I am going to talk about what leads anarchists to advocate revolution (the theory and practice of the abolition of the authority of the ruling class), from below up to a new society based on a libertarian collectivity, while doing plenty of name-dropping of some historical anarchists of note.
There are competing schools of thought on revolution, with some advocating traditional violence, which more pacifistic advocates of anarchism might liken to just another form of statism.
At the same time, the use of coercive, violent state power in the modern world is not the only thing anarchists address. In fact, some prefer the system of command and the authority of the state to become completely obsolete simply through organizations that prevent (rather than preserve) inequalities in the social order, rather than some prolonged, bloody struggle (though mainstream critics of anarchism will always emphasize the assassination angle of anarchism, even though there were always pacific anarchist critics of “propaganda of the deed,” and obviously anarchists neither invented nor perfected assassinations better than any other political movement or force. There were also anarchist criminal gangs, such as the Bonnot Gang, too, which always threatened to make a mere spectacle out of anarchism).
Some roots of anarchism lie in the thinkers of the 18th century, who opposed monarchical despotism, imperialist nations, religion, and capitalism (though to be clear, there have been “Christian Anarchists,” meaning not all anarchists are atheists).
Some anarchists have been influenced by the teachings of the American philosopher and inventor Josiah Warren (1798- 1874).
Anarchism may be adopted by small or large revolutionary groups, but it’s also important to note that many among the working classes apply what are essentially anarchist principles, often without regarding them as such. There are also elements of anarchist thought in philosophers like Emmanuel Mounier (1095-1950), as well as activists like Gandhi or Martin Luther King, Jr.
Also, even though Pierre-Joseph Proudhon (1809-1865) advocated against communism, finding it to be against liberty, others, such as Henri Simon (1922), advocated council communism as a more liberty-based alternative to state communism. Also, anarcho-communists such as Emile Pouget (1860-1931) and, especially, Peter Kropotkin (1842-1921) would argue that stateless communism was the main way to achieve liberty and equality in society.
In any case, practically any anarchist worth a damn opposed Stalin and Marx’s dictatorship of the proletariat, and we now have the benefit of hindsight to recognize Stalin as one of the most notorious authoritarians in human history.
“The Leader” is Gone? The Individual and the Group
As noted before, one need not be a self-described anarchist to (at least occasionally) abide by some anarchist principles. In fact, most people do from time to time. For example, even a protestant or catholic organization can be charitable, and decent things might be said about any organization based around affinity groups and direct action. That’s because, in truth, anarchism is more about doing good deeds than anything else, including all the labels.
Again, the anarchist movement (such as it is) often draws criticism from various traditionalists, some of whom have described it as violent (though, again, plenty of anarchists are actually still pacifists).
Anarchism does not dwell in some exaggerated gulf between society and the individual, recognizing that the two concepts and realities actually often go together. For example, Emma Goldman (1869–1940) considered herself to have both communistic aspects and respect for individualism. This is partly due to the tradition of the individualism which informs anarchism, as well as its political philosophy of praxis, which seeks to combine direct action with an organization (rather than solely focus on the philosophy, or talking and thinking).
Anarchist philosophers such as Rudolf Rocker (1873-1958), Kropotkin, and Emma Goldman (whose work influenced the free love movement) are important influences on political philosophy, with individualist anarchist Lysander Spooner (1808-1887), being a particularly influential individualist anarchist.
Also, in his book An Enquiry Concerning Political Justice (1793), William Godwin (1756-1836) argued that “government is a corrupting force in society, perpetuating dependence and ignorance, but that it will be rendered increasingly unnecessary and powerless by the gradual spread of knowledge and the expansion of the human understanding. Politics will be displaced by an enlarged personal morality as truth conquers error and mind subordinates matter. In this development the rigorous exercise of private judgment, and its candid expression in public discussion, plays a central role, motivating his rejection of a wide range of co-operative and rule-governed practices which he regards as tending to mental enslavement, such as law, private property, marriage and concerts [Godwin surely was not referring to music concerts here but things relating to these other topics “in concert”].”
Anarchism still has plenty of internal debates, including those between supporters of more politically centralized federalism and supporters of a more loosely confederated organization. Still, to get a real sense of the organic nature of anarchism, one might look back to the 1600s, when Gerrard Winstanley of the Digger movement desired to reclaim “the common lands” from England’s Enclosure Acts, to reject the “privatization” of lands that had previously been held in common.
Winstanley most certainly didn’t care to call himself or his movement anarchist. He just knew something was wrong with what was going on and acted on what he considered right. He stated powerfully: “If they prove desperate, wanton or idle, and will not quietly submit to the law, the task-master is to feed them with short diet, and to whip them, for a rod is prepared for the fool’s back, till such time as their proud hearts do bend to the law … If any have so highly broke the laws as they come within the compass of whipping, imprisoning and death, the executioner shall cut off the head, hang or shoot to death, or whip the offender according to the sentence of law. Thus you may see what the work of every officer in a town or city is.”
Anarch-ish 