Anarchism

Anarchism in culture Jump to: navigation, search Note: A replacement for this page is being drafted at Anarchism/historical. ... File links The following pages link to this file: Anarchism Anarchy Individualist anarchism Libertarianism Anarcho-Communism Libertarian socialism The Angry Brigade Haymarket Riot Anarcho-syndicalism Anarchist law Anarcho-punk List of creative works about anarchism Spanish Revolution Freedom Press Confederación Nacional del Trabajo Primitivism Green anarchism WOMBLES Squamish Five... Anarchism and Marxism Anarchism and religion Anarchism and society Anarchism and the arts Anarchist economics Anarchist law Anarchist symbolism Anarcho-punk This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ... Anarchists have traditionally been sceptical and opposed to organized religion. ... Jump to: navigation, search This article discusses the anarchist critiques of society and proposed solutions from the anarchist perspective. ... This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ... Anarchist economics entails theory and praxis relating to economic activity within the philosophical outlines of anarchism. ... Anarchist law refers to a concept about the law to use in anarchies, although some people define anarchies as communities without any law. ... This article discusses various anarchist symbols, including the circle-A and the black flag. ... The anarchy symbol commonly used by anarcho-punks Anarcho-punk (sometimes known as peace-punk) is a subgenre of the punk rock movement consisting of groups and bands promoting specifically anarchist ideas. ... Strategic Movements Anarcha-feminism Anarchist communism Anarcho-syndicalism Anarcho-primitivism Anarchism without adjectives Individualist anarchism Anarcha-feminism combines anarchism with feminism. ... Anarchist Communism, also known as Anarcho-Communism, Communo-Anarchism or Libertarian Communism, is a political ideology related to Libertarian socialism. ... Anarcho-syndicalism is a branch of anarchism which focuses on the labor movement, hence the syndicalism qualification. ... Anarcho-primitivism is an anarchist critique of the origins and progress of civilization. ... This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ... Individualist anarchism is a philosophical tradition that opposes collectivism and has a particularly strong emphasis on the supremacy and autonomy of the individual. ... Relevant lists Anarchists Books Communities Concepts Musicians Organizations Jump to: navigation, search The following is a list of individuals who have been regarded as anarchists by themselves or others, arranged by surname. ... This is a list of past and present anarchist communities. ... These are concepts which, although not exclusive to anarchism, are significant in historical and/or modern anarchist circles. ... Jump to: navigation, search The following is a list of notable anarchist musicians. ... This list uses the word organization in its loosest sense. ...

In English speaking countries, anarchist ideas and practises initially developed within the context of radical Whiggery and Protestant religious dissent. During the English Civil War, the American Revolution and the industrialisation English language anarchist thought developed in the context of revolutionary working class politics and other Anarchisms. Finally, in the late 20th Century, some American classical liberals developed a capitalist position on small governments and limited law. The English language is a West Germanic language that originates in England. ... Jump to: navigation, search Note: A replacement for this page is being drafted at Anarchism/historical. ... This article is about the British Whig party. ... Protestantism is a general grouping of denominations within Christianity. ... The term English Civil War (or Wars) refers to the series of armed conflicts and political machinations which took place between Parliamentarians and Royalists from 1642 until 1651. ... Jump to: navigation, search The American Revolution is the series of events, ideas, and changes that resulted in the political separation of thirteen colonies in North America from the British Empire and the creation of the United States of America. ... Industrialisation (or industrialization) or an industrial revolution (in general, with lowercase letters) is a process of social and economic change whereby a human society is transformed from a pre-industrial to an industrial state. ... Liberalism is a political current embracing several historical and present-day ideologies that claim defense of individual liberty as the purpose of government. ...

