1866âd. 1912), and Lucy Parsons (b. 1853âd. 1942) are the best known,
but there were important non-European voices, too.
documents the activism of Japanese anarchists, and
is an excellent introduction to early-20^(th)-century Chinese feminism.
The historical record of anarchist feminism is contested.
and
investigate the issues in the European context, the deeply antifeminist
bias of leading anarchist writers, notably, Pierre-Joseph Proudhon (b
1809âd. 1865) and the sidelining of topics of particular interest to
women, in mainstream anarchist campaigning. A number of writers have
observed that 19^(th)- and early-20^(th)-century American anarchist
feminists were often attracted to individualist ideas. Goldman, for
example, was sympathetic to Friedrich Nietzsche, and de Cleyre mapped
American anarchism to concepts of self-reliance familiar to homestead,
frontier thinking. Although many feminists such as Goldman identified as
communists (de Cleyre refused labels), the division of anarchists into
individualist and communist schools presents significant challenges for
the interpretation of synthetic philosophies. The libertarian influences
acting on anarchist feminisms, sometimes sidelined in anarcho-communist
histories, are discussed in
and
. McElroyâs research also examines the efforts that anarchist feminists
made to bring about social transformations by changing their own
behaviors. The work of Judy Greenway, offered on her website (
), explores similar themes and considers some of the utopian experiments
with which anarchist feminists were involved. She also brings a
contemporary interest in gender politics and anarchist methodology to
the research (see also
). Anarchafeminism emerged as a powerful current in anarchism in the
late 20^(th) century. The roots of the contemporary movement are often
said to lie in so-called second-wave feminism.
, which first appeared in the 1970s, is an excellent starting point for
those unfamiliar with anarchafeminism and usefully distinguishes this
current of anarchism from other nonanarchist socialist forms.
is another useful guide for the analysis of sex, race, and class.
, a study of Emma Goldman, is a challenging and novel contemporary
feminist analysis of anarchism. Further information on anarchafeminism
can be found through the
. See also
.
that is intended to create a space for the many voices captured by the
intersection of anarchism and feminism, inclusive of all genders,
ethnicities, sexual orientations, ages, and abilities.
Patriarchal fictions, patricidal fantasies. London: Routledge.A study of
the activism of Kanno Suga (b. 1881âd. 1911) and Kaneko Fumiko (b.
1903âd. 1926), executed for conspiring to assassinate the Japanese
emperor.
liberal feminism and anarchism. Montreal and New York: Black
Rose.Brownâs argument is that the individualist currents in anarchist
feminism are consistent with anarchist communist politics.
reader. 3d ed. Edinburgh: AK.A reader, bringing together a set of
historical and contemporary essays and articles, that articulates a
range of anarchist-feminist positions.
politics of historical antiauthoritarian anarchism and the minority
feminist cultures of the predominantly male movement.
ambivalence and the imaginative archive. Durham, NC, and London: Duke
Univ. Press.Hemmings develops new perspectives on Goldmanâs life and her
politics by thinking through her contribution to feminism and anarchism.
The result is a challenging analysis of Goldmanâs feminism, through the
lens of contemporary feminist theory.
A selection of writings 1952â2011. Oakland, CA: PM Press.Jamesâs work
chimes with anarchist feminism and is particularly good on womenâs
strikes and sex workersâ struggles.
anarchist and feminist movements and ideas, utopianism, and the politics
of gender and sexuality.
Chinese feminism: Essential texts in transnational theory. New York:
Columbia Univ. Press.A study of the feminism of He-Yin Zhen (b.
1884âd. 1920?) and translations of some of her key texts.
century: Collected writings and biographical profiles. Jefferson, NC:
McFarland.McElroyâs work focuses on anarchists who identified as
individualists, often critical of communist anarchist traditions, and
highlights the ways in which feminists in these traditions tackled
issues of marriage, child care, and self-ownership.
The desire to challenge the claim that the state is the most desirable,
inevitable, or sophisticated form of human organization, or a
combination of these, underpins anarchist interests in prestate and
nonstate societies. This interest extends back to the 19^(th) century,
notably, to
(originally published in 1902), which drew on Victorian anthropological
research and is sometimes identified as the pioneering work in the
field.
is a classic modern statement of anarchist anthropology that examines
the practices of leaderless communities to support a critical analysis
of state theory.
has provided a fresh, anarchist-friendly anthropology of resistance to
state processes.
offers a good, concise guide to historical and modern literatures,
setting Kropotkinâs work in context and highlighting the ways in which
anarchism has resonated with academic anthropologists.
examines the relationship between European anarchist thought (notably,
Proudhonâs ideas), classical anthropology, and indigenous thinking. In
some anticivilization and ecoanarchist literatures (see also
Ecology, Social Ecology, and Green Anarchism
), anthropology is employed in the critique of civilization and,
especially, work practices. Whereas Kropotkin drew on anthropology to
illustrate his concept of mutual aid and cooperation,
looks at a plethora of anthropological studies to support a critique of
work and advocate its abandonment for leisure. As well as exploiting
anthropological findings, anarchists have also studied anthropological
methods and, more recently, a growing number of radical theorists have
borrowed the ethnographic techniques widely adopted by cultural
anthropologists to engage with contemporary protest cultures.
promoted this approach as a way of understanding anarchism from the
inside, avoiding both the imposition of analytical frameworks that
distort activist ideas and the objectification of anarchism as a
discrete field of study. The influence of Graeberâs ethnography is
detectable in discussions of Occupy, with which Graeber is also strongly
associated. The essays collected in
all apply anthropological insights and approaches creatively to deal
with anarchist actions.
anarchy. Rev. ed. London: Kahn and Averill.Originally published in 1982.
Barclayâs seminal study of nonstate societies does not claim all for
anarchy but shows that anarchist critiques of the political theory of
the modern state are well founded.
Friendly fire. By Bob Black, 19â41. New Autonomy. New York:
Autonomedia.Uses anthropological studies to critique work and advocate
leisure.
LĂ©vi-Strauss and beyondâa dialogue between anarchism and indigenous
America. Anarchist Studies 26.2: 56â79.An analysis of the complex
interconnections and discontinuities between Proudhonian anarchism,
Claude LĂ©vi-Straussâs dialectics, and the ways of life and thought
practiced by Aâuwe-Xavante people in Brazil.
contemporary activist interests in anticapitalist, anti-state protest.
Hot spot forum: Occupy, anthropology, and the 2011 global uprisings
. Cultural Anthropology Online.A collection of essays by anthropologists
and ethnographers, considering the mass occupations, democratic
practices, use of social media, and contradictions and critiques
emerging from Occupy.
Darwinism and his discussion of mutual aid. The book was central to
Kropotkinâs mature thought, and he used the idea of mutual aid in his
sociology of the state, his ethics, and his methodology to challenge
socialist teleology.
affinity. Goldsmiths Anthropology Research Papers 11. London: Goldsmiths
College.A really useful survey of the literature in the field, from the
19^(th) century onward, highlighting key texts and attending to the
intellectual affinity between anarchist traditions and anthropological
analysis.
history of upland Southeast Asia. Yale Agrarian Studies. New Haven, CT:
Yale Univ. Press.A study of the ways in which peoples in the zone
designated Zomia in Southeast Asia have resisted the organization and
encroachment of formal state structures, sympathetic to anarchist
critiques of the state.
The critique of capitalism and the state and the power relationships
that capitalist states foster is central to anarchist thinking.
