Anarchist Philosophy – a Brief Introduction
Anarchism is a set of political ideas that promote a society free of laws, police, authority and all forms of centralized government – but rather believe in a society where people are free to associate and negotiate based on their own individual terms. Anarchist Philosophy is, in essence a continually debated philosophy with a broad range of viewpoints. One example of of such a point of view is that of William Godwin, a well known and popular anarchist philosopher who lived in Britain in the late 18th century, who believed that the “euthanasia of government” would be achieved through “individual moral reformation”.
Anarchism is a political philosophy taking into account ideas and attitudes which see the state, as mandatory government, to be unnecessary, oppressive, and/or harmful, and promote the elimination of these elements in preference of the anarchist philosophies.
Particular anarchists sometimes have more or less ideas for what anarchism means to them, many anarchists philosophise with each other on whose ideas, or which strain of anarchism is purer. Really, this is anarchism in its most basic form – an ever changing and very personal set of ideas that can constantly change and adapt to however the person wishes to apply them to his or her own life.
According to The Oxford Companion to Philosophy, “there is no single defining position that all anarchists hold, and those considered anarchists at best share a certain family resemblance.”
Anarchism can be a political theory which aims to create anarchy, “the absence of a master, of a sovereign.” (P-J Proudhon, What is Property , p. 264) In other words, anarchism is a theory for a political system that encompasses a society which people can freely co-operate with whom they choose, on an equal field. As such, anarchism opposes all forms of hierarchical control – be that control by the state or a capitalist – as harmful to the individual and their individuality as well as unnecessary. This idea is in stark contrast to many’s idea of anarchy as a philosophy based on violence, disorder and even bombings – which happens because of, or even causes the breakdown of society. Such publications as “The anarchists cookbook” have not helped this perception.
“Anarchism” and “anarchy” are widely regards as some of the most misunderstood and poorly represented ideas in political theory. Generally, the words are used to mean “chaos” or “without order,” and so, by implication, anarchists desire social chaos and a return to the “laws of the jungle.” This, generally is not always the case.
