Correcting Marxist Inaccuracies on Anarchism The editor of socialist.net, Adam Booth, gave a talk on the Marxist conception of the state and during this talk made a number of claims about anarchism. Given anarchism’s very broad nature in terms of those ho have or do identify as anarchists ! shall here restrict anarchism to social anarchism. This kind of anarchism has been and continues to be the ma"ority position ithin anarchism since it emerged as a distinct social movement in the #$%&s. By social anarchism ! mean anarcho'collectivism, anarcho'communism and anarcho' syndicalism. This is hat Booth said, (The Anarchists had this concept of the state also as a kind of mystical poer, also as something kind of omnipotent, in the sense that it as almost a poer that could corrupt anyone ho tried to touch it. !t had like an anti'midas touch if you like. As soon as you go anyhere near it you automatically become as evil as hoever held the state poer before. And this is here you get this phrase, )ord Acton, *poer corrupts, absolute poer corrupts absolutely’. +or them the state had a kind of original sin associated ith it basically, that any use of authority, of organisation, of leadership automatically led to all the sins that e see under class society. society. This is a very idealistic interpretation of the state, it looks as the state as something independent of society, as something eternal in its shape, that isn’t influenced by the materi material al condit condition ions s belo belo...t ...that hat alays alays is exploi exploitati tative. ve. And ngels ngels ansered ansered the Anarchists in many places, particularly in to of his orks. -ne, in an article *on the uestion of authority’ he pointed out that being against organi/ation, being against authority, in an abstract sense as meaningless. )ooking around in society e see that all of us on a day to day basis reuire organi/ation in society, e reuire to submit submit our indivi individual dual freedom freedom to some some sort sort of authori authority ty.. 0roduc 0roductio tion n itself itself ould ould completely fail otherise. !f you didn’t have ith the division of labour individuals submit submittin ting g to a general general plan plan societ society y ould ould comple completel tely y breakdo breakdon, n, the rail railays ays ouldn’t run on time, nothing ould ever happen and a socialist society ould be no different. !n that sense you’d still have to submit your on individual desires to an organised plan but it ould be one here for the first time one that e as a hole had decided upon. 1e said also on the uestion of authority, that revolution itself as an authoritarian act and you couldn’t get around the fact. !t is by necessity an authoritative act in hich the ma"ority of people make the minority, the capitalists, the old ruling class, submit to their authority and he points out that to deny this, to deny the authoritarian nature of a revolution, is actually very anti'revolutionary itself.2# !n this segment Booth makes a number of claims about the anarchist anarchist position on the state, authority, organisation and leadership. ! shall go through each of these statements and demonstrate hy they are inaccurate by uoting hat the ma"or social anarchist theorists really said. The hope is that in demonstrating hy Booth is rong, ! shall also help the reader develop their understanding of anarchism.
The State Booth claims that anarchists have an idealistic conception of the state according to hich the state is thought to be eternal in its shape, independent of society society,, and uninfluenced uninfluenced by ho the economy is organised. This is incorrect for several reasons.
+irstly, anarchist thinkers have consistently advocated a scientific understanding of society grounded in the study of history. 0eter 3ropotkin, one of the most idely read and influential anarchist theorists, rote that the (method folloed by the anarchist thinker...entirely differs from that folloed by the utopianists2 for it (does not resort to metaphysical conceptions2 but (studies human society as it is no and as it as in the past.24 5eco 5econd ndly ly,, anar anarch chis ists ts have have appl applie ied d such such a scie scient ntif ific ic under underst stand andin ing g to the the state state and and described it as an historical entity that is a product of society and so is not independent of societ society y. Mikha Mikhail il Bakuni Bakunin, n, one of the founders founders of anarch anarchism ism,, rites rites that that 67t8he 67t8he 5tate 5tate is a transitory historic form, a passing form of society... but it lacks the necessary and immutable character of society hich is anterior to all development of humanity and hich, partaking fully of the almighty poer of natural las, acts, and manifestations, constitutes the very basis of human existence.69 3ropotkin similarly rites that (7t8he 5tate is only one of the forms assumed by society in the course of history.2: Thirdly, anarchists have consistently argued that the state is shaped by the economy in hich it exists. 3ropotkin rites that 6the political regime...is alays an expression of the economic regime hich exists at the heart of society2 and acts as (the consecration and the sustai sustainin ning g force2 force2 of the economi economic c regime regime;.