Kropotkin and Rudolf Rocker (b. 1873âd. 1958) provide two classic
statements of state formation:
and
. Both contest liberal political theory, dismiss notions of contract and
consent, and argue that the origin of the state rests on force. For
Kropotkin, the state claims sovereignty at the individualâs expense, and
the coercive power of religious, military, and political elites combines
to enforce a particular set of government arrangements and economic
power relations that undermine cooperation and popular, organic
organizational arrangements, institutionalizing exploitation in the
process. Rocker relates a similar story but introduces a cultural
dynamic to the analysis of state power, discussing issues of nationalism
and the tendency of state power to extend to all areas of moral and
social life.
develops a critique of consumerism; suburban development; the
ghettoization of poor, usually black, communities; and the rule of
âscienceâ in technocracy. The sociological trends pointed to a loss of
community and the creation of what the author calls âthe empty society.â
Fredy Perlmanâs poetic sociology of the state brings yet another
dimension to the account of state repression by charting the rise of the
âmegamachine,â a term borrowed from Lewis Mumford (b. 1895âd. 1990) (see
Ecology, Social Ecology, and Green Anarchism
,
). In this critique, state expansion is associated with economic
exploitation, but the strongly militaristic aspects of state development
are linked to the development of technologies and processes of
domestication predicated on the destructive domination of the natural
world.
, highly influential in ecological and anticivilization anarchist
circles, is both a functional analysis of exploitation and an
organization critique of domination in all its forms. This work also
chimed with observed changes in capitalist production and the decline of
industrial capitalism between the late 19^(th) and 20^(th) centuries.
outlines this shift, offering a strategic anarchist response based on
riotous rebellion. Bonnano has produced a rich and influential body of
work, and in light of the emergence of the global justice movement, this
essay appears prescient. Following the banking crisis of the first
decade of the 21^(st) century, anarchists have begun to examine the
socioeconomic practices supporting capitalist exchanges.
highlights the coerciveness of monetary economies and the social and
cultural impact of global capitalism. Noam Chomsky gives the best-known
anarchist/libertarian left critique of the international state system.
His work, some of which is available on his website (
), documents a postwar history of state terrorism and, in particular, of
US state and corporate power. Anarchists have explored a number of
alternatives to capitalism. Some of these are available on the
site.
includes a number of proposals and sketches, alongside critiques of
global exploitation, and
advances a complex anarchist theoretical model of the state to consider
strategic initiatives.
anarchist perspective against post industrial capitalism. Translated by
Jean Weir. Anarchist Pocketbooks. London: Elephant.Analysis of
postindustrial capitalism and the implications for anarchist practice.
with Chomsky, Americaâs most prominent anarchist intellectual.
state of state theory: State projects, repression and multi-sites of
power. Lanham, MD: Lexington Books.The book situates anarchism as a
tradition of sociological thought and examines the state as institution
and actor and site of multipower. Chapters examine concepts of racial
formation, intersectional oppression, and heteronormativity.
delinquency established Goodman as a leading spokesperson for the New
Left. The book examines sociological trends explaining fragmentation,
anxiety, disillusion, and despair.
presenting a critique of modern capitalism and the principles of free
market exchange, on which is it based.
Rev. ed. Translated by Vernon Richards. London: Freedom Press.Originally
published in 1897. A classic anarchist-communist account of the stateâs
development and a critique of the self-regarding practices fostered by
centralization and authoritarianism. The essay explores the principle of
mutual aid and the idea of decentralized federalism that Kropotkin
associated with it (see
, cited under
).
Detroit: Black and Red.Perlmanâs inventive, extraordinary analysis has a
number of facets: he looks at the process of militarization and the
religious orthodoxies that support the domination of the earth and the
growth of destructive, exploitative civilizing practices. Moses is cast
as the first Leninist. Complicity is also a powerful theme in Perlmanâs
account of the state.
Chase. Montreal and New York: Black Rose.Originally published in 1937.
Rockerâs exhaustive discussion of the state interweaves an account of
state theory in the history of ideas with sociological developments in
state power. He provides a critique of fascism, as a state form as well
as a particular political practice, and an analysis of cultural
domination, with special reference to nationalism. This is a classic but
neglected anarchist text.
eds. 2012. Accumulation of freedom: Writings on anarchist economics.
Oakland, CA: AK.A collection of anarchist writings on economics,
containing historical and contemporary critiques, alternatives to
capitalism, and resistance strategies.
economics (parecon), including a magazine, media center, and blog.
Class-struggle anarchism describes a current in the international
movement, advanced by two major federations of anarchists. The
parameters of class-struggle anarchism have come into sharp definition
as arguments about the historical discontinuity of contemporary
anarchism with 19^(th)-century traditions (see
) have evolved.
is a classic early statement of the position. Class-struggle anarchists
disagree about the overlap between their own positions and contemporary
currents of anarchism but agree that anarcho-communism and
anarcho-syndicalism occupied the main ground of historical anarchism and
that these movements were principally concerned with addressing issues
of worker exploitation, economic injustice, the organization of labor,
and the process of production. There is a degree of common ground
between class-struggle anarchism and nonanarchist socialism, including
forms of Marxist socialism, and these are discussed by the contributors
to
, but as
argues, class-struggle anarchists typically reject Karl Marxâs theory of
history and, uniformly, the adoption of Leninist vanguard strategies.
There are two international federations of class-struggle anarchism. The
International of Anarchist Federations
(IFA), which traces its roots to the 19^(th)-century Anarchist
International and the
International Workers Association/AsociaciĂłn internacional de los trabajadores
(IWA-AIT), an organization of syndicalist and libertarian socialist
groups. Global communication between class-struggle groups and
individuals is also facilitated by the
site. Class-struggle anarchists resist the suggestion that the focus on
class exploitation precludes consideration of nonclass cleavages, such
as gender or forms of oppression extending from colonialism and racism.
Franksâs examination of British class-struggle anarchism outlines the
politics of the constituent groups and offers a rigorous analysis of
underlying theoretical principles.
recovers a history of class-struggle activism to configure anarchism
ideologically as a class-struggle movement, challenging histories of
ideas that focus on key writers or individuals. Organization is a
central theme in class-struggle anarchism, and
is seminal to these debates. Makhnoâs legacy, platformism, remains a
live tradition in anarchist activism, and the South African organization
is a leading exponent.
and exchange between networked platormists, libertarian communists,
anarchist communists, and social anarchists who identify with
Anarkismo.netâs published goals.
London: Kahn and Averill.A classic account of anarchism by two leading
UK activists. The first chapter discusses class struggle, and this
becomes the lens for the analysis of anarchism.
contemporary British anarchisms. Edinburgh: AK.An introduction to
postwar British anarchism that outlines the ideological parameters of
class-struggle anarchism through the philosophical analysis of core
concepts examined in the context of activist engagements. Franks studies
the intersections of class-struggle anarchism with politically engaged
aspects of poststructuralist thinking.
traces its heritage to the Anarchist International, established in
Saint-Imier in 1872. The site includes a statement of principles as well
as information about current actions and discussion of politics.
federation, with international affiliates (including the Solidarity
Federation) (see
, cited under
). The site contains a statement of principles as well as information
about current actions and discussion of politics.
The struggle against the state, and other essays
. Edited by Alexandre Skirda. Edinburgh and San Francisco: AK.Mahkno
provides the classic statement of platformism, an organizational
tendency within class-struggle anarchism, and these essays look at
questions of revolutionary organization in the context of his active
engagement in the Russian Civil War.
Libertarian socialism: Politics in black and red. Oakland, CA: PM
Press.This volume discusses the tensions and overlap between forms of
Marxism and anarchism. Chapters concentrate on particular figures and
groups, tracing a history of European revolutionary socialism.
revolutionary class politics of anarchism and syndicalism. Counterpower.
Edinburgh and Oakland, CA: AK.A global history of anarchist communist
and syndicalist movements that sets the ideological parameters of the
âbroad anarchist traditionâ of class-struggle anarchism through the
account of movement actions.
to platformism and anarcho-communism. The site allows access to a range
of historical and contemporary resources; a journal; and links to other
international and African communist, syndicalist, and labor groups and
movements.
Community activism is important to anarchists because it supports
grassroots, bottom-up initiatives, facilitates direct action outside the
formal power structures, and provides a locus for the development of
caring social relationships and networks that are considered central to
the construction of alternative, anarchist ways of living. The
examinations by Colin Ward (b. 1924âd. 2012) of the possibilities of
community resistance, social networking, and local activism have
inspired generations of activists.