Early English anarchism

Like much of the rest of Europe, Medieval England was ruled by a limited monarch in coalition with a parliament of wealthy aristocrats and landowners. Unlike continental Europe, the parliament of the rich maintained its rights and privileges. When the English monarchy sought to establish absolute monarchy, the English parliament rebelled. During this civil war dissenting protestants and rural workers began forming utopian communities based on common ownership of the tools of production. This revolts can be distinguished from medieval revolts like Wat Tyler's on the basis that they occurred inside a commodified production system. (See Christopher Hill, Century of Revolution). As a result of this Civil War, the English aristocratic and capitalist ruling classes united behind Parliament. The Civil War, however, established many civil liberties. World map showing Europe (geographically) When considered a continent, Europe is the worlds second-smallest continent in terms of area, with an area of 10,600,000 km² (4,140,625 square miles), making it larger than Australia only. ... The Middle Ages formed the middle period in a traditional schematic division of European history into three ages: the classical civilization of Antiquity, the Middle Ages, and modern times, beginning with the Renaissance. ... A monarch is a type of ruler or head of state, whose titles and ascent are often inherited, not earned, and who represents a larger monarchical system which has established rules and customs regarding succession, duties, and powers. ... Absolute monarchy is an idealized form of government, a monarchy where the ruler has the power to rule his or her country and citizens freely with no laws or legally-organized direct opposition telling him or her what to do, although some religious authority may be able to discourage the... The term English Civil War (or Wars) refers to the series of armed conflicts and political machinations which took place between Parliamentarians and Royalists from 1642 until 1651. ... Wat Tylers Death Walter Tyler, commonly known as Wat Tyler (died June 15, 1381) was the leader of the English Peasants Revolt of 1381. ...

The Anabaptists of 16th century Europe are sometimes considered to be religious forerunners of modern anarchism. Bertrand Russell, in his History of Western Philosophy, writes that the Anabaptists "repudiated all law, since they held that the good man will be guided at every moment by the Holy Spirit...[f]rom this premiss they arrive at communism...." Anabaptists (Greek ana+baptizo re-baptizers, German: Wiedertäufer) are Christians of the so-called radical wing of the Protestant Reformation. ... (15th century - 16th century - 17th century - more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 16th century was that century which lasted from 1501 to 1600. ... Jump to: navigation, search Bertrand Russell The Right Honourable Bertrand Arthur William Russell, 3rd Earl Russell, OM, FRS (18 May 1872 – 2 February 1970), was an influential British logician, philosopher, and mathematician, working mostly in the 20th century. ... For the book by Bertrand Russell, see History of Western Philosophy (Russell) Western philosophy has a long history conventionally divided into three large eras: the Ancient, Medieval and Modern. ... The Holy Spirit, from the Christian viewpoint, while related to Gods will, is not Gods will personified. ...

Gerrard Winstanley, who published a pamphlet calling for communal ownership and social and economic organization in small agrarian communities in the 17th century, is considered another of the forerunners of modern anarchism. The first modern author to have published a treatise explicitly advocating the absence of government was William Godwin in An Enquiry Concerning Political Justice (1793); though he did not use the word anarchism, some today regard him as the "founder of philosophical anarchism"[1]. Gerrard Winstanley (1609 - September 10, 1676) was an English Protestant religious reformer and political activist during the Protectorate of Oliver Cromwell. ... (16th century - 17th century - 18th century - more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 17th century was that century which lasted from 1601-1700. ... William Godwin William Godwin (March 3, 1756 - April 7, 1836) was an English political and miscellaneous writer, considered one of the important precursors of both utilitarian and anarchist thought. ... 1793 was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ...

Liberals were often labeled "anarchists" by monarchists, even though they did not call for the abolition of hierarchy. Still, they did promote the idea of human equality, individual rights, and the responsibility of the people to judge their governments, which provided a groundwork for the development of anarchist thought. As American political society developed along the liberal model, anarchist thoughts were expressed in the writings of Henry David Thoreau (Civil Disobedience). In politics, the term liberal refers to: an adherent of the ideology of liberalism or a state or quality of this ideology. ... A monarchy, (from the Greek monos, one, and archein, to rule) is a form of government that has a monarch as Head of State. ... Individual rights is a legal term referring to what one is allowed to do and what can be done to an individual. ... Henry David Thoreau Henry David Thoreau (July 12, 1817 – May 6, 1862; born David Henry Thoreau) was an American author, naturalist, pacifist, tax resister and philosopher who is famous for Walden (available at wikisource) on simple living amongst nature and Civil Disobedience (available at wikisource) on resistance to civil government. ... An anti-war activist is arrested for civil disobedience on the steps of the Supreme Court on February 9, 2005. ...

