I.M.
Anarchy
Anarchy: a political theory considering a society without a government or authoritarian rule where all people are equal
While the definition provided may appear simple, it gets more complicated than this. Anarchistic ideas come from the thought that society can fall into a natural order or harmony without the corruption of man-made laws that break that harmony and cause oppression, inequality, greed, and more. Anarchism begins with the lower class, or majority of people, demanding that they govern themselves in an autonomous state. It is the idea that people can govern themselves without any outside force telling them to do so, a rejection of the current State.
Anarchist sentiments have been littered throughout history (e.g. Cynics and Stoics of ancient Greece and the Taoists of ancient China). Always growing from the moral protest of oppression and injustice, whenever the majority wants to govern themselves in the face of a power-seeking minority. However, it wasn’t until after the French Revolution (1789-1793), which set the parameters of anarchism, that William Godwin started to base the beginning of his ideas. The French Revolution was not organized by anarchists as we know them today but by revolutionaries with anarchistic ideas. The French revolutionaries wanted Agrarian Law: economic equality, political liberty, and a leveling of wealth. The people of France were oppressed for too long by a political hierarchy that was not meeting their needs. This, in turn, caused a cry out for a better, more equal society. Though not labeled at the time this was a turning point for revolutionary and modern anarchistic thought.
In 1793, reflecting on the French Revolution, Godwin actualized his ideas and published An Enquiry Concerning Political Justice. Godwin argued that any government is a corrupting force within society. Governments survive by continuing to tell people that it is needed. He argues that as soon as people start learning and gaining more knowledge the government will become useless and powerless. Knowledge will play a central role in perfecting humans with the rejection of law, State, religion, and more.
Over the years, the concept of anarchy has gone through many debates and evolutions. Philosophers like Noam Chomsky, Emma Goldman, Mikhail Bakunin, Peter Kropotkin, Pierre-Joseph Proudhon, and others all noted how anarchy fits into their eras. Each offers varying views on the idea arguing slightly different angles but all with the same goal, to reject a State-controlled society.
Individualists focus on the individual and argue that any society with collectivistic values, even minimally, could become tyrannic. Social anarchists argue that any society based solely on the individual could hurt the spirit of competition and mutual aid letting everyone get lazy and/or protective. Spiritual anarchists reject man-made law like the other theorists but see a natural order in society and that a truly free society can live without any hate. They are also non-violent unlike other, but not all other, anarchists. Anarcho-syndicalists focus heavily on economic unionism where workers take control of their labor and economy, having more influence in a capitalist society. There are also mutualists, socialists, communists, and collectivists, who all are similar in their way of sharing property but all vary slightly.
The ramifications of anarchism come from turning this political thought into a reality. This happens with, more often than not, violent protests, riots, assassinations, and other acts that can cause political and social unrest. Anarchism, in entertainment and news media, is often portrayed as violent and disorderly. Movies like The Purge, The Hunger Games, Mad Max, and V for Vendetta for example. Violence on this scale is not accepted within our current society and could lead to issues within the majority. The people who actively participate in anarchy are a minority within this larger majority of the population and can be ostracized or even silenced themselves. If all people within a society are equal and someone in the minority of thought wants to act on it, they might not be able to themselves. But with all things equal in a perfect society, anarchists argue that no one would think like this, perhaps naively. Anarchy is a complicated idea and often reflects societal needs, wants, shortcomings, and inequalities ramifications.
References
Kropotkin, P. (1909, November 5). The Great French Revolution, 1789-1793. In Defence of Marxism. https://www.marxist.com/the-great-french-revolution-1789-1793/41.-the-anarchists.htm
Marshall, P. (2008). Chapter 1. The River of Anarchy. In Demanding the Impossible: A History of Anarchism (pp. 3–11). essay, Harper Perennial.
Philp, M. (2021, March 25). William Godwin. Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/godwin/
