The Definitive Guide to Political Ideologies by Bloor Kevin

Author:Bloor, Kevin [Bloor, Kevin]
Language: eng
Format: mobi
ISBN: 9781467023924
Publisher: AuthorHouse
Published: 2010-02-09T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter 6

Anarchism

The core elements of anarchism

Anarchism is the most fascinating and thought-provoking of all the political ideologies one might consider. Anarchism is unequivocally uncompromising, wonderfully eclectic and unapologetically utopian. As a body of thought, anarchism dates back to the Cynics of Ancient Greece and according to one of its principal proponents “stands for the liberation of the human mind from the dominion of religion: the liberation of the human body from the dominion of property [and the] liberation from the shackles and restraints of government [it is] the philosophy of a new social order based on liberty unrestricted by manmade law; the theory that all forms of government rest on violence, and are therefore wrong and harmful, as well as unnecessary.” More importantly, anarchism offers the promise of deep intellectual interest for both students and teachers of Politics due to its “salutary effect upon awakening thought” (William Godwin). 16

Essentially, there are two core elements of anarchism. The first is a bold assertion that individuals must possess absolute and unrestricted freedom. This view is based upon a fundamental commitment to liberty as a political value. For anarchists such as Joseph Labadie “liberty is the solution to all social and economic questions.” This deep-seated belief in liberty places anarchism on the extreme edge of the libertarian axis. Anarchism thereby confronts the prevalent Weltanschauung amongst political ideologies, all of whom justify a role for the state within society in order to enhance human existence. For anarchists, we can only realise the goal of a truly utopian society when – and only when – we are freed from the confines of the state.

The second element of anarchism is a belief that any form of political authority is unnecessary and evil. Naturally, this manifests itself in implacable opposition to the state. All anarchists share an abhorrence of the criminal, illegitimate and violent actions of the state. As a body of thought, anarchism offers a firm critique of authoritarianism in all its forms. Anarchism thereby takes the Jeffersonian argument to its final conclusion, a view best articulated by the words of the American theorist Henry Thoreau (1817-1862) who said “that government is best which governs not at all.”

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