How much do you know about Anarchism?

Anarchism is a political philosophy and movement that seeks to abolish institutions that maintain unnecessary coercion and hierarchy, including governments, nation states, and capitalism, and advocates for stateless societies or other forms of free associations. Anarchists employ a diversity of tactics, including revolutionary and evolutionary tactics, to achieve their goals. The term "anarchism" derives from the Ancient Greek "anarkhia," meaning "without a ruler." Modern anarchism emerged from the Enlightenment and was formally born in the mid-19th century with Pierre-Joseph Proudhon. Anarchism has various schools of thought and has played a part in diverse areas of human society. The pre-modern era saw anarchistic ideas in China and Greece, while medieval Europe had no anarchistic activity. The era of classical anarchism lasted until the end of the Spanish Civil War. Post-World War II, anarchism saw a revival and transition from its previous revolutionary nature to provocative anti-capitalist reformism. Anarchism grew in popularity and influence within anti-capitalist, anti-war, and anti-globalisation movements around the turn of the 21st century. Contemporary anarchists are interested in building an alternative way of social organization based on mutual interdependence and voluntary cooperation. Anarchist schools of thought have been grouped into two main historical traditions, social anarchism and individualist anarchism, owing to their different origins, values, and evolution.Anarchism: Philosophy, Currents, Tactics, and Key Issues

• Anarchism has classical and post-classical currents, with the latter including anarcha-feminism, green anarchism, and post-anarchism.

• Philosophical anarchism holds that the state lacks moral legitimacy, and ethics play a central role in anarchist philosophy.

• Anarchism is placed on the far-left of the political spectrum and is anti-capitalist, egalitarian, and emphasizes community and individuality.

• Classical anarchism includes mutualism, collectivist anarchism, anarcho-communism, anarcho-syndicalism, and individualist anarchism.

• Contemporary anarchism undergirds radical social movements of the left and has various philosophies and movements, including anti-capitalist traditions.

• Anarchists are committed against coercive authority in all forms, and there is no consensus on which principles are core.

• Anarchist tactics serve to oppose the Establishment, promote anarchist ethics, and reflect an anarchist vision of society, and can be revolutionary or evolutionary.

• Anarchists of the classical era had a militant tendency, which included terrorism and assassination attempts.

• Contemporary anarchists are less violent and militant than their ideological ancestors and engage in a broader array of approaches, including direct action, self-management, and building counter-institutions.

• Anarchism embodies many diverse attitudes, tendencies, and schools of thought, and disagreement over questions of values, ideology, and tactics is common.

• Anarchists object to the state and its institutions, consider it a tool of domination, and believe it to be illegitimate regardless of its political tendencies.

• Specific anarchist attitudes towards the state vary, with some believing that it can never be legitimate due to the tension between authority and autonomy, and others seeing it as a necessary evil.Anarchism: A Summary

• Anarchists oppose the state and hierarchy, advocating for a society based on voluntary cooperation and mutual aid.

• Anarchist approaches to abolishing the state differ, with some advocating for violent revolution and others advocating for gradual change.

• Anarchists address and oppose the suppression of autonomy imposed by gender roles and advocate for free love, polyamory, and queer anarchism.

• Anarchists believe in proper education as an act of mutual aid, with tenets such as child autonomy and reasoning-based teaching methods.

• Anarchist education figures include Francisco Ferrer, Leo Tolstoy, and A. S. Neill.

• Anarchism has a profound connection with art, with its use as a prefigurative tool and means of protest.

• Common critiques of anarchism include the belief that humans cannot self-govern and that anarchism is innately related to violence and destruction.

• Philosophical anarchism has met academic criticism, with critiques of its naivety, unrealistic nature, and lack of ruling theory.

• Anarchism has been criticized by Marxists for being utopian and lacking the ability to properly implement its ideas.

• Anarchists believe in a society based on voluntary cooperation and mutual aid, without the need for a state or hierarchy.

• Anarchists address issues of gender and sexuality, advocate for proper education, and embrace the connection between anarchism and art.

• Common critiques of anarchism include the belief that humans cannot self-govern and that anarchism is utopian and lacks the ability to properly implement its ideas.