yes, the ideal, as 0roudhon said, is but a floer, hose root lies in the material conditions of existence. =es, the hole history of humanity, intellectual and moral, political and social, is but a reflection of its economic history.2 history.2% =et neither thinker endorsed an economic reductionism hereby the economy is a primary factor factor in determi determinin ning g social social relation relations s such such that the state state lacks lacks an indepen independenc dence e or autonomy as a structure. Bakunin insisted that Marx (ignored other factors in history, such as the ever present reaction of political, "uridical and religious institutions on the economic situation.2 Thus for Bakunin there is a holistic interaction beteen class society and the state, hereby class society gives rise to the state and the state in turn maintains class society such that (the 5tate, reproduces in its turn, and maintains poverty as a condition for its on existence> so that to destroy poverty, it is necessary to destroy the 5tate?2@ 3ropotkin similarly rote that 6the 5tate...5tate ustice, the hurch and apitalism are facts and conceptions hich e cannot separate from each other. !n the course of history these institutions have developed, supporting and reinforcing each other. They are connected ith each other '' not as mere accidental accidental co'incidences. co'incidences. They are linked together by the links of cause and effect. The state is, for us, a society of mutual insurance beteen the landlord, the military commander commander,, the "udge, the priest and later on the capitalist, capitalist, in order to support support each other’s authority over the people, and for exploiting the poverty of the masses and getting getting rich rich themsel themselves ves.2 .2 +rom +rom this this 3ropotk 3ropotkin in infers infers,, like like Bakuni Bakunin, n, that that (to imagin imagine e that that capitalism capitalism may be abolished abolished hile the 5tate is maintained, maintained, and ith the aid of the state2$ is to imagine an incredibly unlikely scenario due to the inherent nature of the state as a maintainer of class society. Anarchists therefore vie economic factors as highly important but not primary primary determi determinin ning g factor factors s of societ society y and adopt adopt a holist holistic ic approac approach h in hich hich spheres of social life interact and determine one another, ith no particular sphere being necessarily primary. primary.C +ourthly, anarchists accept that there are different kinds of states and that some kinds of states are superior to other kinds. To uote Bakunin, (78e are firmly convinced it is true that the most imperfect republic is a thousand times better than the most enlightened
exploited, is not oppressed, in the monarchies, oppression is constant. The democratic regime also lifts the masses up gradually in participation in public life D something the monarchy never does.2#& Booth’s next inaccurate claim is that for anarchists the state is illegitimate and a problematic tool for revolution because *poer corrupts’. There is an element of truth in so far as Bakunin rote such things as, (7n8o one should be entrusted ith poer, inasmuch as anyone invested ith authority must...became an oppressor and exploiter of society6##, and held that, (if you took the most ardent revolutionary, vested him in absolute poer, ithin a year he ould be orse than the Tsar himself.2#4 1oever, Bakunin did not think this simply because he thought that poer corrupts. Eather, anarchists like Bakunin believe that the state cannot be used to successfully bring about a socialist or communist society because of a sociological analysis of the state. +or anarchists the state is a social institution that is necessarily ielded by an elite minority in their their inter interes ests ts agai agains nstt the the mass masses es.. 3ropo 3ropotk tkin in,, for exam exampl ple, e, think thinks s that that,, " the the 5tate 5tate organisation...7is8 the force to hich minorities resorted for establishing and organising their poer over the masses.6#9 -n this vie, the state 6not only includes the existence of a poer situated above society, but also of a territorial concentration as ell as the concentration in the hands of a fe of many functions in the life of societies...A hole mechanism of legislation and of policing has to be developed in order to sub"ect some classes to the domination of others.6#: Bakunin likeise insists that states are social institutions ruled by a minority. 1e thinks that all states 6are in essence only machines governing the masses from above, through...a privileged minority, allegedly knoing the genuine interests of the people better than the people themselves.6#; Thus (the 5tate has alays been the patrimony of some privileged class or other> a priestly class, an aristocratic class, a bourgeois class. And finally, hen all the other classes have exhausted themselves, the state becomes the patrimony of the bureaucratic class and then fallsFor, if you ill, risesFto the position of a machine> but it is absolutely necessary for the salvation of the state that there should be some privileged class devoted to its preservation.2#% )ucian van der in both respects, it is the means through hich a minority rules a ma"ority.2 !f the state is (alays a highly centralised structure that inevitably concentrated poer in the hands of a direc directi ting ng elit elite2 e2 then then it follo follos s that that (eve (even n the most most radi radica call govern governme ment nt must must perpetuate the rule of a classH minority over a classH ma"ority.2 +rom this anarchists conclude that (the abolition of the state is one of the preconditions for a libertarian and socialist order.2#@
