Anarchism is a political philosophy encompassing theories and attitudes which support the elimination of all compulsory government,[1][2][3][4] i.e. the state. Anarchism is defined by The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Politics as "the view that society can and should be organized without a coercive state."[5] Specific anarchists may have additional criteria for what constitutes anarchism, and they often disagree with each other on what these criteria are. According to The Oxford Companion to Philosophy, "there is no single defining position that all anarchists hold, beyond their rejection of compulsory government, and those considered anarchists at best share a certain family resemblance".[6]
The term anarchism derives from the Greek αναρχω, anarcho, meaning "without archons" or "without rulers",[7][8] from ἀν (an, "without") + ἄρχή (arche, "to rule") + ισμός (from stem -ιζειν).
There are many types and traditions of anarchism,[9][10] not all of which are mutually exclusive.[11] Anarchism is usually considered to be a radical left-wing ideology,[12] and as such much of anarchist economics and legal philosophy reflect anti-authoritarian interpretations of communism, collectivism, syndicalism or participatory economics; however, anarchism has always included an individualist strain,[12] including those who support capitalism (e.g. market anarchists: ancapism, agorism, etc.) and other market-orientated economic structures (e.g. mutualists).[13][14][15] As described by the 21st century anarchist Cindy Milstein, anarchism is a "political tradition that has consistently grappled with the tension between the individual and society."[16] Others, such as panarchists and anarchists without adjectives neither advocate nor object to any particular form of organization. Anarchist schools of thought differ fundamentally, supporting anything from extreme individualism to complete collectivism.[5] Some anarchists have vocally opposed all types of coercion, while others have supported the use of some coercive measures, including violent revolution, on the path to anarchy.[17]
Anarchism is the political belief that society should have no government, laws, police, or other authority, but should be a free association of all its members. William Godwin, an important anarchist philosopher in Britain during the late 18th century, believed that the "euthanasia of government" would be achieved through "individual moral reformation".
In the United States the two most significant figures in the anarchist movement were William Greene and Benjamin Tucker. In journals such as The Word and Liberty, they published the work of European anarchists such as Peter Kropotkin, Michael Bakunin, Pierre-Joseph Proudhon and Leo Tolstoy. At this time anarchism was essentially a pacifist movement.
Several leading anarchists in Europe, including Johann Most and Emma Goldman, emigrated to the United States. They both argued that it was acceptable to use violence to overthrow capitalism.
Anarchists were blamed for the Haymarket Bombing in Chicago on 4th May, 1886. The authorities were unable to identify the person who threw the bomb but a group of anarchists, Albert Parsons, August Spies, Adolph Fisher, Louis Lingg and George Engel, who helped organized the meeting, were sentenced to death for "conspiracy to murder".
In 1892 the Russian anarchist, Alexander Berkman, attempted to murder William Frick. Another immigrant, Gaetano Bresci, returned to Italy and assassinated King Umberto. Soon afterwards, another anarchist Leon Czolgosz, assassinated President William McKinley.
In January 1916 a group of anarchists began publishing the journal Blast. Alexander Berkman became editor and contributors included Emma Goldman, Mary Heaton Vorse and Robert Minor.
During the Red Scare in 1919 a large number of anarchists, including Emma Goldman, Alexander Berkman, and Mollie Steimer were deported from the United States. Some historians have argued that Nicola Sacco and Bartolomeo Vanzetti, two Italian immigrants found guilty of murder, were both executed in 1927 for their anarchist beliefs.
In the early part of the 20th century the anarchist movement in Spain was the strongest in Europe. The main support came from the industrial workers of Barcelona and in 1911 activists formed the anarcho-syndicalist trade union, the National Confederation of Trabajo (CNT).
In the first few weeks of the Spanish Civil War an estimated 100,000 men joined Anarcho-Syndicalists militias. Anarchists also established the Iron Column, many of whose 3,000 members were former prisoners. In Guadalajara, Cipriano Mera, leader of the CNT construction workers in Madrid, formed the Rosal Column. The most important anarchist leader of this period was Buenaventura Durruti who was killed while fighting in Madrid on 20th November 1936. Durruti's supporters in the CNT claimed that he had been murdered by members of the Communist Party (PCE).
In September 1936, President Manuel Azaña appointed the left-wing socialist, Francisco Largo Caballero as prime minister. Largo Caballero also took over the important role of war minister. Largo Caballero brought into his government four anarchist leaders, Juan Garcia Oliver (Justice), Juan López (Commerce), Federica Montseny (Health) and Juan Peiró (Industry). Montseny was the first woman in Spanish history to be a cabinet minister. Over the next few months Montseny accomplished a series of reforms that included the introduction of sex education, family planning and the legalization of abortion.
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