English anarchism

In the latter nineteenth century, opposition to the existing order of society and a feeling that one could do without it, was not uncommon. It varies from the gradualist support for the English republic of Charles Bradlaugh to the revolutionary republicanism of Algernon Charles Swinburne, to the anarcho-socialism of William Morris and Oscar Wilde to the full anarchism of Peter Kropotkin and his symparthizers, such as Edith Nesbit Bland. Charles Bradlaugh (26 September 1833 _ 30 January 1891) was a political activist and one of the most famous English atheists of the 19th century. ... Algernon Charles Swinburne (April 5, 1837 _ April 10, 1909) was a Victorian era English poet. ... William Morris, socialist and innovator in the arts & crafts movement William Morris, publisher Davids Charge to Solomon (1882), a stained-glass window by Edward Burne-Jones and William Morris in Trinity Church, Boston, Massachusetts. ... Jump to: navigation, search Oscar Wilde Oscar Fingal OFlahertie Wills Wilde (October 16, 1854 – November 30, 1900) was an Anglo-Irish playwright, novelist, poet, and short story writer. ... Peter Kropotkin Prince Peter Alexeevich Kropotkin (In Russian Пётр Алексе́евич Кропо́ткин) (December 9, 1842 - February 8, 1921) was one of Russias foremost anarchists and one of the first advocates of what he called anarchist communism: the model of society he advocated for most of his life was that of a communalist society... Edith Nesbit (August 15, 1858 - May 4, 1924) was a British childrens author whose works were published under the asexual name of E. Nesbit. ...

English colonialism

The English established early colonies in North America. Many colonists in the Southern and Centrals colonies were interested in wealth (often in an alliance with the English king). Others, particularly in the Northern colonies, crossed the ocean specifically to escape the king or his religion. The colonies were small, isolated and not self-sufficient; instead they relied on an international system of trade and capitalist extraction, and on close alliances with indigenous populations. This was particularly true in the international fur trade, where capitalist relations spread rapidly into the interior (even to areas where Europeans had never reached, the new systems of trade were found). Jump to: navigation, search World map showing North America (geographically) A satellite composite image of North America North America is a continent in the northern hemisphere, bordered on the north by the Arctic Ocean, on the east by the North Atlantic Ocean, on the south by the Caribbean Sea, and... Autonomy is the condition of something that does not depend on anything else. ...

In order to preserve their rights of commercial extraction, or religious freedoms, the colonies were established with remarkably democratic governments for the time period, especially in New England. While few or no colonists actually advocated anarchy, the conditions of the colonies made their existence much more anarchistic than was possible in Europe. For many years, even after the establishment of the states, these conditions continued to permit extensive economic self-sufficiency and local decision making, which are central values of many forms of anarchism. This tradition contributed to the development of individualist anarchism. While the states marked in red show the core of New England, the regions cultural influence may cover a greater or lesser area than shown. ... Individualist anarchism is a philosophical tradition that opposes collectivism and has a particularly strong emphasis on the supremacy and autonomy of the individual. ...

Contact with the indigenous peoples of North America provided colonists with examples of a diverse set of societies that were all radically different than the societies in Europe. While many colonists dismissed the indigenous peoples as "savages," others looked to them for lessons about how societies could possibly be structured as well as identifying possible causes for problems in their own society. Some of these societies lacked concepts such as private property and had very flexible leadership. In the late 20th century these societies have served as models for primitivist anarchists. Indigenous peoples are: Peoples living in an area prior to colonization by a state Peoples living in an area within a nation-state, prior to the formation of a nation-state, but who do not identify with the dominant nation. ... Primitive communism, according to Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels, is the original society of humanity. ...

The colonial societies continued to develop with massive immigration, bringing more cultural diversity. Anarchistic ideas entered from around the world with these immigrants. The association of immigrants with radical politics often motivated anti-immigrant movements in the United States.