(cited under
) was an important influence on
: the last two chapters of this book highlight the vitality of nonstate
organizations and cooperative ventures from which anarchists still take
inspiration when advancing alternatives to statist and for-profit
systems. The book also gives a classic account of the ethics of
community activism.
and
present two 20^(th)-century restatements, the former drawing explicitly
on Kropotkinâs work. For many activists, issues of ethical practice are
intimately connected with the creation of alternative, or autonomous,
spaces, or what Hakim Bey calls temporary autonomous zones (TAZs) (
). Working outside formal structures, anarchists are involved in
Anarchist Black Cross, Copwatch (see
Prisons, Policing, and Criminality
), and Food Not Bombs as well as a range cooperatives, independent media
organizations, and cultural activities (music, publishing, education).
In the context of labor organizing, local activism is sometimes
identified as one prong of a two-pronged strategy. Members of the UK
Solidarity Federation (
) are members not only of the industrial network, but also, primarily,
of local groups. Locals organize actions within workplaces and
communities in support of members and in solidarity with groups fighting
against sexism, racism, homophobia, and other forms of domination. One
of the distinctive features of anarchist engagement in community
initiatives is the practices that anarchists adopt. These are described
as direct and prefigurative, indicating, as
details, that the actions anarchists engage in are consistent with the
changes they seek to realize. Within or without TAZs, the process of
decision making is an important aspect of community activism and
prefigurative change.
examines how networks of local grassroots feminist movements have
challenged liberal democratic theory and contributed to the
reconstruction and reshaping of decision making (see also
). Democratic processes and consensus decision making within
collectives, firmly established in the early 21^(st) century, as part of
anarchist practice are outlined in
, an online resource, and
Seeds for Change: Consensus Decision Making
.
politics, community, and democracy. New York: Routledge.A collection of
essays that examine issues of grassroots, direct activism, from an
anarchist-feminist perspective.
anarchist ethics that deals with the stateâs exploitation of ethical
capital and the potential to organize anarchist alternatives by
recapturing the values of community.
carnivalesque, playful activity and extends the principle of local
social networking to the construction of virtual, global networks.
Interventions. Oakland, CA: AK.A succinct exploration of anarchist
activism and principles that details the continuities with historical
anarchism and highlights the shifts of emphasis that have taken place in
the late 20^(th) century.
practicalities, benefits, and skills necessary for effective decision
making by consensus.
Hoskins. London: Duckworth.English translation of De boodschap van een
wijze kabouter, originally published in 1969 (Amsterdam: Meulenhoff
Nederland). A countercultural, subversive critique of authoritarianism,
by an activist of the Dutch anarchist movement, heavily indebted to
Kropotkinâs theory of mutual aid (see
(cited under
).
updating footnote to
(cited under
), but it is an original work that extends Kropotkinâs insights into
practical activism. This remains an important text, particularly for
ecoanarchists and those involved in cooperatives and radical community
networks.
One of the distinctive features of anarchist politics is the rejection
of parliamentary, electoral politics and the principle of
representation. Four critiques,
CrimethInc. Ex-Workers Collective 2016
,
,
, and
, are included to illustrate the historical continuity of the critique
and the different perspectives that anarchists have brought to the
analysis of liberal democratic models. As
argues, anarchist approaches to democracy typically prioritize society,
rather than the state, as the locus for decision making and root
analysis in lived practice, rather than abstract models of citizenship.
, one of the most influential models of pro-democracy communalism,
synthesizes anarchism with classical democratic theory to rework
decentralized federalism in an age of environmental degradation and
class decomposition. Anarchists also discuss democracy and decision
making in the context of protest and activism. In
and
Writings on Demarchy and Democracy
, questions of decision making are tackled in a discussion of social
defense, nonviolence, and social change. In addition, Martin presents a
critique of representative democracy and electoral systems and outlines
an alternative process, demarchy.
has also outlined an alternative consensual process of decision making
by drawing on the experience of the New York Occupy movement.
uses the authorâs involvement in Occupy in Ireland and San Francisco to
examine democracy in social movements.
presents a conflict in Stockholm to reflect on the relationship between
democracy and anarchy. As well as being interested in the processes of
decision making, anarchists have reflected on the organizational context
best suited to anarchist principles: decentralized federalism.
is a classic. See also
and
.
to reveal the limits of democratic government in order to expose the
flaws in the principle of government.
modern crisis, the potential of radical change, and the importance of
municipalism and communalism: the foundations for democracy.
Understanding democratic politics: An introduction. Edited by Robert
Axtmann, 261â270. London and Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE.Sets out the
methodological perspectives supporting anarchist analyses of decision
making and critiques of statist models.
Salem, OR: CrimethInc.A trenchant critique of democracy that critically
examines the pro-democracy activism of Occupy.
movement. London: Allen Lane.Maps a history of the economic crisis to a
critique of corporate democracy in America and charts its rise against
the expression of alternative, egalitarian, and consensual models,
situating the processes adopted by Occupy in a tradition of popular,
grassroots social organization.
organization and of the German Social Democratic Party in particular,
presaging the analysis developed by Robert Michels. Unlike Michels,
Landauer associates the oligarchic pressures of organization with
statist forms, rather than organization as such.
impossible argument. Cham, Switzerland: Palgrave Macmillan.Explores the
tensions in democracy, using Jacques RanciĂšre as a theoretical point of
departure and anarchist histories of ideas to construct a genealogy that
dovetails with the experience of democracy in a protest action.
democracy, and activism, both in theory and in practice.
which considers the relationship between nonviolence, protest, and
radical transformation.
nineteenth century. Translated by John Beverley Robinson. London:
Pluto.An outline of anarchist free exchange and mutuality, based on the
spontaneous organization of labor associations and elaborated in the
aftermath of the 1848 revolution as a critique of Jacobinism and
âconstitutional despotism,â or parliamentary democracy.
practices of Occupy, the book argues that social movement actions
transform our understanding of democracy.
rumours: An anarcha-feminist reader. 3d ed. Edited by Dark Star
Collective, 69â73. Edinburgh: AK.A critique of democracy and an attempt
to debunk the promise of social democracy as a means of achieving social
transformation. Looks at the psychologies of power and greed integral to
electoral systems.
There are multiple currents within the anarchist ecological movement,
and no single philosophy. Murray Bookchin (b. 1921âd. 2006) is often
identified as a pioneer of ecoanarchism, and in Our Synthetic
Environment (New York: Knopf), published under the pseudonym Lewis
Herber, in 1962, he outlined the principles of social ecology. To
Bookchinâs disappointment the book was eclipsed by Rachel Carsonâs
Silent Spring, published that same year (Boston: Houghton Mifflin), and
was not widely read. Bookchin subsequently explored social ecology in
several other books:
is one of his most accessible statements and is regarded as pioneering.
Bookchinâs is not the only account, however.
draws on different philosophical influences, notably, Daoism (see
Religious Anarchisms) and, within anarchism, the work of the
19^(th)-century geographer ĂlisĂ©e Reclus (b. 1830âd. 1905). Social
ecologists have been accused by deep ecologists and biocentrists of
wrongly attaching priority to social transformation in tackling
environmental problems. An important debate between Bookchin and Dave
Foreman, the cofounder of the anarchistic Earth First!, divided
anarchist opinion, exposing the gaps between social and deep ecology.
The cleavages are set out in
. Social ecology has also been challenged by
antitechnology/anticivilization and primitivist anarchists (see
). Ted Kaczynskiâs outline of antitechnologist ideas attracted public
interest largely because of the violence of his activism. Also known as
the Unabomber, Kaczynski published his manifesto,
, as part of his ecological campaign (see
). John Zerzan is one of the best known writer-activists to promote
antitechnologist anarchist ideas, and
is one of several collections of essays in which he sets out the
principles of his primitivist anarchism. Ecoanarchism is linked with a
variety of activist practices, such as veganism, animal liberation,
anti-road-building, cycling, the protection of wilderness, and climate
camps. The final issue of Do or Die (see
Special Issue: Voices from the Ecological Resistance
) is an excellent guide to the range of ecoanarchist concerns and the
inventiveness of militancy. Dysophiaâs
Special Issue: Green Anarchism; Tools for Everyday Life
details the ways in which green anarchism informs an approach to
anarchist activism and, in particular, questions of ethical practice
(see
). Eco- and green anarchists typically regard Kropotkin as an
anthropocentric thinker and technologist. Yet, his proposals for the
integration of agriculture and industry in decentralized communes, in
addition to his elaboration of the principle of mutual aid, remain
influential. The ideas contained in
were, moreover, taken up by subsequent generation of thinkers, notably,
Mumford, who provided a bridge between 19^(th)- and 21-century anarchist
traditions (see
Capitalism, the State, and Alternatives
and
).
presents an important analysis of âindividualistâ anarchist
environmental history and shows why it is still relevant in contemporary
politics.
