I'm finally learning about anarchy
I've wanted to learn about anarchy for years. I've had some friends who were anarchists, but some of them weren't very good at explaining things or recommending what I should read. Others were....a little intimidating. I was afraid to ask them where the toilet was, let alone to explain anarchy to me.
So now I'm going to teach myself. Well, actually, I found a very well-educated AI that appears to know everything, so I'm going to ask it all my dumb, white, middle-class questions.
And I'm going to let you watch.
Lesson One: What the Fuck Have I Gotten Myself Into?
April 26, 2024
Learner: Hello AI Teacher. You're going to teach me all about anarchy now. I am starting from zero. I have university degrees in political science and economics, where I was mostly taught mainstream capitalism and representative democracy. Get me started on my path of learning, please.
AI: Great! Since you have a background in political science and economics, that will certainly help as we explore the concept of anarchy.
Introduction to Anarchy
Anarchy, in the broadest sense, refers to a state of society without a governing body or centralized authority. However, it's much more nuanced than merely the absence of government. Anarchism, as a political philosophy, argues for a society organized without coercive authority, emphasizing voluntary cooperation and mutual aid.
Technical Aspects of Anarchy
- Political Philosophy: Anarchism challenges traditional hierarchies and authorities, advocating for self-managed, stateless societies.
- Economic Dimensions: It often overlaps with socialist principles, particularly the rejection of private ownership of the means of production in favor of communal or cooperative ownership and management.
Key Principles and Variants of Anarchism
- Mutualism: Envisions a society where people exchange goods and services based on mutual agreements without a profit motive, often utilizing a form of currency or credit.
- Collectivism: Advocates for the collective ownership of the means of production, with distribution based on one's contribution to labor.
- Anarcho-communism: Argues for a classless, stateless society where the means of production are communally owned, and goods and services are distributed according to individuals' needs.
- Anarcho-syndicalism: Focuses on labor as the transformative force in society, utilizing trade unions and direct action to enact social change
Theoretical Foundation
Anarchism stems from a critical analysis of power and authority. It questions the legitimacy of all forms of hierarchical organization, insisting that power corrupts and that people have the right and ability to organize themselves without centralized authority.
Analogy to Understand Anarchism
Think of a jazz ensemble as a metaphor for an anarchic organization. Each musician has expertise with their instrument (akin to specialized roles in a society), but rather than having a conductor dictate every note, they improvise with one another, collaboratively creating music in a fluid, decentralized fashion. This illustrates the anarchic principle of spontaneous order arising from voluntary cooperation.
How Anarchism Interacts with Your Background
Given your background in political science and economics:
- Political Science: You can compare anarchism with political theories you know, such as liberalism or conservatism, which typically uphold the necessity of a state to manage societal affairs.
- Economics: Reflect on economic models like capitalism, which relies on private ownership and market competition, contrasting sharply with anarchistic economics that favor cooperative and communal economic models.
Next Steps
To proceed, it would be helpful to know:
- How familiar are you with critiques of traditional state systems and economic models like capitalism from your studies?
- Have you encountered alternative models like socialism or communal living in your previous education, and if so, what aspects are you most curious about?
Your answers will help tailor our next discussion points and deepen your understanding of anarchism!
Learner:
In my education, I read “Born to Lose”, Schumpeter’s theory of Creative Destruction, a little bit of Marx’s Capital. So I have a very surface exposure to critiques of capitalism. Personally, I struggle with capitalism because it feels like, in many cases, the notion of “profit” is not really “surplus” but rather value stolen from underpaid employees. It feels like those who profit are doing so at the detriment of others.
I do see apparent exceptions to that observation. For example, if an author writes a book that thousands of people enjoy and purchase, the author is making thousands of dollars from the labor of writing and promoting the book. If a book is a great success, the author might earn far more money than any reasonable hourly wage would pay, yet the author is not usually earning that money at the expense of other people or the theft of their labor.
I also see a flaw in that thought, because there are steps one has to follow in order to get listed not he New York Times list of bestselling books and I don’t know what those steps are or whether they include exploiting others.
- I have encountered Distributism in my reading and I’m curious now what the difference is between different forms of anarchy and Distributism (which has the curious trait of being embraced by people on the “right” and “left” of the political spectrum.) Distributism teaches that workers should own the means of production - individually for those who work individually, and collectively for those whose work involves equipment that many people use, such as a manufacturing facility. Is Distributism compatible with anarchy?
- I am coming from a middle-class background and have lived in the current systems my entire life, so I have some apprehension about anarchy because of the way I was raised and the things I was taught. What motivates people to not hurt me in an anarchic society? How do I get justice if someone has stolen from me or harm me or people I love?
- Can we conclude this first lesson with some homework for me? Something to read and write about that is appropriate for my entry level inquiry into anarchy?
AI Teacher:
Thank you for sharing your insights and questions, which are crucial for delving deeper into the subject of anarchy. Your observations and concerns provide a strong foundation for exploring how anarchism might address or differ from these issues.
Addressing Your Points
- Critique of Capitalism: Your understanding resonates with a key critique of capitalism in anarchist thought — the idea that profit often represents the exploitation of labor rather than a fair distribution of surplus value. This critique is aligned with Marx's concept of surplus value, where value is extracted from workers' labor beyond their compensation. Anarchists extend this critique to question not just the economic system but the entire structure of authority and hierarchy in society.
- Distributism and Anarchism: Distributism shares some common ground with anarchist thought, particularly in its advocacy for widespread ownership of production. However, Distributism generally maintains a form of hierarchical structure, often underpinned by moral or religious guidelines, which differs from the anarchist advocacy for a completely horizontal organization without any formal hierarchy. Both ideologies aim to dissolve concentrations of power and wealth but approach these goals differently.
- Distributism emphasizes smaller, community-based ownership and often incorporates traditional social structures, including family and community roles.
- Anarchism, especially collectivist and communist forms, calls for communal ownership and the abolishment of all hierarchical structures, including those potentially preserved under Distributism.
- Safety and Justice in Anarchism: Anarchists argue that removing hierarchical structures can lead to more equitable social relations and reduce many forms of systemic violence inherent in current systems. Justice in anarchist societies would likely be very different from today's state-based systems. It could involve community-based approaches to conflict resolution and reparative justice, rather than punitive systems. The motivation to not harm others comes from mutual dependence and communal relationships, which are central to anarchist philosophy.
- Homework Assignment: To deepen your understanding of anarchy and its practical implications, here’s a tailored reading and writing task:
- Reading: "Anarchy" by Errico Malatesta. Malatesta provides a concise and accessible introduction to anarchist principles, addressing many common questions and misconceptions.
- Writing Task: Reflect on and write about how an anarchist society might handle a situation where someone's actions harm others, comparing it to how such situations are handled under capitalist legal systems. Consider the role of community, mutual aid, and non-coercive measures in fostering security and justice.
Conclusion of Lesson 1
This introductory lesson aimed to connect your existing knowledge and concerns with foundational anarchist concepts. By exploring critiques of capitalism, comparing Distributism and anarchism, and addressing concerns about safety and justice, we've begun to unpack the complex ways in which anarchy challenges conventional political and economic structures.
Feel free to share your reflections from the reading, and any new questions it might raise, as we continue to explore this fascinating subject!