In Australia, however, the colonies were explicitly established as capitalist workhouses for the United Kingdom. Here the indigenous inhabitants were forcibly alienated from their communal property, and state planned genocide was used to generate farm land for industrial wool production. Australian anarchism has a much greater association with the development of the Australian labour movement through individuals such as Chummy Fleming, particularly in the early militant days of labourism. The Australia labour movement reaches back to the 19th century and has a long tradition of organised unions of workers. ... John William Chummy Fleming (1863 - January 25, 1950) was a pioneer unionist, agitator for the unemployed, and anarchist in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. ...

In New Zealand the combination of an indigeneous highly stratified class society, which rapidly took up the tools, systems and weaponry of European culture created a greater challenge for the English empire. Maori culture fought the pakeha (Europeans) to a stand still. The Maori were highly successful in acquiring weapons off American or English traders, and succeeded in gaining formal treaties off the English. This situation was reversed over much of the course of the 20th century. New Zealand anarchy has much of its roots in the internal conflicts of paheka culture (particularly in the form of the labour movement), and of the conflicts between Maori and pakeha culture. Te Puni, Māori Chief Māori is the name of the indigenous people of New Zealand, and their language. ... Pakeha is a New Zealand English word for European New Zealanders, that is, New Zealanders of predominantly European descent. ...

Industrial Unionism

Unique amongst national anarchist traditions is the development of English language industrial unionism in the United States and Australia. See: Industrial unionism, Industrial Workers of the World. This tendency represented the largest wing of English anarchism until the 1960s. In the United Kingdom, anarchism redeveloped from dormant syndicalist movements within Trotskyism, like Solidarity (UK). Additionally, these movements were inspired by events in Europe, like Situationalism or Autonomist Marxism. Industrial unionism is a labor union organizing method through which all workers in the same industry are organized into the same union -- regardless of skill or trade -- thus giving workers in one industry, or in all industries, more leverage in bargaining and in strike situations. ... Industrial unionism is a labor union organizing method through which all workers in the same industry are organized into the same union -- regardless of skill or trade -- thus giving workers in one industry, or in all industries, more leverage in bargaining and in strike situations. ... The Industrial Workers of the World (IWW or the Wobblies) is an international union headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA, having much in common with anarcho-syndicalist unions, but also many differences. ... Syndicalism is a political and economic ideology which advocates giving control of both industry and government to labor union federations. ... Jump to: navigation, search Trotskyism is the theory of Marxism as advocated by Leon Trotsky. ... Solidarity was a small libertarian socialist organisation and magazine of the same name in the United Kingdom. ... Situationalism may refer to either Situational ethics or to the ideology of the Situationist International. ... Autonomism, or Autonomist Marxism is a left wing political movement and theory. ...

In the United States, many new immigrants were anarchists; an especially notable group was the large number of Jewish immigrants who had left Russia and Eastern Europe during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. These groups were disrupted by the Red Scare of 1919. Immigration is the act of moving to or settling in another country or region, temporarily or permanently. ... Jump to: navigation, search The word Jew (Hebrew: יהודי) is used in a wide number of ways, but generally refers to a follower of the Jewish faith, a child of a Jewish mother, or someone of Jewish descent with a connection to Jewish culture or ethnicity; and often a combination of... Pre-1989 division between the West (grey) and Eastern Bloc (orange) superimposed on current national boundaries: Russia (dark orange), other countries of the former USSR (medium orange) and other former communist regimes (light orange). ... This article contains information that has not been verified. ...

Emma Goldman was a very influential anarchist and feminist during this period. She traveled the country and the world spreading anarchist ideas and attempting to live an anarchist life. Emma Goldman (June 27, 1869 – May 14, 1940) was a Lithuanian-born anarcho-communist known for her anarchist writings and speeches. ...

The anarcho-syndicalist orientation of many early American labor unions played a large part in the formation of the American political spectrum. The United States is the only industrialized former British colony to not have a labor-based political party. A political spectrum is a way of comparing or visualizing different political positions, by placing them upon one or more geometric axes. ...

