Better Understanding Of Anarchism And...
| Good [+1]Toggle ReplyLink» PaT_ replied on Mon Sep 29, 2003 @ 9:05am |
 Coolness: 116520 | and little of its history...
i was cleaning up some stuff on my computer and came across this...figured i'd post it. enjoy. Definiton of anarchism Anarchism has been defined many ways by many different sources. The word anarchism is taken from the word anarchy which is drawn from dual sources in the Greek language. It is made up of the Greek words av (meaning: absence of [and pronounced "an"] and apxn (meaning: authority or government [and pronounced "arkhe"]). Today, dictionary definitions still define anarchism as the absence of government. These modern dictionary definitions of anarchism are based on the writings and actions of anarchists of history and present. Anarchists understand, as do historians of anarchism and good dictionaries and encyclopedias, that the word anarchism represents a positive theory. Exterior sources, however, such as the media, will frequently misuse the word anarchism and, thus, breed misunderstanding. A leading modern dictionary, Webster's Third International Dictionary, defines anarchism briefly but accurately as, "a political theory opposed to all forms of government and governmental restraint and advocating voluntary cooperation and free association of individuals and groups in order to satisfy their needs." Other dictionaries describe anarchism with similar definitions. The Britannica-Webster dictionary defines the word anarchism as, "a political theory that holds all government authority to be unnecessary and undesirable and advocates a society based on voluntary cooperation of individuals and groups." Shorter dictionaries, such as the New Webster Handy College Dictionary, define anarchism as, "the political doctrine that all governments should be abolished." These similar dictionary definitions of anarchism reflect the evolution of the theory of anarchism made possible by anarchist intellectuals and movements. As a result, dictionary definitions, although fair, only reflect watered down definitions of the word anarchism. Professor Noam Chomskyt, has refuted the definition, as written in the New American Webster Handy College Dictionary, describing anarchism as a "political doctrine." According to Chomsky, "...anarchism isn't a doctrine. It's at most a historical tendency, a tendency of thought and action, which has many different ways of developing and progressing and which, I would think, will continue as a permanent strand of human history." Other modern definitions of anarchism are thoroughly explained, not as a word, but as a history of movements, people and ideas. The Encyclopedia of the American Left, in fact, gives a three page history of anarchism, yet does not once define the word. Prior to the existence of the word anarchism people used the term "Libertarian Socialism," which meant the same thing as anarchism. Libertarian socialism was used largely by Mexican radicals in the early eighteenth century. William Godwin was the first proclaimed anarchist in history and the first to write about anarchism. He was born in 1756 in Weisbech, the capital of North Cambridgeshire. He later married feminist Mary Wollstonecraft and had a daughter, Mary Shelley - author of Frankenstein. Godwin published a book called Political Justice in 1793 which first introduced his ideas about anarchism, Godwin was forgotten about, however, and after his death Pierre Joseph Proudhon became a leading anarchist figure in the world. His book What is Property? incorporated greater meaning to the word anarchism; anarchism became not only a rejection of established authority but a theory opposing ownership of land and property as well. Anarchism fully blossomed as a defined theory when Russian anarchists Mikhail Bakunin (1814-1876) and Peter Kropotkin (1842-1921) started to write and speak. Bakunin had a major influence in the world and introduced anarchism to many people. Kropotkin was one of the many people inspired by Bakunin. Kropotkin wrote many books on anarchism, including Muitual Aid, Fields Factories and Workshops, and The Conquest of Bread, and greatly aided in the evolution of the theory of anarchism. Kropotkin wrote the first adept encyclopedia definition of anarchism in the eleventh edition of the Encyclopedia Britannica in 1910. His definition was fifteen pages long. He started the definition by introducing the word anarchism as: the name given to a principle of theory of life and conduct under which society is conceived without government - harmony in such a society being obtained, not by submission to law, or by obedience to any authority, but by free agreements concluded between various groups, territorial and professional, freely constituted for the sake of production and consumption, as also for the satisfaction of the infinite variety of the needs and aspirations of a civilized being, In a society developed on these lines, the voluntary associations which already now begin to cover all fields of human activity would take a still greater extension so as to substitute themselves for the state of its functions. Following Kropotkin, Leo Tolstoy furthered the ideas which make up the meaning of the word anarchism. Tolstoy introduced Christian anarchism (rejecting church authority but believing in God) and broadened anarchism's meaning. Tolstoy, in favor of the growth of anarchism, wrote "The anarchists are right in the assertion that, without Authority, there could not be worse violence than that of Authority under existing conditions." As the 20th century emerged anarchism began to peak and the definition of anarchism became concrete with the growth of new anarchist writers and movements. The execution and imprisonment of eight anarchists in Chicago in 1886 sparked anarchism's growth in the United States. The "Haymarket Eight" flourished anarchists such as Voltairine de Cleyre and Lucy Parsons. Parsons was born into slavery and later became an anarchist and an ardent speaker and working class rebel; the Chicago police labled