Classical liberalism emerged as a radical ideology, challenging the status quo of monarchy, mercantilism, religious tyranny, and the ancien regime. The liberals promoted two ideals, markets and democracy, as alternatives to the old despotisms. Yet markets and democracy seemed to be at odds.

There has long been a certain kind of democratic spirit in anarchism. Of course when we bring forth the imagery of statist and authoritarian injustice, we feel the rhetorical pull to illustrate it as a collective issue, one that is relevant and applicable to all.

The relationship between democracy and anarchism is undoubtedly a contentious one. In his work The Principle of Federation1, Pierre-Joseph Proudhon makes it clear that democracy has an important legacy to respect. Because Proudhon declared that Universal Suffrage was above The Republic, he had to evaluate the character of democracy in ideal terms. Proudhon categorized democracy…

As a working definition of democracy, I think about the best we can do is this description of anarchy in Pyotr Kropotkin’s 1911 Britannica article on anarchism — the attainment of harmony: “…not by submission to law, or by obedience to any authority, but by free arrangements concluded between the various groups, territorial and professional,…

[Di Derek Wittorff. Originale pubblicato su Center for a Stateless Society il 4 giugno 2017 con il titolo Democracy: Self-Government or Systemic Powerlessness? Traduzione di Enrico Sanna.] Questo è il terzo saggio della serie June C4SS Mutual Exchange Symposium: “Anarchy and Democracy.” La parola democrazia è l’universale grido di battaglia per la giustizia. Dicono a…

Philosophical Considerations If we had the luxury of sticking to the philosophical terrain, the question of distinguishing anarchy and democracy would, it seems to me, pose very few problems. Certainly, it would be unlikely to pose the persistent, seemingly intractable problems that it does at present. Anarchy describes the absence of rule, while democracy describes…

This piece is the fourth essay in the June C4SS Mutual Exchange Symposium: “Anarchy and Democracy.” Democracy is a word that evokes an array of affective responses depending on time, place, and people involved. For the Patriot movement, democracy stimulates a constellation of ideals, values, and principles.

This piece is the third essay in the June C4SS Mutual Exchange Symposium: “Anarchy and Democracy.” Democracy: the universal war cry of justice. We’re told by the left — both moderate and radical — that all socio-political problems almost always arise from a pure lack of democracy.

This piece is the second essay in the June C4SS Mutual Exchange Symposium: “Anarchy and Democracy.” “Democracy” and “anarchism” are broad, vague, and hotly contested terms. Even if we stick to specific definitions, there are still arguments about what these definitions mean in practice.

This piece is the opening essay in the June C4SS Mutual Exchange Symposium: “Anarchy and Democracy.” Fighting over the definitions of words can sometimes seem like a futile and irrelevant undertaking. However, it’s important to note that whatever language gets standardized in our communities shapes what we can talk and think about.

Mutual Exchange is the Center for a Stateless Society’s effort to achieve mutual understanding through dialogue. Following one of the most divisive Presidential elections in recent American history and a dangerous victor’s contested ascension to power, the political climate is one of intense ideological strife and disagreement.

Perhaps the most important characteristic Goodman shares with the other “anarchists without adjectives” in this series is his high regard for human agency, and his primary focus on the way actual human beings assert that agency in interacting with their environment. Read Kevin Carson’s full C4SS Study on Goodman here!

Egoism has a long history among illegalist anarchists. These illegalists rejected the moralistic ideals of their comrades, who argued that seizing the property of the capitalist class was an act of reclamation: one that was justified by the unjust nature of the present property system. But the illegalists found this justification unnecessary.

[Di William Nava. Originale pubblicato su Center for a Stateless Society il 16 marzo 2017 con il titolo To Vote or Not to Vote. Traduzione di Enrico Sanna.] Qualche tempo fa, uno studente tredicenne mi ha rivelato che i suoi genitori non parlavano più con lo zio perché lui aveva votato per Trump. La scelta…

Nationalism and all other forms of traditionalism have always been “post-truth”. One might think that this is an odd statement, since reactionary movements are so often characterized by a kind of absolutism. Liberals and leftists have always been the ones who are accused of vacuous relativism.

The non-aggression principle is an ethical stance which asserts that “aggression” is inherently illegitimate. “Aggression,” for the purposes of NAP, is defined as initiating or threatening the use of any and all forcible interference with an individual or individual’s property. The NAP is considered to be the defining axiom of the modern libertarian movement. However,…

A thirteen-year old student recently told me that his parents weren’t speaking with his uncle because the uncle had voted for Trump. It’s not an unusual scenario. The choice of presidential candidate may just be the most culturally contentious decision that Americans make. It causes fights, break ups, public scenes, and (of course) Facebook blocks….

Thomas L. Knapp on the proliferation of bureaucratic tsars.

Thomas L. Knapp: Sooner or later, those boiling frogs will have to jump.

Kevin Carson examines the mindset of those who put their faith in legislation — and finds it lacking!