Anarchism Flashcards

1
Q

What is the anarchist view of human nature?

A
  • Hold a positive view of human nature

* Potentially for development but also for selfishness and corruption

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2
Q

How do the varying branches of anarchism subscribe to human nature?

A

3 different views
• Anarcho-individualist: humans are self interested and egotistical, will cooperate if its in their own self interest
• Anarcho -communists: human nature is a ‘tabula rasa’ (blank state) moulded by the society
• Some Anarcho-collectivists: humans are born good, sociable and rational. Prefer altruism to selfishness with cooperation over competition

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3
Q

What is anarchism’s view of the state?

A
  • Defined by its rejection of the state - all forms of government and its powers
  • Abolition of all systems based upon hierarchy such as church, capitalism and social relationships such as sexism
  • The state is unjust immoral, commanding, controlling and corrupting
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4
Q

Why do the different branches of anarchism call for the abolition of the state?

A
  • Anarcho-individualists: rejections of the state allows for autonomy and individuality to be explored freely
  • Anarcho-collectivists: reject state as liberty must include equality to allow people to be altruistic and cooperative
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5
Q

Describe the core view held by anarchists on what society is

A
  • Future anarchist society will be peaceful, stable and stateless
  • Based upon liberty and economic freedoms
  • This view is criticised as Utopian but anarchist say it will come about naturally
  • No clear blueprint but it will be based upon direct democracy, decentralisation and voluntary cooperation of free individuals
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6
Q

How do anarchist hold different views about society

A
  • Anarcho-individualist: self interested, rational, competitive nature of humanity will form basis of society
  • Anarcho-collectivists: Natural order will emerge based on altruism, solidarity and cooperation
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7
Q

What is the anarchist suggestion of how the economy should be run?

A
  • Free individuals manage their own affairs

* The current state encourages exploitation

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8
Q

Why is the economy the key area that anarchists disagree over

A
  • Most anarchist (collectivist and individualist) enforce that the economy should be based on collective ownership and mutual cooperation
  • Anarcho-capitalists say that private property and competitive free market should remain to allow true freedoms
  • Mutualists blend elements of collectivism with individualism
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9
Q
Give an overview of Max Stirner’s view of 
• Human nature
• The state
• Society
• The economy
A
  • Fundamentally self interested egoists
  • The state is a complete denial of egoism and individualism
  • Society of any kind restrains. We much be completely self reliant
  • The accumulation and retention of powert is our main economic motivation
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10
Q
Give an overview of Peter Kropotkin’s view of 
• Human nature
• The state
• Society
• The economy
A
  • People are sociable and prefer collective activity
  • The capitalist state must be destroyed by revolution and replaced by a voluntary system of independent, self governing communities
  • The commune should be the basis of society, communes = small independent, internally democratic units
  • Capitalism was to be replaced by the communist system
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11
Q
Give an overview of Mikhail Bakunin view of 
• Human nature
• The state
• Society
• The economy
A
  • Humans are fundamentally social animals and productive work characterises our humanity
  • The state is a sergeant of capitalism and must be destroyed by revolution
  • Proposed a federal system and abolition of national boundaries. Federations of workers would cooperate and not compete with each other
  • Market system of exchange to be abolished and replaced by exchange based on true value of goods
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12
Q
Give an overview of Pierre-Joseph Proudhon’s view of 
• Human nature
• The state
• Society
• The economy
A
  • Humans are characterised by our productive abilities and creativity as producers
  • The state is oppressive and must be abolished if possible by peaceful, democratic means
  • His theory of society was known as mutualism - people bound together but socio-economic relations which are mutually beneficial
  • People should be divided into independent productive units, trading with each other on a mutually beneficial basis
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13
Q
Give an overview of Emma Goldman’s view of 
• Human nature
• The state
• Society
• The economy
A
  • Stressed need for individual liberty, desire for freedom is fundamental to mankind
  • The state is only one source of oppression and denial of liberty. Religion, private property are equally oppressive
  • Society where all are treated equally, campaigned for economic, gender and racial equality
  • Violent opponent of capitalism, more concerns with liberty than economic justice but fundamentally communist
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14
Q

What are the fundamental ideas of anarchism?

A
  • Liberty
  • Anti-statism and anti-clericalism
  • Mutualism
  • Direct Action
  • Voluntary association
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15
Q

KEY THINKER
Max Stirner 1806-1856
What was Stirner’s key idea?

A
  • The Ego - that human nature was driven by individual desire, rationalism and self-desire
  • This human nature should be out above everything else and not be controlled or restained
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16
Q

KEY THINKER
Max Stirner 1806-1856
How did his ideas about the ego influence his views of society?