Classes. Edinburgh and Oakland, CA: AK.Originally published in 1971
(Berkeley, CA: Ramparts). A collection of essays in which Bookchin
discusses the radical social transformations he believed necessary for
ecological well-being and presents a critique of Marxism.
Rodney Aitchtey that deal with the work of the deep ecologist, Arne NĂŠss
and Bookchinâs social ecology.
and New York Times, outlining the critique of civilization that resulted
in Kaczynskiâs mail bombing campaign.
. Rev. ed. New York and London: Thomas Nelson.Originally published in
1898. Kropotkin presents a critique of the international division of
labor, showing how production for local consumption, based on the
integration of agriculture and industry in local communes, makes
anarchist communism a realistic economic prospect.
anti-capitalism and ecology in late 19^(th) and early 20^(th) century
Britain. London and New York: Bloomsbury.A detailed investigation of
individualist currents in British anarchism and a defense of the
nonviolent, anti-corporate, anti-neoliberal principles.
details the ways in which green principles offer an interpretative frame
for the application of anarchist ideas in everyday life. This is a
discussion document and a contribution to activism, written to be
accessible to activists.
1992 and 2003. It documents the struggles of grass-roots frontline
ecologists across the globe.
civilization. Los Angeles: Feral House.Zerzanâs essays examine issues of
violence, self-harm, social collapse, and the causes of environmental
destruction in civilization and give a defense of the wilderness. The
book includes a reflection on Ted Kaczynski, the Unabomber, that seeks
to understand rather than condemn his campaign.
Anarchismâs philosophical defense of independent judgment and the
rejection of authority as command helps explain both the profound
interest in pedagogy and schooling and the existence of a history of
educational writing and experimental practice in anarchist activism. A
number of leading anarchists were educationalists: Louise Michel,
Voltairine de Cleyre, and Francisco Ferrer. Anarchist interest is
manifest in three areas: the critique of institutional learning,
proposals for alternative practices and experiments in free schooling
(sometimes spelled âskoolingâ), and the analysis of the role of
education in anarchist theory.
sets out some of the concerns about orthodox educational methods and, in
particular, the institutionalization of learning in schools. Herbert
Read and Colin Ward advanced similar critiques, contrasting education
with schooling (for Herbert Read, see
). Wardâs ideas are examined in
. The concerns of Read and Ward dovetailed with a critique that extends
back to the 19^(th) century and was profoundly influenced by the work of
Francisco Ferrer (b. 1859âd. 1909). Resistance to and complicity in
institutionalized educational practices and repression remains a live
topic in contemporary anarchism, and the emergence of a small but
significant body of academics in university posts has encouraged
reflection on the role and scope of activism in academia.
and
bring together some leading voices to discuss the issue and examines the
effects of the terror attacks of 11 September 2001 on academic freedom
(see also
, cited under
).
, an open challenge to the authority of the Spanish church and state,
led to Ferrerâs trial by military tribunal and execution in 1909.
Nevertheless, his work provided a model that was adopted in Europe and
America.
gives a detailed historical account of free-school experiments in the
United States between 1901 and 1960 and an evaluation based on the
participantsâ reflections of the experiences.
considers the history of anarchist engagements in education and looks at
alternative educational practices and learning spaces and the role these
play in collective actions.
debunks the idea that anarchy is rooted in a naive concept of human
nature and offers an analysis that not only probes the nature of
anarchist education in the context of the philosophical arguments
anarchists have presented on issues of freedom, authority, and justice,
but also shows the distinctiveness of anarchist free-school traditions.
education in the United States. Edinburgh and Oakland, CA: AK.Originally
published in 1980 (Princeton, NJ: Princeton Univ. Press). An account of
the modern school movement, from the death of Francisco Ferrer, in 1909,
to 1960.
socialization, his pedagogy, and practical suggestions for education
reform.
The origin and ideals of the modern school
. Translated by Joseph McCabe. London: Watts.Sets out Ferrerâs quite
prescriptive views of the modern school curriculum, based on giving
precedence to principles of rationalism and science over religion and
inherited belief and on the benefits of coeducation.
scholars. New York: Vintage.Goodman attacks the regimentation and
drudgery of US education and the socializing role that schools play in
preparing children for a world of alienated labor, meeting the
imperatives of commerce and consumption capitalism.
theories, and critical reflections on education. Oakland, CA: PM.This
collection evaluates the experiences and practices of the free-school
movement and, developing lessons from these experiments, looks at the
potential for advancing egalitarian education, not just in higher
education, but at all levels of learning as well, in and outside the
classroom.
Academic repression: Reflections from the academic-industrial complex.
Edinburgh and Oakland, CA: AK.This collection examines the culture of
academic institutions and the socioeconomic forces acting on them.
Contributors study the limits on academic freedom and the barriers to
free expression and critical thinking, drawing on personal experience.
academic repression and neoliberal education: Resistance, reclaiming,
organizing, and Black Lives Matter in education. New York: Peter Lang.A
collection that critiques neoliberal educational trends and considers
how these might be contested and resisted.
and the centrality of art practice in education.
perspective. 2d ed. Oakland, CA: PM.Explores the political philosophy
supporting anarchist experiments in education and highlights the
insights of anarchist pedagogies and educational alternatives.
Anarchist explorations of sexuality have evolved, in part, through
analysis of internal and external constraint and, in part, in connection
with the exploration of anarchist ethics (see
).
examines sexual practice as self-liberation and social subversion
through the work of the Marquis de Sade. Walterâs claim that anarchists
have as much reason to treat Sade as a worthy, though flawed, precursor
of anarchism, like William Godwin, opens up the history of anarchist
thought to review and also questions the wisdom of reading anarchist
ideas within a narrowly philosophical analytical framework. The thorny
question of limits to freedom that Walter considers in Sade were
discussed in the late 19^(th) and early 20^(th) centuries by the
anarchist John Henry Mackay, specifically with reference to
homosexuality and pederasty. Mackay popularized the ideas of Max Stirner
(b. 1806âd. 1856) to defend what Mackay, publishing under the pseudonym
Sagitta, called manâboy love.
, set in interwar Berlin, is a remarkable analysis of a relationship and
the shifting power dynamics between the two protagonists.
, a study of Mackayâs life, shows how his sexuality shaped his politics
and lent it a particular, individualistic coloring. Daniel Guérin (b.
1904âd. 1988) also acknowledged the influence that Stirnerâs thinking
exercised on his thinking about anarchism and sexuality, and
homosexuality in particular. In challenging the puritanical, often
aggressively heterosexual norms of the predominantly male libertarian
movement in
, Guérin incorporated insights from the work of Wilhelm Reich and Alfred
Kinsey into his anarchism and contended that sexual freedom was as
important to revolutionary transformation as the struggle for social
justice. As
asserted, some anarchists have long championed the freedom of
individuals to define their sexuality without prohibition, but as Guérin
discovered, resistance to personal liberation and, specifically
experiments in same-sex relationships, has come from within the
anarchist movement as well as from outside it. Kissackâs work, a
recovery of the history of anarchist sexual politics and the battles
that sexuality provoked, addresses issues that contemporary anarchists
continue to wrestle with (see also
Postcolonial Anarchism, Indigenism, Race, and Intersectionality
). Broader ethical questions about hierarchy, domination, and sexual
practices as well as anarchist feminist perspectives on sexuality are
explored both in the Dysophia 2010 collection
Special Issue: Anarchism and Polyamory
and in the essays in
. The latter collection also looks at issues of activism and militancy.
provides another excellent overview of contemporary anarchist activism
and debate on gender and sexual politics (see also
Anarchafeminism/Anarchism and Feminism
).
the Austrian psychoanalyst, and Charles Fourier, the utopian socialist
and advocate of womenâs liberation and sexual desire, and debunks myths
about homosexuality in the process.
sexualities fosters new ways of thinking about relationships and the
construction of transformative behaviors. The essays deal with questions
of theory and history as well as contemporary activism.
