I am an anarchist, which means that I believe all government to be wrong. This doesn't just mean that any particular government will be wrong in what it does or tries to do, but that the very idea of a governing body, which rules ultimately by the threat of force, to be both immoral and unnecessary.

A lot of things have been said about anarchism on paper and on the Net (see links at the end of this article), so I won't try to rehearse all the arguments here. The best description of my position is Odonianism, as presented by Ursula leGuin in The Dispossessed. This is a fictional description of an anarchist society, but is a better and easier to read argument than most as well as being extremely well written science fiction.

One problem with talking about anarchism on the Net is the hoards of libertarians we also get around here. Libertarians do have some things in common with anarchists, but the term generally refers to anarcho-capitalists, rather than anarcho-communists. There is a lot of argument about these terms (naturally), but for me the distinction lies with money. This is put very clearly in The World's Smallest Political Quiz, run by a libertarian , who distinguishes between self government on personal issues (drug use, censorship, sexuality etc.) and economic issues (taxes, welfare, etc). According to this test I am a left liberal, because I answer no when asked if we should abolish minimum wage laws, taxation, etc. In fact I do think we should abolish these things, but only because I believe we should abolish money altogether.

It seems to me that many libertarians came to their political position through objecting to government infringing on their right to "their" property - "How dare they take away my hard earned cash to feed starving folk!" What they don't seem to realise is that in a free society the starving folk would come and get their share if any individual tried to hoard resources. Of course most libertarians are also hot on the right to bear arms, especially if they already have the guns and us welfare scum don't...

So many good anarchists have also been good at producing memorable quotes that I hesitate to try and add to them, but before I leave you to the links I will repeat a few and add a couple of my own (no prizes for guessing).

I am an anarchist because in capitalist society the only correct answer to the question "what do you do?" for me, now, would be "nothing". Because Capital is blind to mutual aid.

Mankind has allowed itself to be governed long enough, too long, the origin of its unhappiness does not reside in this or that form of government, but in the very principles and fact of government, whatever kind it may be.
Michael Bakunin (1814-1876)

Those who use the word "anarchy" to mean disorder or misrule are not incorrect. If they regard Government as necessary, if they think we could not live without Whitehall directing our affairs, if they think politicians are essential to our well-bring and we could not behave socially without police, they are right in assuming that Anarchy means the opposite of what Government guarantees. But those who have the reverse opinion, and consider Government to be tyranny, are right too in considering Anarchy, no government, to be liberty. If Government is the maintenance of privilege and exploitation and inefficiency of distribution, then Anarchy is order.
Albert Meltzer (1920 - 1996)

...in your personal conduct, when you are asked to chose between a personal action which causes suffering and a hypothetical evil which will result if you refuse, chose the hypothetical evil. Anything I agree to will be done. I am responsible for it. If I drop this atom bomb, I shall obliterate Hiroshima. If I refuse, the inhabitants of Hiroshima may set up a tyranny. I choose the tyranny, not because I am prepared to compromise with it, but because its creation will depend on other people's judgement, not mine, and I may be being deceived.
Alex Comfort (born 1920)

All men are equal and free; society, by nature and destination, is therefore autonomous and ungovernable ... Whoever puts his hand on me to govern me is a usurper and a tyrant; I declare him my enemy.
Pierre-Joseph Proudhon (1808 - 1865)

Free people have by nature an instinct which they call honour pushing them to do good and keeping them away from vice
Fancois Rebelais (1494 - 1553)

The essential attributes of human nature give man the opportunity to create social conditions and social forms to maximise the possibilities for freedom and diversity, and individual self-realisation.
Noam Chomsky (born 1928)

An anarchist society, a society which organises itself without authority, is always in existence, like a seed beneath the snow, buried under the weight of the state and its bureaucracy, capitalism and its waste, privilege and its injustices, nationalism and its suicidal loyalties, religious differences and the superstitious separatism.
Colin Ward (born 1924)

Now, do you still think that without this thing called Government we should rob and murder each other? Is it not rather true that with government we rob and murder? Because government does not secure us in our rightful possessions, but instead takes them away for the benefit of those who have no right to them.
Alexander Berkman (1870 - 1936)

It is we who built these palaces and cities here in Spain and America and everywhere. We, the workers, can build others to take their place. And better ones. We are not in the least afraid of ruins. We are going to inherit the earth.
Buenaventura Durruti (1896 - 1936)

Live as if you are free. It is hard and dangerous, but not nearly so hard as living as if you are a slave.

Many more anarchist writing can be found at Spunk publishing and the Anarchist Archives.

Last updated 2nd March 2000