Is Anarchism an Example of Individualism or Collectivism?
Is anarchism an example of individualism or collectivism? Thaisa Cowin.
Anarchism is defined as the political ideology that advocates stateless societies based on non-hierarchical voluntary associations. It is often related to chaos, disorder and violence. The main two strains of anarchism are anarcho-communists on the left which believe that “Monopoly is the father of the state, not its child” this stream has been the main one for more than a century. Conversely, on the right wing, anarcho-individualists favour “Monopoly is the child of the state, not its father.”
Collectivist anarchism bases its origins in socialism as a pose to liberalism. Collectivism is the belief that human nature makes us better adapted to work together for the ‘common good’ rather than to strive for individual self-interest and gain. This feature of anarchism stresses human’s capacity for social solidarity; this is not the belief that human nature is naturally good, but that every human has the potential for goodness.
There are many overlapping ideas between anarchism and socialism, especially in the ideology of Marxist socialism, both reject capitalism and believe that it is a system that exploits the working classes. Both also agree that in order to bring about political change a revolution is key, and both exhibit preference towards collective ownership of wealth and the communal organization of social life. There are however, many features at which anarchism and socialism disagree. The main disagreement is on the conception of the transition from capitalism to communism. Marxists argue that a transitional period between proletarian revolution and the achievement of full communism which would ‘wither away’ the capitalist society. Whereas anarchists regard the state as evil and oppressive and a corrupting body and the only option to abolish capitalism and move on to a communist state is via a revolution to overthrow state power, they believe it cannot diminished but only be
Anarchism is defined as the political ideology that advocates stateless societies based on non-hierarchical voluntary associations. It is often related to chaos, disorder and violence. The main two strains of anarchism are anarcho-communists on the left which believe that “Monopoly is the father of the state, not its child” this stream has been the main one for more than a century. Conversely, on the right wing, anarcho-individualists favour “Monopoly is the child of the state, not its father.”
Collectivist anarchism bases its origins in socialism as a pose to liberalism. Collectivism is the belief that human nature makes us better adapted to work together for the ‘common good’ rather than to strive for individual self-interest and gain. This feature of anarchism stresses human’s capacity for social solidarity; this is not the belief that human nature is naturally good, but that every human has the potential for goodness.
There are many overlapping ideas between anarchism and socialism, especially in the ideology of Marxist socialism, both reject capitalism and believe that it is a system that exploits the working classes. Both also agree that in order to bring about political change a revolution is key, and both exhibit preference towards collective ownership of wealth and the communal organization of social life. There are however, many features at which anarchism and socialism disagree. The main disagreement is on the conception of the transition from capitalism to communism. Marxists argue that a transitional period between proletarian revolution and the achievement of full communism which would ‘wither away’ the capitalist society. Whereas anarchists regard the state as evil and oppressive and a corrupting body and the only option to abolish capitalism and move on to a communist state is via a revolution to overthrow state power, they believe it cannot diminished but only be
Bibliography: • Political Ideologies An Introduction – Andrew Heywood • www.sovereignlife.com • Wikipedia • Notes from class.