Ethics, relationships and power. Social Justice. Abingdon, UK, and New
York: Routledge.A collection of essays, reflection, and poetry designed
to open up spaces for creative interchanges and debates about the
relationship between anarchism and sexual politics.
Henry Mackay. New York: Mackay Society.An appreciation of Mackayâs
defense of pederasty contextualizes this exploration of sexual freedom
and the repression of homosexual desire.
the United States, 1895â1917. Oakland, CA: AK.A detailed and intricately
documented account of the battles against sexual repression in the US
movement.
beautiful boy seeking his fortune in Berlin and the man who falls in
love with him. The last sections of the book offer a dramatic defense of
egoism, as Mackay understood it.
economic power and discusses anarchist responses as a contribution to
building constructive, trusting, and open alternative relationships in
the present.
other essays. Edited by David Goodway, 51â59. Nottingham, UK: Five
Leaves.Walterâs argument is that Sadeâs work serves as an interpretative
lens for reviewing the contribution of philosophical anarchism,
particularly the work of William Godwin, in the anarchist canon and
shows how the defiance of conventional moralities and celebration of
passion are central to anarchism.
Postanarchism is a theoretical current within anarchism associated with
a number of authors who have different philosophical perspectives but
who have advanced a common critique of historical anarchist traditions.
The anarchism that postanarchists move beyond is labeled âclassical
anarchism,â and it describes the political theory of the canonical
thinkers in the historical movement: Proudhon, Bakunin, and Kropotkin.
Postanarchists endorse the politics of classical anarchism, particularly
the critique of revolutionary elitism, but they argue that theoretical
foundations of classical thought limit the scope, impeding the
development of a truly libertarian, emancipatory project. At the heart
of Newmanâs postanarchist critique is the claim that classical
anarchists mistakenly identified power exclusively with the state and
believed, as a result, that it might be abolished in a transformative
moment of revolution, providing an escape from exploitation and
oppression and leading to harmonious anarchy. His critique has softened
over time and his recent statement (see
) is more focused on situating postanarchism in the longer history of
ideas than in substantiating the postanarchist rupture of historical
anarchist traditions. For this reason, classical anarchism is sometimes
associated with a form of blueprint utopianism (see
), a conception of history that is teleological and an idea of freedom
that naively draws on an essentialist understanding of human nature. The
emergence of postanarchism has been linked to the rise of the campaigns
for social justice and sometimes represented as a theoretical expression
of the fluid horizontalism of the protest movements (see
). This claim has encouraged historicism, in the sense that the
19^(th)-century movement tends to be identified with a narrow form of
class-struggle politics (see
). However, postanarchists reject the claim that they have treated
postanarchism itself as the result of historical shifts. Indeed, the
critique of classical epistemology has highlighted the existence of
postanarchist currents within the 19^(th)-century movement. Stirner and
Gustav Landauer (b. 1870âd. 1919) are frequently celebrated, in the
early 21^(st) century, as forerunners of postanarchist thinking.
predates the emergence of postanarchism, but this study of
poststructuralism and its affinity with anarchism laid the foundation
for the epistemological critique developed in
and
. Some studies challenge the assumptions of postanarchist theory, the
originality of its insights, and the construction of the classical
anarchist tradition, such as
. Yet, postanarchist approaches in political theory chime with a number
of activist movements, though not, typically, those that identify with
class-struggle anarchisms. For an overview of the debates, see
(cited under
).
theory, science fiction, cinema, and classical sociology onto a matrix
to describe anarchism.
of Political Ideologies 12.2: 127â145.Franksâs essay unpacks the âpostâ
in postanarchism and maintains that it represents a change of emphasis,
rather than a transcendence of classical anarchism.
University Park, PA: Pennsylvania State Univ. Press.An analysis of
continental political theory that highlights the affinity with
anarchism.
traditions and argued that it provides a theoretical approach that is
consistent with the principles of anarchist practice. Stirner is a
central influence on his work. This book is a statement of Newmanâs
thinking in the early 21^(st) century.
metanarratives and sets out a defense of disobedience, developing a
history of ideas from Ătienne la BoĂ©tie to Foucault.
Critical reflection on anarchist history, on the establishment of a
canon within the history of ideas, together with the emergence of
indigenous resistance movements, notably, the Zapatistas, as well as
groups in North America and the Antipodes, has stimulated discussion of
postcolonial anarchism. As Roger White argues in
, postcolonial anarchism has a number of dimensions, touching on issues
of culture, nationalism, and race; concepts of universalism and
internationalism; and understandings of what it means to be
antiauthoritarian (see also
). His analysis suggests that anarchism, as an ideological construct
with roots in European history, adopted perspectives that are deeply
problematic and colonial. The practical implications of colonial
thinking and the tension between Eurocentric anarchisms and indigenous
movements are discussed in
. As
shows, these tensions are not resolved by the adoption of critical
postanarchist or post-left anarchy approaches. What is required,
instead, is a negotiation of traditions, and this essay sets out a
theoretical framework for the task. The accounts of history and
political theory on which postcolonial anarchism has drawn are
contested, and
presents a picture of non-Western European anarchist syndicalist
activisms to highlight anarchismâs anticolonial and anti-imperialist
dimensions.
considers the anarchistic quality of African communalism, and
looks at the overlaps between anarchism and Indian anti-colonialism. The
relevance of anarchism to black liberation struggles and the possibility
of building an anticapitalist mass movement based on principles of
mutual aid and solidarity, notwithstanding the failures of predominantly
white anarchist movements to attract nonwhite engagement, are outlined
in
. Ervin adopts a class-struggle approach to anarchism (see also
). Intersectional approaches acknowledge the intractability of the
tensions between different activist perspectives and forms of
domination, notably, race, gender, and class (see also
), while still working on the development of shared strategies of
resistance.
explores the role that anarchist feminism has played in the articulation
of intersectional struggle. The essays offered on the
deal with intersectionalism in the context of antiracism, as well as
gender activism, in order to reflect on anarchist practice, movement
building, and the development of effective resistance strategies.
Our culture, our resistance: People of color speak out on anarchism, race, class and gender
.A collection of essays and interviews examining issues of
intersectionalism, antiauthoritarianism, and anarchism; antiwar
activism; and police brutality.
those of indigenous activism in order to expose the limitations of the
former, in contemporary resistance struggles.
Writings cover antiwar and gender activism as well as racism, black
liberation, and colonialism and the relationship of anarchism to race.
Anarchism and the black revolution, and other essays
. Philadelphia: Monkeywrench.This essay looks at the relationship
between capitalism and white supremacy and argues for a form of
class-struggle anarchism that rejects all forms of domination.
syndicalism in the colonial and postcolonial world, 1870â1940: The
praxis of national liberation, internationalism, and social revolution.
Studies in Global Social History. Leiden, The Netherlands: Brill.This
comprehensive collection is designed to recover a lost history of
libertarian movement activism in Latin America, Africa, Asia, and
Eastern Europe. The book demonstrates the significance of class struggle
activism and challenges the idea that anarchism was primarily a European
movement. The authors argue that the ebbs and flows of the organizing of
European anarchist movements distort both the history of anarchism and
the understanding of the global forces in which anarchists operate.
a movement. Tucson, AZ: See Sharp.The authors discuss the absence of
organized anarchism in African history and the anarchistic culture of
African social forms. They also reflect on colonialism and the failure
of African socialism to address its legacy.
latinoamericanos: Reading anarchism through Latin American eyes. In The
Continuum companion to anarchism. Edited by Ruth Kinna, 252â277. New
York: Continuum.This essay shows that tensions between anarchisms and
indigenous movements and are not resolved by the adoption of critical
postanarchist or post-left anarchy approaches
internationalism, and the relationship to anarchism.
anarchist feminist practice. The essay asserts that intersectionality
supports anarchist struggles against domination and hierarchy and that
it is essential to mutual aid and solidarity.
