Politics : Anarchism

Front 1

What is the core principle of anarchism?

Back 1

Rejection of the state as it is an unnecessary evil based on unjust hierarchy e.g. church, capitalism

Front 2

What are the three aspects of the state?

Back 2

Government - system of rule based on deceit and violence

Authority - the right of one person/institution to influence the behaviour of others

Power - instruments by which the state secure their authority

Front 3

What is the anarchist view of the state?

Back 3

State, based on deceit and violence, restricts liberty and prevents individuals exercising power over themselves. Voting is a fraud.

Front 4

How can the state be overthrown by direct action?

Back 4

Non-payment of taxes

Non-compliance with conscription orders

Mass strike to bring about revolution

Front 5

How can the state be overthrown by establishing a moral society?

Back 5

Education to create perfect humans relied on to exercise private, rational judgement well so state would become irrelevant and wither away

Front 6

How can the state be overthrown by peaceful and gradual abolition?

Back 6

Achieved through democratic political process as anarchist ideas gained popularity so people vote to dismantle state

Front 7

How can the state be overthrown by withdrawing from society to become an autonomous individual?

Back 7

the state would have no relevenace for, or hold over, a person

Front 8

How is the state commanding?

Back 8

Can coerce a person to act against their will, forcing the individual to suspend their reason and remove their autonomy

Front 9

How is the state controlling?

Back 9

Authority control suppresses initiative and creativity and stifles individual self-realisation

Front 10

How is the state corrupting?

Back 10

Those in authority lose contact with their 'true' human nature due to wealth and power, so abuse those under them, defending inequality with force

Front 11

How do anarcho-individualists believe the state defends economic inequality?

Back 11

Taxation is no more than state 'robbery' imposed by the veiled threat of force

Front 12

How do anarcho-collectivists believe the state defends economic inequality?

Back 12

Globally, state protects elites of industrially developed countries through institutions e.g G20 and World Bank

Protects private property and the privileged position of the wealthy

Front 13

What is liberty?

Back 13

The freedom for individuals to pursue their own best interests and freedom from state control

Front 14

What are anarchist views on order?

Back 14

Most want to establish an ordered society but believe capitalist state encourages disorder as oppressed will try to topple it

Front 15

What is the view of liberty and human nature by individualist anarchists?

Back 15

Humans are rational, autonomous, competitive and self-interested individuals but authority is commanding (prevents autonomy) and controlling (no freedom to explore one's individuality)

Front 16

What is the view of liberty and human nature by collectivist anarchists?

Back 16

State prevents humans from being unselfish and collaborative so a person can only be free when everyone is free to fulfill their potential and are equal (no class system)

Front 17

What is the anarchist view of society and social order?

Back 17

Social order occurs naturally and spontaneously, based on rational, social and cooperative human nature

Front 18

What would an anarchist society include?

Back 18

No centralised controlling body. Instead, a decentralised association of independent self-governing districts, where free and equal individuals would cooperate voluntarily

Front 19

What are anarcho-individualist views on liberty?

Back 19

Advocate unrestrained, individual liberty free from all constraints, with some voluntary associations but only for their own personal interest

Front 20

What are anarcho-communist views on liberty?

Back 20

Liberty is absolute and achieved through mutually supportive communities with concepts of natural law.

Front 21

What are mutualist views on liberty?

Back 21

A balance between indivualism and collectivism to creat a condition of complete liberty

Front 22

What are anarcho-individualist views on order?

Back 22

Individuals should act freely without legal, political, social,moral or religious constraints. Stateless society would promote rationalism, autonomy and self-interest to guarantee social order.

Front 23

What are anarcho-communist views on order?

Back 23

Divisive nature of capitalism undermines human altruism. Common ownership and mutualism encourage cooperative altruistic behaviour, which maintains social order.

Front 24

What are anarcho-capitalist views on order?

Back 24

The free market will enable competitive, rational, self-interested individuals to make decisions in their own best interests, establishing natural order

Front 25

Why do anarchists advocate for economic freedom?

Back 25

So people can conduct their economic affairs autonomously without state ownership, regulation or intervention.

Front 26

What is utopianism?

Back 26

A set of beliefs that creates a model of an ideal or perfect future society, to develop critical analysis of existing society.

Front 27

What does the Anarchist utopian society rely on?

Back 27

A positive view of human nature and it's potential for development - peace, harmony, order and complete freedom.

Front 28

What is the collectivist objection to a capitalist economy?

Back 28

Capitalism is based on inequality, exploration ajd private property. It uses the state to protect the privileged and oppress the masses.

Front 29

What is the collectivist solution to the capitalist economy?

Back 29

Replace capitalism with collective ownership or mutualism to encourage human altruism and develop liberty and natural order

Front 30

What is the collectivist objection to a state socialist economy?

