Anarchism: Power & Authority
Rejection of Government and the State
The state is immoral as it rules by physical coercion and deceit, unjust in its defence of economic inequality and must be rejected due to its impact on human nature − to cover the arguments against the state, power and political participation and how the state can be overthrown
Anarchism is primarily characterized by its rejection of hierarchy and control, with the state viewed as a major example of such structures. Anarchists advocate for a society without government, where individuals cooperate freely and voluntarily without pressure or force. Despite this, anarchism faces many misunderstandings and misrepresentations. One common misconception is that it relies on a blind belief in people's basic goodness, assuming humans are inherently moral. While anarchists do believe that people can live productive and peaceful lives without leaders, this belief is not solely based on an optimistic view of human nature.
Anarchism focuses on challenging authority. Anarchists believe in eliminating all forms of authority. The CNT, or Confederación Nacional del Trabajo, is a Spanish trade union that supports anarcho-syndicalism. According to their resolutions from the 1936 Zaragoza Congress, after a revolution passes its violent stage, several things will be abolished. This includes private property, the government, and the concept of authority. By removing these elements, the divisions of society into the powerful and the powerless will also end. Essentially, to dismantle class structures, these three key components must be addressed. They represent interconnected aspects of a larger issue.
The first issue of Mother Earth, with a print run of 3000 copies, hit newsstands in March 1906. For a dime, readers got a showcase of anarchist and radical writings on current events, as well as poetry and fiction. Editor Emma Goldman kept the monthly in circulation until August 1917, despite conflicts with the U.S. Postal Service and law enforcement authorities who found its content "treasonable."
Alexander Berkman 'The right to compel you is called authority and all government, all law and authority finally rest on violence and force, on punishment or the fear of punishment.'
Berkman compares a thief and a police officer. Both can force someone to act, but only the police officer has the right to do this. The police officer's authority comes from the state, giving them powers that others lack. Authority is created within a social structure where certain individuals can command others, and those lower in the hierarchy are expected to follow.
Élisée Reclus: The principle of authority, demands that the superior should never give the impression of being wrong and that in every verbal exchange, he should have the last word. But above all, his orders must be carried out.
Anarchists tend to use authority as a synonym for the state, Anarchists also extend the language of authority from the state or government to the whole of society. So Recluse says that the authority that prevails in government
corresponds to that which holds sway in families, Kropotkin shared this perspective. He refers to the authority of the father in the family. He argued that the modern nation-state was formed by the landlord, the military, the judge, the priest, and later on the capitalist, to ensure each of their authority over the people and the exploitation of their poverty.
Power corrupts those who wield it
Anarchists have differing views on human nature.. Many anarchists do not see human nature as fixed. Instead, they believe people are shaped by their environment and can also change it. As a result, individuals can act either ‘good’ or ‘evil’ based on their social and political context. Those who may generally be kind and helpful can turn into oppressive tyrants when given power, privilege, or wealth. When anarchists think about human nature,y have a broadly positive view of human nature, but the state and power have a corrosive effect on individuals, so they often take a realistic, even pessimistic, stance. They replace the liberal idea that “power tends to corrupt” with the stronger belief that any form of power will corrupt completely.
For anarchists, the state represents a serious breach of liberty and equality due to its control and force. They view it as a concentrated form of evil. This critical view is reflected in one of Pierre-Joseph Proudhon’s arguments.
‘To be governed is to be watched over, inspected, spied on, directed, legislated, regimented, closed in, indoctrinated, preached at, controlled, assessed, evaluated, censored, commanded all by creatures that have neither the right, nor the wisdom,nor the virtue.’ Pierre-Joseph Proudhon (1809–65)
The state is ‘the club, the gun, the handcuff, or the prison’ Emma Goldman
Anarchists reject the liberal notion that political authority arises from voluntary agreement, through some form of ‘social contract’, and argue instead that individuals become subject to state authority either by being born in a particular country or through conquest. Furthermore, the state is a coercive body, whose laws must be obeyed because they are backed up by the threat of punishment.
‘Propaganda by the deed’
All anarchists oppose the state but disagree on the best way to confront it. Some support violence while others do not. Some believe that the violence inherent in the state and its laws should be countered with "revolutionary violence." In the late 1800s, this sometimes led to terrorist acts and assassinations aimed at inspiring the oppressed to rise up, promoting the idea that violence could serve as a form of activism. Beyond outright revolution, anarchists have also used direct action. For instance, anarcho-syndicalists avoid traditional politics and focus on pressuring employers through boycotts, sabotage, and strikes. The contemporary anti-capitalist movement, which draws from anarchist ideals, also uses mass protests and direct political involvement. On the other hand, some anarchists prefer peaceful methods and non-violence, often steering clear of large political movements.
Anarchists believe in eliminating the state. They view the state as corrupt and oppressive, limiting people's freedom to choose their own paths. Anarchists think that human nature can change, similar to liberals, but they argue that a limited state with checks and balances is a false hope. They claim all laws restrict personal freedom, and disobeying them leads to threats of violence and punishment. Anarchists see the state as a tool for the wealthy, creating inequality. They believe that a revolution is necessary to abolish the state, as it won't relinquish power willingly. Unlike many Marxists, anarchists do not support structured and disciplined methods; they favor direct action and civil disobedience. They advocate for direct democracy instead of the misleading practice of representative democracy.
Anarchists challenge the idea of direct democracy. Rousseau argued that this system would often fail in real life. He believed people usually vote for their own interests rather than what benefits everyone. Rousseau felt this could only be prevented in small communities, where everyone understands the common good. His ideas influenced Kropotkin, who supported the idea of small, independent, self-governing communities.
The case for and against using referendums