Post-left anarchy is a current that emerged as a critique of the
objectification of anarchism as an ideology and of the class-biased
leftism of dominant groups within the anarchist movement. Post-left
anarchists are attracted to ideas of self-emancipation, individual
autonomy, and creative self-expression and are defiantly resistant to
norms and abstract ideas, anarchist or otherwise. The construction of
social relationships and the ability to resist the regulatory pressures
of commercial culture (in marking time, organizing work, and patterning
consumption) are some of the central concerns of post-left anarchy
explored by Bob Black. Refusing to conform to the values, goals, and
principles of others, Black has been attracted to the egoism of Stirner
(see
). In this, though little else, post-left anarchy dovetails with some
forms of postanarchism (see
). Themes of individual rebellion are also central to
Hakim Bey and Ontological Anarchy
. Beyâs communiquĂ©s talk about revolution and insurrection, dreaming,
chaos, and surrealism and highlight the loveless, dull, deadening
reality of middle-class living and consumerism. His enduring
contribution to anarchism is the idea of the temporary autonomous zone
(TAZ) (see
). Post-left anarchist thinking is sometimes also associated with
playful subversion, influenced by situationism, and with the celebration
of the wild and wilderness; however, leading voices within this current,
particularly that expressed in
, are nonprimitivist anticivilizationists (see also
Ecology, Social Ecology, and Green Anarchism
,
), and the provocative, militant and anticorporate activism of
CrimethInc. Ex-Workers Collective
(CWC) has a distinctly urban tone.
work (see
, cited under
;
, cited under
) that has helped define post-left anarchy. Blackâs essay âThe Abolition
of Workâ is widely read and has exercised a powerful influence on
contemporary anarchist antiutopian utopians.
such as history and escape, love as resistance, the boredom of
normality, and conventional politics. The site usefully lists selected
key texts.
of individual rebellion, antiorganization activism, and poetic
terrorism. Hakim Bey is a pseudonym for Peter Lamborn Wilson (see
). Available at
.
This is a collection of writings published as zines between 1996 and
2006.
As
argues, anarchist criminology been shaped by a strong sense of the value
of disobedience and resistance and a general belief that the enforcement
of compliance to laws is not only unjust, to the extent that law is
designed to uphold and protect the interests of particular elites, but
also destructive of the social ties that forge community (see also
). Indeed, in a seminal work, originally published in 1950,
used the anarchist conviction that anarchy is order and that state rule
is organized chaos as a springboard for illuminating the criminality of
government. The same approach is adopted in the film The Corporation
(DVD, 2005; Zeitgeist) to reveal the psychopathic tendencies of
corporations, and it informs anarchist responses to the actions of law
enforcement to control not only protests, which
and
discuss (see also
), but also the everyday policing of local communities. For this reason,
anarchists are actively involved in Copwatch, a network established to
document and challenge police misconduct (see also
Postcolonial Anarchism, Indigenism, Race, and Intersectionality
).
discusses the violence of policing and presents a history. While
anarchists have helped pioneer critical approaches to criminology, they
have also produced a considerable literature about the operation of
prison systems, typically informed by personal experience.
is a well-known account, celebrated both because Berkman reflected on
the dehumanizing effects of incarceration and his own activism and
because he documented his reflections on his sexuality (see also
). The creation of the Anarchist Black Cross, an active prisoner support
network, is a practical outcome of the intimate experience of
imprisonment and the politicization of criminality (see also
). The outlawing of anarchism, resulting from a tradition of actual
illegal practice and from the principled disobedience that the rejection
of authority suggests, has helped forge a cultural identity between
anarchists and groups that mainstream society stereotypes as outcasts:
pirates, tramps, gypsies, hobos, and a range of folklore rebels, for
example, the Molly Maguires and Ned Kelly.
, a study of the labor organizer and songwriter Joe Hill, provides
insight into this aspect of anarchist criminality and the lethal
persecution associated with it.
attempt to assassinate Henry Frick. Berkman explores the dehumanizing
effects of imprisonment and his relationships with his fellow inmates;
he also reflects on his actions and details his activism.
Modern State: A Criminological Approach to the Problem of Power (London:
Routledge and Kegan Paul). Applies methods from criminology to analyze
leadership and political power and expose the delinquency of government.
anti-globalization movement. Critical Issues in Crime and Society. New
Brunswick, NJ: Rutgers Univ. Press.Examines how dissent is controlled by
state law enforcement agencies, analyzing the legal, physical, and
psychological dynamics of policing in the context of the
alterglobalization protests.
history of anarchist dissent and rejection of law.
International Workersâ of the World (IWW) and his arrest, trial, and
execution.
resistance in the era of neoliberal globalization. Durham, NC: Carolina
Academic Press.A collection of essays that explore the repression of
dissent in liberal democracy, based on discussion of theory and
practice.
America. Oakland, CA: AK.Theorizes policing as the stateâs primary
mechanism for social control.
Anarchism boasts a rich protest literature, and most of it has emerged
from active involvement in protest movements. One strain of this
material deals with the forms that anarchist protest might take.
, a discussion of anarchist participation in postâWorld War II
antinuclear movements, examines the idea of revolution, principles of
protest, and relationship between protest and revolutionary change.
Having emerged from the same movement,
outlines the principles of direct action as it was practiced within the
peace, unilateralist and New Left movements, the traditions of protest
from which these movements drew, and the place of direct action in
democracy (see also
).
considers the prefigurative ethics that inform anarchist engagement (see
also
). Another strain of the literature considers the diversity of anarchist
tactics. In the global justice campaigns sparked by the 1999 Seattle
World Trade Organization (WTO) protest, the black bloc, discussed in
, attracted considerable attention from the mainstream media. Yet, as
argues, carnival was an equally prominent feature of anarchist actions,
inspired both by situationism and by Hakim Beyâs poetic terrorism (see
also
). Still another strain of the material documents the experience of
protest and anarchist engagement in mass actions (see also
).
,
,
, and the documentaries produced in
have all emerged from early-21^(st)-century events, specifically the
global banking crisis and Occupy and the antiausterity and prodemocracy
campaigns with which Occupy is associated.
movement, 2009â2011. Berkeley, CA: Little Black Cart.A collection of
essays by participants in a range of Occupy movements, explaining
motives and methods and drawing lessons from the experience.
antiausterity and democracy movements, including protest actions in
Greece, Portugal, and Egypt.
fighting for: A radical collective manifesto. London: Pluto.Essays
exploring activist responses to and analyses of the global banking and
financial crisis.
history and the politics of nonconstitutional activism, looking at
issues of violence and nonviolence and the legitimacy of direct action
in imperfect liberal democracies.
highlights the parallels between activism and some forms of
postanarchist thinking.
Bakhtin, Vaneigem and Bey. Anarchist Studies 12.2: 147â161.A discussion
of the prefigurative elements of carnival protest.
The New Inquiry, a collection of short essays discussing the
occupations, with contributions from Angela Davis, Rebecca Solnit, Jodie
Dean, and Judith Butler, among others.
Damned fools in utopia, and other writings on anarchism and war
resistance. Edited by David Goodway, 23â78. Oakland, CA: PM.Examines the
relationship between anarchist revolution and a range of principles of
protest, from direct action to civil disobedience, to antimilitarism, to
anarchist pacifism.
There are pronounced anticlerical and atheistic currents in anarchism.