Back 30

Under state socialism, the state has become the exploring power over the masses, simply replacing the capitalist ruling elite so no real freedom exists.

Front 31

What is the collectivist solution to a state socialist economy?

Back 31

Replace state socialism with genuine collective ownership or mutualism to encourage human altruism and develop liberty and natural order

Front 32

What is the anarcho-capitalist objection to a capitalist economy?

Back 32

State intervention in the economy restricts completion, choice and liberty by skewing the market and creating public and private monopolies

Front 33

What is the anarcho-capitalist solution to a capitalist economy?

Back 33

Remove state to allow entirely free competive market with private property. Rational, autonomous and self-interested individuals can make judgements in own interests, creating natural order

Front 34

What is the anarcho-capitalist objection to a state socialist economy?

Back 34

Reliance on state planning and ownership of production rejects property rights and liberty

Front 35

What is the anarcho-capitalist solution to a state socialist economy?

Back 35

Replace state socialism with a wholly free competive market since individuals can experience economic freedom only through free competition with no outside interference

Front 36

How do collectivist anarchists believe utopia will be achieved?

Back 36

Remove capitalism. Common ownership, economic equality and natural aid will foster altruism.

Front 37

How do individualist anarchists believe utopia will be achieved?

Back 37

Removal of the state with no social or economic organisation to allow autonomy to flourish

Front 38

How do anarcho-capitalists believe utopia will be achieved?

Back 38

A stateless society based on natural and unregulated economic competition, including the pursuit of property

Front 39

What are critisisms of the anarchist view of utopia?

Back 39

Perfect anarchist stateless society is unachievable / no utopia so far achieved

Unrealistic - overly optimistic view of human nature as people are selfish/ competitive, so society/economy would be dominated by wealthy.

Front 40

Who was Max Stirner?

Back 40

Leading figure of egoist individualist anarchism whose key ideas included the Ego (rational and self-interested individual) and Union of Egoists (insurrection not revolution)

Front 41

Who was Pierre-Joseph Proudhon?

Back 41

Mutualist who opposed private property and collectivism, and believed the state should be rejected and removed peacefully.

Front 42

Who was Mikhail Bakunin?

Back 42

Collectivist anarchist and opponent of capitalism, private property, religion and state. Believed humans are sociable and state should be replaced using propoganda by the deed to trigger a revolution.

Front 43

Who was Peter Kropotkin?

Back 43

Anarcho-communidt who wrote 'Mutual Aid: A Factor of Evolution'. Supported mutual aid and revolution to replace the state.

Front 44

Who was Emma Goldman?

Back 44

Advocated communal individuality and believed the state is a 'cold monster' and that revolution is essential

Front 45

What is collectivist anarchism?

Back 45

Collective over individual - abolition of the state so common ownership will promote the tractional, altruistic and cooperative aspects of human nature

Front 46

What is anarcho-communism?

Back 46

Full communism in the pursuit of liberty, economic freedom and natural order

Front 47

What is anarcho-communism based on?

Back 47

Human solidarity, freely formed small-scale autonomous communities, direct democracy, common ownership of the wealth produced and economic equality

Front 48

What is the collectivist view of human nature?

Back 48

'True' human nature is sociable, cooperative and altruistic. Relationships are naturally based on mutual assistance, social unity and harmony.

Front 49

What is the collectivist view of the state?

Back 49

State has to be abolished as it rules through coercion and deception, defends capitalist economy inequalities and has a negative impact on human nature. Revolutionary action.

Front 50

What is the collectivist view of society?

Back 50

Society organised into voluntarily communities of producers and consumers. Responsible for the production and distribution of goods.

Front 51

What is the collectivist view of the economy?

Back 51

Capitalism destroyed and replaced with more collective and equal economic arrangements. Private property abolished and individuals own the products of their labour.

Front 52

What is the anarcho-communist view of human nature?

Back 52

Reject the view that people are self-seeking and competitive - we are naturally empathetic, sociable and cooperative.

Front 53

What is the anarcho-communist view of the state?

Back 53

Humans are capable of peaceful and harmonious self-government and therefore don't need to be subject to state control

Front 54

What is the anarcho-communist view of society?

Back 54

Decisions made collectively using a localised form of direct democracy to reflect the wishes of a specific community

Front 55

What is the anarcho-communist view of economy?

Back 55

Capitalism and private property are rejected because of the oppression and inequality they create. Common ownership and 'from each according to their ability, to each according to their need'

Front 56

What is the key disagreement between Marxists and collectivist anarchists?

Back 56

Marxists believe post-revolution a temporary socialist state should protect revolution and prepare for stateless communism. Collectivists believe all forms of state are immoral, unjust and corrupting.

