Anarchism
From the Simple English Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia that anyone can change
Anarchism is the belief that people can organize themselves without having someone from up above tell them what to do. Anarchists believe that it is better for everyone to have a direct say in how things should be done, instead of having leaders or bosses make decisions for them. Anarchists also believe that participation should never be forced by other people.
It is a political philosophy or group of philosophies and attitudes which reject any form of authoritarian relationships, like hierarchical institutions and compulsory government[1] and support their elimination,[2] often because of a wider rejection of involuntary and permanent authority.[3]
Anarchism is "a cluster of doctrines and attitudes centered on the belief that government is both harmful and unnecessary."[4][5]
The term "anarchism" derives from the Greek αναρχία ("without archons," "without rulers"[6] and a lot of times translated as "without bosses"). Its proponents argue for individual liberty and equality of rights and power though various alternatives that could include voluntary cooperation, free association, direct democracy and self-management.
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[change] Philosophy and social movement
It is a philosophy and the goal of some social groups. There is anarchy in a country when there are no government and hierarchical institutions. In general, anarchy means that no person needs to do what any other person says. The word used to describe people telling other people what to do is authority. Anarchists want to get rid of authority.
Authority includes social hierarchy, government and power supported by force. Anarchist movements want to replace this. They want people who willingly help one another. They hope this would lead to a society where everyone has a say in outcomes just as much as he or she is affected by them. They describe anarchy as a society based on free persons who cooperate out of their own free will.
In the English language, the word anarchy is often used to describe chaos. However, most anarchist philosophies do not promote chaos or anomie. Rather, they define "anarchy" as a way of relations between people. Once put into place these relations work on their own.
Leon Czolgosz who assassinated President McKinley in September of 1901 because he saw him as an enemy of the people who started the American-Philippines war believed and preached Collectivism and Anarchism.
[change] Principles
Individual freedom, mutual aid and opposition to the state or any boss, are important beliefs of anarchism. There are also big differences between anarchist political philosophies on things like using violence to bring anarchy; the best type of economy; the relationship between technology and hierarchy; the idea of equality; and the usefulness of some organization.
Anarchists generally do not like capitalism and they are usually socialists (libertarian socialism is another word for anarchism). There are people called anarcho-capitalists who oppose governments, but support capitalism (but in another sense, neither corporations, government nor state capitalism). These people are ideologically anarchists, with some terminological differences, but culturally closer to modern libertarianism than to anarchism.
[change] See also
[change] Notes
- ↑ Malatesta, Errico, Towards Anarchism.
- ↑ Anarchism. Encyclopædia Britannica. 2006. Encyclopædia Britannica Premium Service. 29 August 2006 <http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-9117285>
- ↑ Bakunin, Mikhail, God and the State, pt. 2.; Tucker, Benjamin, State Socialism and Anarchism.; Kropotkin, Piotr, Anarchism: its Philosophy and Ideal; Malatesta, Errico, Towards Anarchism; Bookchin, Murray, Anarchism: Past and Present, pt. 4; An Introduction to Anarchism by Liz A. Highleyman[1]
- ↑ Anarchism. The Shorter Routledge Encyclopedia of Philosophy. 2005. P. 14 "Anarchism is the view that a society without the state, or government, is both possible and desirable."
- ↑ Carl Slevin "anarchism" The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Politics. Ed. Iain McLean and Alistair McMillan. Oxford University Press, 2003.
- ↑ Anarchy Merriam-Webster's Online dictionary