Bakuninâs reversal of Voltaireâs dictum, if God were necessary, it would
be necessary to abolish him, captures this mood. The strictly
rationalist curriculum developed by Ferrer is another tangible
reflection of the struggle that anarchists have entered into with church
authorities (see
). Yet, it is precisely the irrationalism and utopianism of religious
thinking that appeals to contemporary writers such as Peter Lamborn
Wilson (also known as Hakim Bey; see
).
is a history of religious practices designed to think about intentional
dreaming. In the history of anarchist ideas, Landauer integrated
mystical and religious ideas into his anarchism. His conception of soul
and spirit, outlined in
, were central to his critique of Marxism and to his understanding of
individual rebellion and relational change, and they also shaped his
rejection of industrial capitalism (see also
). As
argues, it is also possible to identify a religious dynamic in
apparently rationalist anarchisms, to isolate antiauthoritarian
principles and practices in a range of nonconformist religious
movements, and to trace a history of dissent that unites political and
religious activists. The Christian anarchism of
is a central focus of discussions of religious anarchism, not least
because Tolstoyâs critique of 19^(th)-century anarchist terrorism led
him to expound a principle of nonviolent resistance that influenced
Mohandas Gandhi and that has since been a significant factor in the
development of anarchist nonviolent and pacifist activism (see also
and
). Yet, as
demonstrates, not all religious anarchisms are Christian.
notes the productive interplay between anarchism and Daoism. Indeed,
this informs Clarkâs philosophical conception of social ecology (see
also
Ecology, Social Ecology, and Green Anarchism
). This relationship is examined in
, a collection of the writings of the Buddhist Uchiyama GudĆ.
has also explored the resonances of Daoism and Western anarchism and
highlighted the richness of religious traditions for anarchist
practices.
Journal of Chinese Philosophy 10.1: 5â26.A special issue dedicated to
the topic of Daoism and anarchism.
New perspectives. Newcastle, UK: Cambridge Scholars.A collection that
examines the positive relationship between religion and anarchism and
that looks at a range of different religious anarchisms.
religion and nature. 2 vols. Edited by Bron R. Taylor, 49â56. London and
New York: Continuum.Discusses and contests the association of anarchism
with atheism and studies the overlaps between anarchism and ancient
Chinese spirituality. Available online under the title
.
Saint Louis, MO: Telos.These articles present Landauerâs critique of
Marxism not only as a political doctrine, but also as a mechanistic,
materialist theory that lacks spirit or soul.
Uchiyama GudĆ. Berkeley, CA: Institute of Buddhist Studies.The
introductory chapters give an account of Uchiyama GudĆâs life and work
and his involvement in the plot to assassinate the Japanese emperor in
1911 (The High Treason Incident), which resulted in his execution. These
chapters contextualize the essays that appear in translation.
in ancient and modern China. Contemporary Anarchist Studies. London and
New York: Continuum.A detailed discussion of ancient Chinese beliefs
that compares currents of ideas within radical antiauthoritarian Daoism
with those found in Western anarchism.
not as a mystic religion but as a new theory of life. Translated by
Constance Garnett. New York: Cassell.A classic statement of Tolstoyâs
religious conviction, his critique of violence, and his understanding of
transformation as a process of individual liberation and religious
awakening.
initiatic dream in Sufism and Taoism. New York: Autonomedia.A study of
dreaming and the imagination, drawing on a wide variety of religious and
cult traditions.
The appearance of the global justice movement prompted a number of
authors to develop new theoretical approaches to the analysis of protest
and to consider how best to capture the practices and organizational
features of the movement of movements.
,
, and
offer very different alternatives, but each provides a framework for the
analysis of contemporary anarchism and horizontalism.
analyzes the movement tactic, black bloc (see
). New works, such as
and
, on anarchism and social movement activism have been stimulated by the
experience of Occupy. Collections such as
and
examine recent protest waves through the lens of critical geography.
offers a different view of movement activism, focusing on culture and
aesthetics.
movements: Multitudes at the edge of chaos. International Library of
Sociology. London and New York: Routledge.A sociological analysis of the
global justice movement, designed to capture its fluidity and to
demonstrate how the processes of networking that activism encourages
challenge neoliberal capitalism.
newest social movements. London and Ann Arbor, MI: Pluto.Dayâs analysis
of social movements is influenced by Landauerâs anarchism, though Day
discusses other 19^(th)-century anarchists, and is an attempt to escape
from the logic of class hegemony, popularized by Gramscian thought.
in action around the world. Oakland, CA: PM Press.This is a
comprehensive account of the history of the tactic and its deployment in
protest actions, and it looks at the question of violence and the
reputation black bloc has gained.
and global protest. London: C. Hurst.Outlines a conception of
anarcho-populism to investigate organization, protest, and patriotism in
contemporary social movements.
practice to theory. London and Ann Arbor, MI: Pluto.A political theory
of horizontal activism that highlights the anarchist principles of
contemporary protest movements and that uses liberal theory to
illustrate their power and creativity. Gordonâs approach to political
theory is informed by a desire to avoid abstraction and the imposition
of conceptual frameworks, alien to activists, in order to explore the
ideas of the contemporary protest movement. The methodological problem
he identifies in political theory is resolved through the adoption of
participant observation.
in America. Oxford: Oxford Univ. Press.Situates Occupy as an
anarchistic, horizontal movement in a longer history of American
radicalism.
actions.
Aesthetics and cultural labor after the avant garde. London and New
York: Rowman & Littlefield.A history of art movements from the
Situationists and examined through an autonomist Marxist lens,
Shukaistis looks at art and culture as transformative practices.
elsewhere in a history of resistance actions.
In its discussion of anarchism and sociology,
argues that scholarly traditions in sociology have not provided a
fertile ground for anarchism and that anarchist research is more easily
conducted outside than inside academic institutions. The potential for
the development of an anarchist sociology, rooted in critique and
ethical principles of anarchist practice, is similarly the concern of
(see also
). Yet, notwithstanding the constraints of academic research cultures
(see
), there is a history of sociological engagement with anarchist ideas,
as
indicates, and anarchists have long framed their anarchism
sociologically. Proudhon used Auguste Comte as one of the springboards
for his anarchism. A substantial part of Wardâs work (
,
) was directed toward the anarchist analysis of sociological problems
and issues in social policy, from transport, housing, squatting, and
homelessness to leisure, play, childhood, and federalism.
has integrated cultural, social, and political theory, influenced by
autonomist critique, to rethink the role of imagination in radical
thinking, a distant echo of C. Wright Millsâs anarchist-friendly
approach to sociology and imagination. One of Weberâs worries about
anarchism was that Tolstoyan conviction discouraged political
responsibility (see
). Other classical sociologists, especially Michels, concentrated
instead on the viability of anarchist alternatives to bureaucratic state
organization. Organization is a thorny issue in anarchist thinking,
because blanket acceptance or rejection has become a fracture line
between some class struggle and post-left anarchists (see
and
). Two important essays, by Jo Freeman and Cathy Levine, on organization
and structurelessness, respectively, appear in
(cited under
). However, as
asserts, there is scope for the development of anarchist sociology of
organization, as an alternative to liberal and Marxist approaches.
Indeed, as
contends, the critique of elitism, alongside the defense of
nonhierarchical alternatives to organizing, remains a central concern
for radical political sociologists (see also
).
Reinventing anarchy, again. Rev. ed. Edited by Howard J. Ehrlich, 56â68.
Edinburgh and San Francisco: AK.A short sociological study of
organization, from an anarchist perspective.
Oppression, resistance and the state. Thousand Oaks, CA: Pine
Forge.Written as a monograph that can also be used as an introductory
course text, this book analyzes multiple forms of oppression, concepts
of power, and the relationship between the state and society.
sociology and anthropology from an anarchist perspective. In The
Continuum companion to anarchism. Edited by Ruth Kinna, 140â161. New
York: Continuum.Purkis employs a critical examination of sociological
traditions to develop an alternative model for anarchist research, using
hitchhiking as an exemplar of methodological practice.
self-organization in the revolutions of everyday life. London: Minor
Compositions.A reflection on the possibilities of social transformation
and the problem of recuperation that uses the idea of the imaginal
machine and the productivity of its breakdown as a way of framing
resistance.
of welfare, mutual support, and the gift relationship.
reader. Edited by Chris Wilbert and Damian F. White. Oakland, CA: AK.A
posthumous collection of essays, spanning the range of Wardâs published
work.
anarchists in Ascona, Switzerland, before the outbreak of World War I:
his concerns about Tolstoyan anarchism and anarchist practices as well
as the impact of the encounters on his subsequent thought.
anarchist-sociology: A long-anticipated marriage. Theory in Action 4.4:
9â30.An attempt to advance an anarchist approach to sociology,
subjecting mainstream traditions to critical anarchist review.