Social revolt

The waves of progressive social revolt in the 1960s inspired a large number of anarchist movements in the English speaking world. Many of these movements have been short lived, small, disorganised and dominated by the middle class. Since the early 1990s, however, American anarchism has shown an increasing emphasis on class based organisation. The middle class (or middle classes) comprises a social group once defined by exception as an intermediate social class between the nobility and the peasantry. ...

A surge of popular interest in anarchism occurred during the 1960s and 1970s. In the UK this was associated with the punk rock movement; the band Crass is celebrated for its anarchist and pacifist ideas. The 1960s, or The Sexy Sixties, in its most obvious sense refers to the decade between 1960 and 1969, but the expression has taken on a wider meaning over the past twenty years. ... This article provides extensive lists of events and significant personalities of the 1970s. ... Punk rock is an anti-establishment music movement beginning around 1976 (although precursors can be found several years earlier), exemplified and popularised by The Ramones, the Sex Pistols, The Clash and The Damned. ... For information about the anarchist writer see Chris Crass Crass was an influential English anarchist punk rock band. ... Pacifist may mean: an advocate of pacifism. ...

Beginning in the later part of the 20th century anarchist primitivists like John Zerzan began to proclaim that civilization — not just the state — would need to fall for anarchy to be achieved. A rejection of industrial technology is also prominent in the views of many green anarchists. This worldview was associated with the growth of the anti-roads movement in the UK, Earth First! and the Earth Liberation Front in the US, and the actions of Theodore Kaczynski (aka the "Unibomber"). This article is about primitivism. ... John Zerzan John Zerzan (born 1943) is an American anarchist and primitivist philosopher and author. ... A civilization or civilisation has a variety of meanings related to human society. ... This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ... Green anarchists compose a diverse and open movement of people who take influences from a variety of different places. ... Monkey wrench and tomahawk, group symbol Earth First! is a radical environmental defense movement, pioneered in the early 1980s by Arizona desert activists Dave Foreman, Mike Roselle, Howie Wolke, Bart Koehler, and others. ... The Earth Liberation Front (ELF) is a global radical environmental movement. ... Theodore Kaczynski Dr. Theodore John Kaczynski, Ph. ...

North America: Many collectives and anarchist groups exist within the United States. Food Not Bombs, Indymedia Centers, ARA Chapters, etc exist in large numbers. Large scale American anarchist groups include Green Anarchy, NEFAC, IWW, and others. Canada also has members of NEFAC, and has it's own host of anarchist groups and collectives. The Independent Media Center, also called Indymedia or the IMC, is a loose network of amateur or alternative media organizations and journalists who organize into decentralized collectives, normally around geographic locations. ...

Prominent anarchists in English speaking societies

United States of America

• Voltairine de Cleyre
• Emma Goldman
• William B. Greene
• Lysander Spooner
• Benjamin Tucker
• Henry David Thoreau
• Josiah Warren

Voltairine de Cleyre (November 17, 1866–June 6, 1912) was, according to Emma Goldman, the most gifted and brilliant anarchist woman America ever produced; yet, even among most anarchists, she is today almost completely unknown. ... Emma Goldman (June 27, 1869 – May 14, 1940) was a Lithuanian-born anarcho-communist known for her anarchist writings and speeches. ... William B. Green was a 19th century American individualist anarchist and author. ... Lysander Spooner (January 19, 1808 - May 14, 1887) was an American political philosopher, abolitionist, and legal theorist of the 19th century. ... Benjamin Tucker (April 17, 1854 – June 22, 1939) was the leading proponent of American individualist anarchism in the 19th century. ... Henry David Thoreau Henry David Thoreau (July 12, 1817 – May 6, 1862; born David Henry Thoreau) was an American author, naturalist, pacifist, tax resister and philosopher who is famous for Walden (available at wikisource) on simple living amongst nature and Civil Disobedience (available at wikisource) on resistance to civil government. ... Josiah Warren (1799-1874) was an American social reformer and commonly regarded as the first individualist anarchist. ...

Contemporary

• Ashanti Alston
• Bob Black
• Murray Bookchin
• John Holloway
• Noam Chomsky