A
  • Economically rejected current work as it was not fulfilling and people couldn’t keep fruits of their labour
  • The state must be abolished due to the fact it limited and controlled thought
17
Q

KEY THINKER
Max Stirner 1806-1856
What did Stirner want created and how would it come into formation?

A
  • The Union of Egoists - a free society in which individuals enter into voluntary agreements which are in their own self-interest
  • Come about through insurrection not a revolution with individuals becoming egoist and rejecting state
18
Q

KEY THINKER
Peter Kropotkin 1842-1921
What were Kropotkin’s key ideas?

A
  • Mutual aid
  • Education then revolution
  • Utopia
19
Q

KEY THINKER
Peter Kropotkin 1842-1921
Describe Kropotkin’s idea of mutual aid

A
  • Scientific justification of humanities cooperative tendencies - survival of the fittest showed species that worked together to have succeeded in evolutionary race
  • Humans have been alienated from this due to the state - its abolition would lead to humans expressing true altruism
20
Q

KEY THINKER
Peter Kropotkin 1842-1921
What was the ‘evolution then revolution’ plan?

A
  • Endorsed a system of education at first but realised there must be a violent revolution to end injustice and state oppression
  • Must take land, means of production and social goods
21
Q

KEY THINKER
Peter Kropotkin 1842-1921
What did Kropotkin outline in his view for a future society?

A
  • Economically communist
  • Made up of communes that were connected to larger federations based on direct democracy
  • This would end private property and poverty
22
Q

KEY THINKER
Emma Goldman 1869 - 1940
What were Goldman’s concepts?

A
  • The state and violence

* Opposition to parliamentary politics

23
Q

KEY THINKER
Emma Goldman 1869 - 1940
What did she argue about the state and violence

A
  • All forms of government rely on violence - especially patriotism and militarism
  • Law, police and threat of violence controls, and is immoral as it restricts autonomy/individual liberty
  • State is a body of competitive struggle, aiming to expand using the military
  • Undermines social harmony and brotherhood
24
Q

KEY THINKER
Emma Goldman 1869 - 1940
Describe Goldman’s view of parliamentary politics

A
  • Opposed it on the notion that it was reformist and corrupting
  • Said it did not work, those who wanted to a part of it (eg Woman’s suffrage) would end up corrupted by authority too
  • Famous quote - ‘if voting changed anything, they would have abolished it’
  • Emancipation can only come from within, asserting own individuality
25
Q

KEY THINKER
Mikhail Bakunin 1814 - 1876
What were Bakunin’s key ideas?

A
  • Human nature as social

* Propaganda by the deed

26
Q

KEY THINKER
Mikhail Bakunin 1814 - 1876
What where Bakunin’s views upon human nature?

A
  • Stressed rationality and individuality but that they were still social and could not exist outside of society
  • Human nature shaped by society, so needed liberty to explore it fully
  • Rejected state and church authority, and collectivisation to create equality as ‘liberty without equality is just privilege and injustice’
27
Q

KEY THINKER
Mikhail Bakunin 1814 - 1876
What was the notion of propaganda by the deed?

A
  • Masses had to free themselves, combining DIY politics and direct action
  • Done through freeing self - not paying taxes, rents or debts, mass strikes and refusal of conscription to the draft
  • Provide a catalyst for spontaneous revolution
28
Q

KEY THINKER
Pierre- Joseph Proudhon 1809 - 1865
Name the three ideas that Proudhon promoted

A
  • Private property is exploitative and divisive
  • Mutualism is the basis of liberty
  • Change should be evolutionary, not revolutionary
29
Q

KEY THINKER
Pierre- Joseph Proudhon 1809 - 1865
Explain Proudhon’s economic views

A
  • Private property with the notions of rent, interest and profit were exploitative and divisive
  • Endorsed individual right to keep the fruits of their labour as protection against the collective
  • Society organised with worker cooperatives that organise their own work and exchange goods based on labour notes taking account of how much effort goes into creating a good
30
Q

KEY THINKER
Pierre- Joseph Proudhon 1809 - 1865
What was Proudhon’s ideas on mutualism?

A
  • Mutualism would be the basis of economic liberty, with there a federal state and decentralisation fo power
  • Decentralisation based on bottom-up approach with most power with local small central bodies
  • Federations join together using voluntary agreements, free to leave whenever
31
Q

KEY THINKER
Pierre- Joseph Proudhon 1809 - 1865
Why did Proudhon believe that anarchism needed to develop through evolution not revolution?

A
  • Rejected state as having no morality but wanted to construct anarchist state in the shell of the state
  • Anarchist should develop mutualist organisations such as workers cooperatives and a People Bank which would cause the old state to die out