Anarchism
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Anarchism is a political ideology which opposes any kind of authority and rejects the existence of the state or government as authoritarian and oppressive. Anarchism has different branches. Some of the main Schools of thought in anarchism are anarchist communism, anarcho-syndicalism, anarcho-capitalism, anarcho-primitivism.
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Anarchist communism
Anarchist communism is the only branch of anarchism which has most similarity with communism. However it is different from Marxism, it is a non-Marxist version of communism. It rejects the Marxist dogma of "Dictatorship of Proletariat" as authoritative and oppressive. Some notable anarchist-communists are Mikhail Bakunin, Emma Goldman, Peter Kropotkin, Nestor Makhno.
Basic tenets
The basic tenets of anarchist communism are:
- Society should be made up of many self-governing communes.
- Means of production will be used collectively.
- Any individual will not receive wage or salary, but they will have completely free access to all the resources in a commune.
Anarcho-syndicalism
Anarcho-syndicalism emphasizes on the labor movement. According to anarcho-syndicalism, trade unions are potential forces for a revolutionary social change. This social change will abolish capitalism and the State, and a new society will be formed which will be self-managed by workers. Anarcho-syndicalists rejects the wage system which they view as "wage slavery". Rudolf Rocker was a prominent figure in anarcho-syndicalism.
Beliefs
Workers' solidarity
All workers irrespective of their gender or ethnicity are in a more uncomfortable and unprivileged position than their bosses. Any profit or loss in the relationship between workers and boss affect all workers. Hence all workers must support one another to make themselves independent in a class conflict.
Direct action
Anarcho-syndicalists emphasize on direct action. Direct action seeks immediate solution for perceived evils. It may be violent or nonviolent. Nonviolent means of direct action are strikes, sit-ins and demonstrations. Violent means include revolution and guerrilla warfare.
Workers' self-management
According to anarcho-syndicalism, workers’ organizations struggle against the wage system, and will form the root of a new society. The workers’ organizations should be self-managing and should not have bosses.
Anarcho-capitalism
Anarcho-capitalism is the only branch of anarchism which does not reject capitalism. It supports capitalism, only rejects the existence of the state.
The basic tenets of anarcho-capitalism are:
- Individuals should have the right to own private property.
- Government intervention in business is undesirable and the state should be abolished.
- Voluntary market processes will form the provision of social institutions like law enforcement, courts, defence and infrastructure by competing for-profit firms, charities or voluntary associations.
- There should not be any compulsory taxation.
Notable anarcho-capitalists are Murray Rothbard, Gustave de Molinari, David D. Friedman, Roderick T. Long.
All other tendencies of anarchism reject anarcho-capitalism as a contradiction in terms and non-anarchist.
See also, Libertarianism
Anarcho-primitivism
Anarcho-primitivism is completely different from any other form of anarchism. Anarcho-primitivism rejects the civilization as a whole and advocates to return to primitive way or the way humans lived before the beginning of civilization. Anarcho-primitivism supports deindustrialization, abolition of division of labour and abandonment of technology. Anarcho-primitivism should not be confused with primitivism, because there are other non-anarchist forms of primitivism.
Beliefs
- Anarcho-primitivists reject civilization as a mean of oppression.
- Anarcho-primitivists rejects agriculture. According to anarcho-primitivism, humans lived in small nomadic bands before the advent of agriculture. Those societies were egalitarian, had no hierarchy and no oppression.
- According to anarcho-primitivism, division of labor is the fundamental factor behind all kinds of oppression.
- Anarcho-primitivism rejects science. According to anarcho-primitivism, science is not neutral aimed for wellbeing of every individual, but science is controlled by some persons with motives to control other people.
- Anarcho-primitivism rejects technology. According to anarcho-primitivism, technology is a major reason behind devision of labor and oppression. Technology exploits people for the benefit of certain group of individuals.