Front 57

What is the key disagreement between individualist and collectivist anarchists?

Back 57

Collectivist reject the view social and economic problems can be remedied by the individual or free market and regard revolution as the only way to overthrow authority

Front 58

What is mutualism?

Back 58

Moderate collectivist anarchism based on ideas of Proudhon. Provides a link betweeen the two main strand.

Front 59

How would mutualism function?

Back 59

Self-governing producers, reject profiteering and exploitation, and exchange goods and services equitably and fairly - allows small-scale private property

Front 60

What is anarcho-syndicalism?

Back 60

Argue trade unions are vehicle for revolutionary change. Voluntary organisations, trade unions would form basis of a stateless and classless anarchist society

Front 61

What is the mutualist view of human nature?

Back 61

Positive view as we have productive abilities and creativity as producers. Firm view of solidarity.

Front 62

What is the mutualist view of society?

Back 62

People bound together is small communities by mutually beneficial economic and social relations. Based on possession, ensuring producers are entitled to their products of their labour.

Front 63

What is the mutualist view of the state?

Back 63

State is oppressive and must be peacefully abolished through democratic process. Federation organised bottom up based on voluntarily agreements.

Front 64

What is the mutualist view of economy?

Back 64

Economic system with individuals and small worker associations engaging in mutually beneficial echa change based on contracts freely entered into + people's bank.

Front 65

What is the anarcho-syndicalist view of human nature?

Back 65

Postive view with emphasis on people's capacity for social solidarity and regards work and creativity as essential to human existence.

Front 66

What is the anarcho-syndicalist view of society?

Back 66

Trade union organisations in self-governing federations to guarantee order

Front 67

What is the anarcho-syndicalist view of the state?

Back 67

Both state and capitalism are oppressive. General strike with mass demonstration and violence to destroy the state.

Front 68

What is the anarcho-syndicalist view of economy?

Back 68

Self-governing workers' federations would become owners of own means of production and engage in mutually beneficial exchange of goods, based on the real value of labour.

Front 69

What is individualist anarchism?

Back 69

View society as a loose grouping of seperate autonomous individuals. Abolish state and settle disagreements by reason to establish natural order.

Front 70

How does individualist anarchism differ from collectivist anarchism?

Back 70

Individualists endorse private property and the pursuit of free economic competition to safeguard individual autonomy, achieved by gradual change

Front 71

What is the egoist view of human nature?

Back 71

Humans are self-interested, lack morality and want total autonomy. Driven by egoism and act without restriction.

Front 72

What is the egoist view of the state?

Back 72

Revolutionary overthrow of the state is necessary because state control and coercian limit individualism and personal autonomy. Reject social conventions.

Front 73

What is the egoist view of society?

Back 73

Organised society incompatible with indivualism and personal autonomy. Form voluntarily 'union of egoists', making agreements to benefit themselves

Front 74

What is the egoist view of economy?

Back 74

Rejects capitalism because employees are exploited and alienated. Free individuals reap benefits of work and property.

Front 75

What is the anarcho-capitalist view of human nature?

Back 75

Humans are rational, competitive and economic. Innate sense of entitlement motivates them to work to acquire private property.

Front 76

What is the anarcho-capitalist view of the state?

Back 76

State removed and it's functions taken over by the free market. Threatens economic freedom and competition. State taxation violates right of private property and represents institutionalised theft.

Front 77

What is the anarcho-capitalist view of society?

Back 77

Competitor society where wealthy benefit most.free competition establish social balance and important services provided by free market.

Front 78

What is the anarcho-capitalist view of economy?

Back 78

Unregulated free market for economic growth, effectively distribute goods, services and private property. Keeps prices low and quality high, and responds to consumer demand.

Front 79

Who was Max Stirner?

Back 79

Leading figure in the egoist sub-strand of individualist anarchism. Rational/ self-interested individual takes precedence. New society created by insurrection rather than overthrow - Union of Egoists.

Front 80

Who was Pierre-Joseph Proudhon?

Back 80

Links individualist and collectivist. Opposed private property and immoral state so should be removed and replaced by mutualism.

Front 81

Who was Mikhail Bakunin?

Back 81

Founding figure in collectivist anarchism, opposed private property, capitalism, religion and state. Humans naturally sociable. Propoganda by deed to trigger revolution.

Front 82

Who was Peter Kropotkin?

Back 82

Key theorist in the anarcho-communism who used scientific approach in Mutual Aid: A factor of Evolution (1902), allows human nature to flourish. Revolution to replace state and private property with a utopian future society.

Front 83

Who was Emma Goldman?

Back 83

Advocated communal individuality which fused elements of individualist and collectivist anarchism. State is a cold monster and is immoral so should be rejected. Revolution is essential.