Social anarchism
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Social anarchism (sometimes called collectivist anarchism) is a term used to differentiate two broad categories of anarchism, with the other being individualist anarchism. Social anarchism includes (but not limited to) anarcho-communism, anarcho-syndicalism and social ecology. Social anarchists use the term to diffentiate themselves from individualist anarchists and sometimes to distinguish themselves from what they see as a personalistic ideology of social accommodation that presents no threat to the existing powers, what they refer to as lifestyle anarchism. "Social anarchist" is often used in contrast to the often derogatory "lifestylist," a classification usually denied and rejected.
Murray Bookchin identifies social anarchism with the "left," by which he refers to the "great tradition of human solidarity and a belief in the potentiality for humanness," internationalism and confederalism, the democratic spirit, anti-militarism, and rational secularism. Whereas social anarchism aims for "free association of people living together and cooperating in free communities."
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[edit] Collectivist Anarchism
Collectivist anarchism, also known as "anarcho-collectivism," is most commonly associated with Mikhail Bakunin and the anti-authoritarian section of the First International (1864-1876). Unlike mutualists, collectivist anarchists oppose all private ownership of the means of production, instead advocating that ownership be collectivized. Workers would be compensated for their work on the basis of the amount of time they contributed to production, rather than goods being distributed "according to need" as in anarcho-communism.
[edit] Anarcho-communism
Anarchist communism is a form of social anarchism that advocates the abolition of the State and capitalism in favor of a horizontal network of voluntary associations through which everyone will be free to satisfy his or her needs.
Anarchist communism is also known as anarcho-communism, communist anarchism, or, sometimes, libertarian communism. However, while all anarchist communists are libertarian communists, some libertarian communists, such as council communists, are not anarchists. What distinguishes anarchist communism from other variants of libertarian communism is the former's opposition to all forms of political power, hierarchy and domination.
[edit] Anarcho-syndicalism
Anarcho-syndicalism is a branch of social anarchism which focuses on the labour movement. Syndicalisme is a French word meaning "trade unionism" – hence, the "syndicalism" qualification. Anarcho-syndicalists view labour unions as a potential force for revolutionary social change, replacing capitalism and the State with a new society democratically self-managed by workers. Anarcho-syndicalists seek to abolish the wage system and private ownership of the means of production, which they believe lead to class divisions.
[edit] Mutualism
Whether mutualism is individualist or collectivist appears to depend on the form it takes. Some scholars place Proudhon's mutualism as a being situated somewhere between individualist and social anarchism.[1][2] Some American individualist anarchists have proposed their own form of mutualism.
[edit] Social Anarchism Magazine
Social Anarchism is also a biannual journal of "community self-reliance, direct participation in political decision-making, respect for nature, and nonviolent paths to peace and justice." Each issue contains essays on current anarchist theory, anarchist history, an exchange of hot topics, as well as one or two book reviews. The journal has been continuely published since 1981 and is currently edited by Howard Ehrlich, compiler (among other works) of "Reinventing Anarchy, Again."
[edit] See also
[edit] Notes and references
- ^ Avrich, Paul. Anarchist Voices: An Oral History of Anarchism in America, Princetone University Press 1996 ISBN 0-691-04494-5, p.6
- ^ Blackwell Encyclopaedia of Political Thought, Blackwell Publishing 1991 ISBN 0-631-17944-5, p.11
[edit] References
- Bookchin, Murray 1995. Social Anarchism or Lifestyle Anarchism: An Unbridgeable Chasm. AK Press 187317683X
- Social Anarchism or Lifestyle Anarchism - An Unbridgeable Chasm: full online text - The definitive essay comparing social and lifestyle anarchism