Parsons, "...more dangerous than a thousand rioters." Emma Goldman also became a part of the anarchist movement due to the Chicago Martyrs. Described as a "damn bitch of an anarchist," Goldman also broadened the meaning of anarchism and introduced the greatest and most important ideas of anarchist feminism in history which prevail, as a result of Goldman, to this day. Emma Goldman's life long comrade, Alexander Berkman, played a major part in helping to define the word anarchism. He wrote a book called ABC of Anarchism which defined and describes anarchism and is still read today. Berkman wrote, "Anarchism means you should be free; that no one should enslave you, boss you, rob you, or impose upon you. It means you should be free to do the things you want to do; and that you should not be compelled to do what you do not want to do." Anarchism was put into action by giant movements throughout history which proved its definition was more than theoretical. The communal efforts of anarchism were seen in the Paris Commune in the early 19th century, the revolutionary organizing of Mexican working class rebels was proven possible by anarchists such as Ricardo Flores Magon and revolutionaries like Emiliano Zapata, and the Spanish Revolution of 1936-39 proved anarchists' capability of creating anarchism within small sectors of the world. Certainly today we can see anarchism in action in places like Mondragon, Spain, where anarchists are working in collectives and trying to live free of authority. Although the word anarchism is understood by many in its classic sense (that defined by dictionaries and by anarchists of history), the word is often misused and misunderstood. Anarchism, because of the threat it imposes upon established authority, has been historically, and is still, misused by power holders as violence and chaos. As anarchist historian George Woodcock put it, "Of the more frivolous is the idea that the anarchist is a man who throws bombs and wishes to wreak society by violence and terror. That this charge should be brought against anarchists now, at a time when they are the few people who are not throwing bombs or assisting bomb throwers, shows a curious purblindness among its champions." The claim that anarchism is chaos was refuted long ago by Alexander Berkman when he wrote: I must tell you, first of all, what anarchism is not. It is not bombs, disorder, or chaos. It is not robbery or murder. It is not a war of each against all. It is not a return to barbarianism or to the wild state of man. Anarchism is the very opposite of all that. These refutations of stereotypes associated with anarchism are sometimes trampled by the popular misuse of the word anarchism. It is not uncommon for a Middle Eastern nation in the midst of U.S.-imposed turmoil to be labeled by the media as "complete anarchy," a phrase which undermines the true definition of the word anarchism and all those who toiled, and who do toil, to make the word anarchism mean what it does today. Modern anarchists still work hard to help anarchism maintain its validity and history. Anarchism today is being used to find solutions to the problems of power; not just state power, but corporate power and all immediate forms of domination among individuals and organizations. Anarchists such as L. Susan Brown have introduced ideas such as existential individualism, while other anarchists remain loyal to anarcho-syndicalism and class struggle. Anarchism has also been spread around the world through music and bands such as Crass, introducing anarchism and anti-speciesism and urging self-sufficiency among workers and community members. Other anarchists such as Lorenzo Kom'boa Ervin, an ex-Black Panther, are introducing new means of organizing and directly challenging racism…etc. |
| Good [+1]Toggle ReplyLink» beercrack replied on Mon Sep 29, 2003 @ 11:09am |
| Coolness: 71660 | :)
thx for posting that another notable anarchist (and mycologist) was John Cage |
| Good [+1]Toggle ReplyLink» OMGSTFUDIEPLZKTX replied on Mon Sep 29, 2003 @ 12:51pm |
| Coolness: 66740 | Lack of control and structure leads to chaos. Every creature lives in a state of community with preprogrammed rules and standards and processes of that community.
Humans are no different, we just have those rules and standards and processes postprogrammed and written down and governed by other humans, not instinct. |
| Good [+1]Toggle ReplyLink» PitaGore replied on Mon Sep 29, 2003 @ 2:22pm |
 Coolness: 472030 | Is stayin @ home on social wellfare dressed as a CRUST PUNK and saying you'"re anarchist sounds genuine ???
To me ; NOT |
| Good [+1]Toggle ReplyLink» PaT_ replied on Mon Sep 29, 2003 @ 2:42pm |
| Coolness: 116520 | im with you on that too seb... its not,
thats why i posted this... so if people wanna look into more of the roots of the ideologies and get more accurate info on anarchist and etc.... look up some of the people, or events posted in the above article. and thanks anthropologist, ""We don't need government We need utilities. Air, water, energy Travel and communication means Food and shelter. We have no need for imaginary mountain ranges Between separate nations. We can make tunnels through the real ones. Nor do we have any need for the continuing division of people Into those who have what they need And those who don't. Both Fuller and Marshal McLuhan Knew, furthermore That work is now obsolete. We have invented machines to do it for us. Now that we have no need to do anything What shall we do? Looking at Fuller's geodesic world map We see that the Earth is a single island, Oahu. We must give all the people all they need to live In any way they wish. Our present laws protect the rich from the poor. If there are to be laws, we need ones that Begin with the acceptance of poverty as a way of life. We must make the world safe for poverty Without dependence on government." - John Cage source: [ flag.blackened.net ] |
| Good [+1]Toggle ReplyLink» OMGSTFUDIEPLZKTX replied on Mon Sep 29, 2003 @ 2:58pm |
| Coolness: 66740 | communities exist to better the members of that community.