The relationship between urbanism and utopia is explained by the
influence that late-19^(th)-century radicals, particularly William
Morris (b. 1834âd. 1896) and Kropotkin, exercised on a subsequent
generation of urban planners, including Patrick Geddes (b. 1854âd. 1932)
and Mumford (see
Capitalism, the State, and Alternatives
,
Ecology, Social Ecology, and Green Anarchism
). Observing the spread of urban living and the social problems
associated with city life, a number of 20^(th)-century anarchists argued
that planning offered a means of creating environments conducive to the
expression of alternative ways of living, bringing the utopian ideals of
the 19^(th)-century anarchists into a new framework, of urban design.
is an early example that integrates the discussion of technology,
education, work, and leisure into the planning process.
looks at the city from a childâs perspective, to consider issues of
community. Ward wrote separately on the subject of utopia and, like
, he maintained that the ability to think beyond the apparent reality of
existing social and political arrangements is an important part of
resistance;
is an anarchistic example of an anticapitalist and overtly utopian text.
Similarly, as
shows, the potential to structure everyday life according to utopian
ideals through the construction of intentional communities can be
transformative. Landauer, as Buber recognized, was a utopian in this
sense and an important influence on anarchist communitarianism (see
). Both
and
claim that there is a strong element of utopianism in anarchism. Yet,
this utopianism has a particular form, which Berneri described as
nonauthoritarian. Contemporary anarchists talk instead about resistance
to blueprint planning, but the idea is similar. Postanarchists,
especially, are not only suspicious of blueprints, but also critical of
19^(th)-century classical anarchists, whom, they assert, either provided
detailed outlines of anarchy or believed that anarchy described a fixed
condition, set by the realization of a specific idea of human
flourishing (see
,
). Divorcing themselves from blueprint utopianism, postanarchists
advocate a form of utopianism that is open-ended and without definite
content. The claim that classical anarchists were blueprint utopians is
contested, and the debates, together with a discussion of a broad
tradition of anarchist utopian thinking, are rehearsed by contributors
to the collection
.
Syracuse, NY: Syracuse Univ. Press.Originally published in 1949 (New
York: Macmillan). A critical analysis of socialist utopianism in which
Buber discusses Vladimir Lenin, Marx, Proudhon, and Kropotkin. Buberâs
appreciation of Landauerâs anarchism serves as the basis for the call
for a return to community.
Manchester, UK, and New York: Manchester Univ. Press.A collection that
examines fictional and nonfictional utopianism and the intersections
with anarchism as well as the role that utopianism has played in
developing anarchist ideas of liberation.
livelihood and ways of life. 2d ed. New York: Columbia Univ.
Press.Originally published in 1947 (Chicago: Univ. of Chicago Press). An
illustrated discussion of city planning and the principles of city
building, directed toward the realization of a new spirit of community.
The text includes an overtly utopian master plan for the development of
New York.
movement. Edinburgh and Oakland, CA: AK.A study of intentional
communities and of the anarchist currents in the early kibbutz movement.
Horrox evaluates the practices and principles of the communities in
order to reflect on the possibilities of contemporary experimentation.
of alternatives: Utopianism and organization. London and New York: Zed.A
dictionary designed to challenge the neoliberal doctrine âThere is no
alternative.â
world offering community and autonomy.
Rev. ed. London: Bedford Square.Looks at city life from the perspective
of children to consider the benefits as well as the shortcomings of
cities.
It is not unusual to see analyses of anarchism open with a discussion of
violence or a denial that anarchism is a necessarily or unusually
violent doctrine, or both. The reputation that anarchism has for
violence derives, in part, from a 19^(th)-century wave of individual
anarchist acts of terror. These reached their height in Europe and
America between 1892 and 1900 and resulted in a number of high-profile
assassinations. The adoption of terrorist methods by radical groups in
the 1960s, though not all anarchist, cemented this association.
Moreover, anarchism is associated with violence because of the conduct
of anarchists in protest actions. Neither property damage nor the
willingness to engage in physical resistance is the exclusive preserve
of anarchists, but the popular association of anarchy with chaos,
combined with the anarchistsâ rejection of authority (see
Prisons, Policing, and Criminality
), explains the ease with which the generic descriptor âanarchistâ is
sometimes applied. These caveats are important because arguments about
the principled rejection of violence have long divided anarchists, and
the use of violence and terrorist methods are defended by groups within
the movement; it would be difficult to make sense of these debates if
anarchism were simply dismissed as a form of aggression. The list here
includes discussion of terrorist methods and protest violence.
brings together articles published in the London journal Freedom in the
aftermath of an unsuccessful assassination attempt on Hendrik Verwoerd,
the architect of South African apartheid, and in response to the
editorial âToo Bad He Missed.â
Libertarian Socialist Organisation, et al. 1985
is a classic rejection of terrorist methods. The involvement of
anarchists in postâWorld War II antiwar and antinuclear movements
encouraged the adoption of nonviolent strategies of protest (see
). In this the doctrine of nonresistance, advanced in
, was and remains a key influence (see also
). For anarchists such as Ostergaard, nonviolence committed anarchists
to pacifism. He outlines his reasons in
. Not all anarchists agree, and, following the principle of civil
disobedience advanced by Henry David Thoreau (b. 1871âd. 1862), some
root the determination of conduct in individual conscience. Thoreau
outlined his position in
. Kaczynski adopted Thoreauâs position to support his ecological
campaign (see
Ecology, Social Ecology, and Green Anarchism
). The concept of âtactical diversityâ that encompasses this view is
outlined in
. In the context of the alterglobalization movement protests, arguments
about violence are strongly linked to the principle of tactical
diversity, discussed in the activist collection
Green Mountain Anarchist Collective 2001
.
, written in light of criticisms of the black bloc, confronts
condemnations of property damage with a counterblast on policing.
the politics of post-violence. Upping the Anti 5.1.A succinct discussion
of the divisions within the anarchist movement on the question of
protest violence.
Genoa and the anti-capitalist movement. Edinburgh: One-Off.A book
produced by militants, including Starhawk, Michael Hardt, Antonio Negri,
involved in the 2001 anti-G8 (Group of Eight) demonstrations in Genoa,
which was marked by the killing of a protestor, Carlo Guiliani, and a
notorious police raid on the Indymedia Centre.
Self-Managed Society, Monash Anarchist Society, and Adelaide Libertarian
Socialists. 1985.
You canât blow up a social relationship: The anarchist case against terrorism
. San Francisco: Arcata.Originally published in 1978. A statement
opposing terrorist violence as theoretically wrongheaded and politically
counterproductive.
antiglobalization movement. Anarchy, no. 52.The editorial for this issue
of the journal was written as a response to the mainstream media
treatments of the antiglobalization actions in Gothenburg and Genoa. The
article reflects on the ways in which the critique of violence is used
to demonize protesters and deflect attention from deployment of state
force.
Resisting the nation state: The pacifist and anarchist tradition
. Studies in Nonviolence. London: Peace Pledge Union.Ostergaard presents
an anarchist critique of the state that links the principle of
sovereignty to warfare to show that antistatism is necessarily
antimilitarist, antinationalist, and pacifist.
nuclear disarmament and nonpacifist supporters of nonviolent direct
action. Includes critiques of state violence in order to contextualize
traditions of resistance within anarchist and other popular movements.
pacifism. Edited by David Stephens. London: Phoenix.A selection of
essays on anarchist themes, illustrating the limits of Tolstoyâs
identification with political anarchism and setting out the basis of his
critique of the state and his rejection of violence.