Authority Booth claims that anarchists anarchists are opposed to all authority. authority. This is false since anarchists anarchists are not opposed to all authority, but instead have a general scepticism toards all authority. As Ioam homsky puts it, anarchism an archism is
(7p8rimarily...a tendency that is suspicious and skeptical of domination, authority, and hierarchy. !t seeks structures of hierarchy and domination in human life over the hole range, extending from, say, patriarchal families f amilies to, say, say, imperial systems, and it asks hether those systems are "ustified. !t assumes that the burden of proof for anyone in a position of poer and authority lies on them. Their authority is not self' "ustifying. They have to give a reason for it, a "ustification. And if they can’t "ustify that authority authority and poer and control, hich is the usual case, then the authority ought to be dismantled and replaced by something more free and "ust.2#$ Anarchists therefore distinguish beteen illegitimate and legitimate authority and actively attempt to determine hether or not a given instance of authority is legitimate or illegitimate. !n my opinion, anarchists distinguish beteen three different types of authority.#C A person can be an authority, have authority or be in authority. +irstly, a person is an authority if they are competent competent and knoledgeable knoledgeable on a given sub"ect. sub"ect. A good doctor doctor for instance is an authority on healthcare, hile a good librarian is an authority on the storing and cataloguing of books. Bakunin referred to this type of authority hen he rote, (7d8oes it follo that ! re"ect all authorityJ +ar from me such a thought. !n the matter of boots, ! refer to the authority of the bootmaker> concerning houses, canals, or railroads, ! consult that of the archit architect ect or the engineer engineer.6 .64& !n this this sense sense there there are certai certainly nly anarch anarchist ist author authoriti ities es like like homsky, ho is an authority on the foreign policy of the Knited 5tates of America, or 3ropotkin, ho as an a n authority on communism and biology. biology. 5econdly, a person ho has authority is a person ho is in a position of "ust control over something. +or instance, a person has authority over their possessions since they "ustly control their possessions, or a secretary of a club has authority and "ust control over the task of informing members of club meetings. Anarchists believe that the authority a member of a group has is made legitimate by it being delegated by the other members of the group. Thus, outside of direct control over oneLs life, positions of having authority are usually only made legitimate via delegation from those over hom the authority applies. )astly, a person is in authority if they have poers of coercion and are in a relationship of command and obedience ith those sub"ect to their authority.
of freedom, and resist ith brute force hen the violation is maintained by brute force and there is no better ay to oppose it successfully.2 Anarchists therefore support (freedom for everybody everybody...it ...ith h the only limit limit of the eual freedom for others> hich does not meanthat meanthat e recognise, recogn ise, and ish to respect, the *freedom’ to exploit, to oppress, to t o command, hich 4# is oppression and certainly not freedom.2 The use of coercive authority to maximise greater overall freedom and euality is hat occurs in a social revolution hen the organi/ed orking class and peasantry depen dependi ding ng on her here e in the orl orld d e are are talk talkin ing g about aboutHH expr expropr opria iate te the the priva private te property of capitalists and abolish the state. The use of coercive authority in a social revolu revolutio tion n does not contrad contradict ict anarchi anarchist st princi principle ples s given given that the use of coerci coercive ve authority by the organi/ed masses is directed against those in positions of hierarchical poer ho dominate and exploit them. As Malatesta puts it, 67f8or to people to live in peace they must both ant peace> if one insists on using force to oblige the other to ork for him and serve him, then the other, if he ishes to retain his dignity as a man and not be reduced to ab"ect slavery, ill be obliged, in spite of his love of peace, to resist force ith adeuate means.644 Through the exercise of coercive authority the masses abolish the social conditions of their domination. The social revolution is thus simultaneously an authoritarian act in so far as coercive authority is being exercised and directed at the ruling class, and a libertarian act in so far as domination is being abolished and freedom is being attained. As the German anarcho'syndicalist Eudolf Eocker rites, 678e...kno that a revolution cannot be made ith roseater. And e kno, too, that the oning classes ill never yield up their privileges spontaneously. -n the day of victorious revolution the orkers ill have to impose their ill on the present oners of the soil, of the subsoil and of the means of production, hich cannot be done '' let us be clear on this '' ithout the orkers taking the capital of society into their on hands, and, above all, ithout their having demolished the authoritarian structure hich is, and ill continue to be, the fortress keeping the masses of the people under dominion. 5uch an action is, ithout doubt, an act of liberation> a procla proclamat mation ion of social social "ustic "ustice> e> the very very essenc essence e of social social revolu revolutio tion, n, hich hich has 49 nothing in common ith the utterly bourgeois principle of dictatorship.6
