Anarchists demand the impossible. Discuss

Created by: Sophie
Created on: 15-04-16 11:41

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Anarchists demand the impossible. Discuss.
- No
  - Alternatives
    - IA
      - AC
        State replaced by free market capitalism
        Can provide all necessary services within society
        Rothbard and Friedman 'private prisons'
        Already increased privatisation of this in the UK
        
        Law courts would be driven by profit and is in their benefit to remain neutral therefore ensuring a fair trial
        Working within the competitive market system
      - Man is self reliant and rational and can make own choices
    - CA
      - Mutualists
        Proudhon, system property ownership free from exploitation
        Negotiate and trade w/o profit on a voluntary and non regulated basis
      - Man can live harmoniously
      - AS
        Sorel, trade unionism can bring all services needed, all production and distribution
      - AC
        Living in self-sustained, small communes
        Face to face interaction, direct democracy, mainstream politics today is depersonalised
    - Have thought of how their demand could be achieved
  - Human nature
    - Good natured
      - Utopianism of man
    - IA Godwin 'humans are perfectible'
      - Man can live autonomously and arrange affairs without regulation
    - CA Kropotkin, 'mutual aid' humans work best when work together for common benefit
    - Without state authority and the repression of man's true characteristics life can be peaceful, prosperous, ordered and harmonious
    - No evidence that people cannot be perfected bc ppl take on characteristics of the society in which they live
      - Has lived for centuries under the state, so is greedy and selfish
        Hobbes, life is 'nasty, brutish and short'
  - Globalisation
    - Increasing international relations and trade with more and more countries ascribing to capitalism
      - Reduced importance of the state
        Increased growth of internet which reflects a realm free from govt authority and oppression
    - Increased influence on politics e.g. environmentalism
      - CA would say capitalism and the state destroying the planet
      - Libertarian tendencies influenced by Thoreau emerged on both left and right
- Yes
  - Human nature
    - Stateless society is possible bc down to human nature humans can live harmoniously
    - Evidence against this, humans are corruptible, so if chance of this, society without order could fall into chaos and lack stability
    - Hobbes view that man's nature is one of conflict
  - Methods
    - Rejection of mainstream politics, as is hierarchical, so lack of influence over people's views
    - Resorting to violence e.g. assassination of President McKinley alienates support and shows anarchists to be no better, no less destructive than the state
    - Pacifism e.g Tolstoy, Ghandi cannot hope to attract widespread support
    - Revolution and syndicalism with overthrow cannot happen bc they believe it would be spontaneous when such action would need organisation
  - Divisions
    - IA
      - Market is inefficient
        Free-rider effect, some indv benefit w/o paying
    - CA
      - Free market cannot deliver equality and prosperity for all
      - Need collective action to benefit welfare of society and indv in it
    - These divisions undermine the cause as each side has recognised deficiencies of the other
      - Free market requires state to come in with welfarism
- Intro
  - Defined by their opposition to the state bc it is a destructive, exploitative, coercive, form of compulsory authority & power over the indv
    - Thus their primary demand is that of a stateless society
  - Yes, humans are capable of living in stateless society
  - No, inefficiency of market and lack of coherence

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Anarchists demand the impossible. Discuss

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