POLS1301 Lecture Notes - Lecture 6: Collectivist Anarchism, Participatory Democracy, Pierre-Joseph Proudhon
13 May 2018
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POLS 1301 - LECTURE - ANARCHISM
1. Social Vision
All anarchists are committed to complete individual freedom. They oppose all coercive authority
and this includes any form of government by a state (liberal, conservative, social democratic or
communist). It also includes all institutions of law and order (police, courts etc), organised
religion, compulsory schooling, censorship, coercive childrearing, the enforcement of ‘social
norms’ – for example in relation to gender, sexuality, marriage etc – and all internalised (psychic
or emotional) oppression.
In the absence of coercion, anarchists believe a better social order will arise spontaneously. This
new social order will include voluntary associations.
Anarchists may be individualist or collectivist in their orientation:
• COLLECTIVIST ANARCHISM - influenced by socialism and critical of capitalism. Look
to collective production and common ownership. Anarchist society on this model would be
composed of many small communities bound together in a loose federation. Importance of
equality and direct, participatory democracy for the organisation of the community. And
“means must be consistent with ends” – ie the way to create a new world is to take steps to
create it and to ensure that these steps are always consistent with anarchist principles (non-
coercion).
• INDIVIDUALIST ANARCHISTS – influenced by classical/neoliberalism and support
capitalism (but reject the liberal state). Argue that all human needs and wants can be
satisfied via the capitalist market – thus “stateless capitalism” . eg David D. Friedman, The
Machinery of Freedom
Why do anarchists oppose the state? They claim:
• The state perpetrates evil. Proudhon argues that the state is a coercive, punitive,
exploitative and destructive body.
• The state has no right to exist (there is no legitimate basis for the authority that states
claim). Anarchists reject the story of the ‘social contract’ that liberals use to justify the
authority of a liberal state. They also reject the conservative view that state authority is
sanctified, and its wisdom increased, by tradition.
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Document Summary
Pols 1301 - lecture - anarchism: social vision. All anarchists are committed to complete individual freedom. They oppose all coercive authority and this includes any form of government by a state (liberal, conservative, social democratic or communist). In the absence of coercion, anarchists believe a better social order will arise spontaneously. This new social order will include voluntary associations. Anarchists may be individualist or collectivist in their orientation: collectivist anarchism - influenced by socialism and critical of capitalism. Anarchist society on this model would be composed of many small communities bound together in a loose federation. Importance of equality and direct, participatory democracy for the organisation of the community. Means must be consistent with ends ie the way to create a new world is to take steps to create it and to ensure that these steps are always consistent with anarchist principles (non- coercion). Individualist anarchists influenced by classical/neoliberalism and support capitalism (but reject the liberal state).