But if that community has no structure, no rules, then chaos will erupt. Anarchy, just like communism, is flawed since its a theory/ideology that goes against human nature. |
| Good [+1]Toggle ReplyLink» PaT_ replied on Mon Sep 29, 2003 @ 4:12pm |
| Coolness: 116520 | chaos would only erupt once a member(or members) of a community took advantage of another in order to better themselfs. (i.e 'why contribute to the community when someone else will do it for me)
greed and stupidity causes chaos. not anarchy. |
| Good [+1]Toggle ReplyLink» PitaGore replied on Mon Sep 29, 2003 @ 4:17pm |
| Coolness: 472030 | I love u Pat |
| Good [+1]Toggle ReplyLink» OMGSTFUDIEPLZKTX replied on Mon Sep 29, 2003 @ 5:34pm |
| Coolness: 66740 | chaos would only erupt once a member(or members) of a community took advantage of another in order to better themselfs. (i.e 'why contribute to the community when someone else will do it for me) greed and stupidity causes chaos. not anarchy. How do we prevent those members from ruining it for everyone? |
| Good [+1]Toggle ReplyLink» El_Presidente replied on Mon Sep 29, 2003 @ 5:43pm |
 Coolness: 299550 | how do we prevent retards from double posting? |
| Good [+1]Toggle ReplyLink» nothingnopenope replied on Mon Sep 29, 2003 @ 6:24pm |
 Coolness: 201450 | hahaha..
Comedy GOLD |
| Good [+1]Toggle ReplyLink» Screwhead replied on Mon Sep 29, 2003 @ 6:42pm |
 Coolness: 685815 | GOLD! COMEDY GOLD!
Totaly. |
| Good [+1]Toggle ReplyLink» PaT_ replied on Mon Sep 29, 2003 @ 7:12pm |
| Coolness: 116520 | you cant.
hence reason why we dont live in an anarchist society, or have never lived in an anarchist society in the past (even back during barbarianism). or even based any form of governmency in practice on anarchist ideology. its hard to live in peace and harmony...utopia, its to much effort . |
| Good [+1]Toggle ReplyLink» OMGSTFUDIEPLZKTX replied on Mon Sep 29, 2003 @ 7:36pm |
| Coolness: 66740 | then why continously preach something that will never work, at all... |
| Good [+1]Toggle ReplyLink» PaT_ replied on Mon Sep 29, 2003 @ 7:53pm |
| Coolness: 116520 | neither i or you know weither anarchy implimented into society would work because its never happened.
it may only seem like i am preaching because all i tried to do was post something i thought was interesting and worth reading, instead i had you miss the point of the article and go into a political debate. |
| Good [+1]Toggle ReplyLink» Mali replied on Mon Sep 29, 2003 @ 8:05pm |
 Coolness: 202340 | Not something I normally read into..
but was interesting to read.. and somehow.. inspired me. Thanks! |
| Good [+1]Toggle ReplyLink» OMGSTFUDIEPLZKTX replied on Mon Sep 29, 2003 @ 8:22pm |
| Coolness: 66740 | You've been talking about anarchy for a long time :)
thing is, its not natural to live in anarchy. We will always be bound by rules, whether or not its moral, ethical, lawful, aritificial or natural. |
| Good [+1]Toggle ReplyLink» mdc replied on Mon Sep 29, 2003 @ 10:49pm |
| Coolness: 149040 | not only that... but we have lived in anarchy before... homo erectus lived isolated from the rest of the world... families lived together, and that was pretty much it... but they discovered that communal life was easier... hunting in packs rather than alone... the benefits outweighed the consequences (having to share the food and your 'home')...
anarchy leads to chaos or government... read any anarchist's ideology (i didnt read what you posted, im pretty familiar with the concept already and have read much anarchist ideology)... and although they preach against goverment and structure, they all have some form of 'government' running anyway...although its on an immensely smaller scale.... also, that little quote from john cage you posted.. yeah it all sounds good on paper... but where are you going to get "air, water, energy / travel and communication means / food and shelter." without some form of assistance from a greater body... its nice to think that people can secure these for themselves, but they cant... andeven if people were willing to trade or help or share or whatnot, how can you possibly believe that it would work? i mean all you have to do is look at a group of 3 men playing monopoly to see that people are unreasonable... fair trade is impossible, even when forced! i mean on an economic level it would never work... even lees on a socail level or any level for that mater... anarchy like communism is nice on paper, but will never work... unless MASSIVE brainwashing occurs... and even tehn, people DO have this little thing called rational thought... |
| Good [+1]Toggle ReplyLink» nothingnopenope replied on Tue Sep 30, 2003 @ 3:12am |
| Coolness: 201450 | GET ITS ALL ABOUT LIBERTARIANISM |
| Good [+1]Toggle ReplyLink» Screwhead replied on Tue Sep 30, 2003 @ 6:22am |
| Coolness: 685815 | Yeah, those librarian chicks are hot. |
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