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In a narrow sense, anarchism is the theory that all forms of government rest on violence, and are therefore wrong and harmful, as well as unnecessary (Emma Goldman). In a broad sense, anarchism might be thought of as the historical tendency to seek out, challenge, and then dismantle hierarchies and power structures, which anarchists regard as coercive and oppressive. Broader still, anarchism might be thought of as the complete rejection of systems of domination. This is the critical aspect of anarchist theory. In place of a society ruled by coercion and force, competition and predation, anarchists envision a world based on principles such as solidarity, mutual aid, and cooperation. On this view, voluntary associations among groups and individuals will replace the state-corporate nexus in all its functions -- or at least the functions that are worth keeping. That is to say, anarchism is a sort of bottom-up, or libertarian (meaning anti-authoritarian), socialism. This is the constructive aspect of anarchist theory. |