Organisation Booth claims that anarchists are against organi/ation. This is false. Anarchists are not opposed to organisation in either a socialist society or organisations under capitalism struggling for a socialist future. As Alexander Berkman put it, (7a8ny one ho tells you that
+irstly, anarchists believe that society, and so organisation, is the basis of individual liberty. To uote uot e Bakunin, (7s8ociety, far from decreasing ... freedom, on the contrary creates the individual freedom of all human beings. 5ociety is the root, the tree, and liberty is its fruit. 1ence, in every epoch, man must seek his freedom not at the beginning but at the end of history.... ! can feel free only in the presence of, and in relation ith other men....! am truly free only hen all human beings, men and omen, are eually free, and the freedom of other men, far from negating or limiting my freedom, is, on the contrary, its necessary premise and confirmation.2 5econdl 5econdly y, anarchi anarchists sts ob"ect ob"ect to central centralise ised d and hierar hierarchi chical cal organi organisat sation ion and seek seek to replace replace it ith decentralis decentralised ed and hori/ontal association. association. Bakunin Bakunin rites rites that an anarchist anarchist society ould (no longer 7be8 organised, as it is today, from high to lo and from centre to circumference by means of enforced unity and concentration, but...7ould start8...ith the free individual, individual, the free association association and the autonomous autonomous commune, from lo to high and from circumference to centre, by means of free federation.24% and, on the other side, for the satisfaction of an ever'increasing number of scientific, artistic, literary and sociable needs.24$ Boot Booth h give gives s to to brie brieff exam exampl ples es of neces necessa sary ry orga organi ni/a /ati tion on in a soci social alis istt soci societ ety y, the organ organi/ i/ati ation on of the econo economy my via via democ democra rati tic c plan planni ning ng and decis decisio ion n maki making ng and the organi/ation of trains. !n 3ropotkin’s ma"or and idely read ork *The onuest of Bread’ he gives the example of the organi/ation of trains as an example of free agreement in action and so evidence in favour of the vie that mass transit could be organi/ed in an anarchist society on the basis of free agreement. 3ropotkin rites that, (This immense netork of railays connected together, and the enormous traffic it has given rise to, no doubt constitutes the most striking trait of our century> and it is the result of free agreement. !f a man had foreseen or predicted it fifty years ago,
(Iever ill you be able to make the shareholders of a hundred companies listen to reason ? !t is a Ktopia, a fairy tale. A central Government, ith an *iron’ director, can alone enforce it.2 And the most interesting thing in this organi/ation is, that there is no uropean entral Government of Eailays? Iothing? Io minister of railays, no dictator, not even a continental parliament, not even a directing committee? verything is done by contract. 5o e ask the believers in the 5tate, ho pretend that (e can never do ithout a central Government, ere it only for regulating the traffic,2 e ask themO (But ho do uropean uropean railays railays manage ithout themJ 1o do they continue to convey millions millions of travelers and mountains of luggage across a continentJ !f companies oning railays have been able to agree, hy should railay orkers, ho ould take possession of railays, not agree likeiseJ And if the 0etersburg'
The factory ouncils ill be combined by functional relation and form the syndicates of prod produc ucers ers of simi simila larr goods goods,, syndi syndica cates tes of trade trade or of indus industry try>> these these ne ne institutions have no proper authority in the internal structure of local establishments. They ill provid provide e for the moderni/i moderni/ing ng of implem implements ents>> attend attend to the fusion fusion and coordi coordinat nation ion of factori factories, es, suppres suppressio sion n of unprodu unproducti ctive ve establi establishm shments ents,, etc. etc. The 5yndicates are the representative organisms of local production and not only do they they care care for its its pres preser erva vati tion, on, but but condi conditi tion on the futur future> e> creat creatin ing g schoo schools ls of apprenticeshi apprenticeship, p, research research institutes, institutes, and experimental experimental laboratories laboratories in accordance accordance ith their means and initiative. The 5yndicates are co'leagued in accordance ith the basic functions of economy, hich e divide into eighteen sectors or general branches of activity necessary for the progressive march of a modern society.294 !t is clear from these uotes that anarchists advocate a democratically organi/ed and planned economy. economy. Thirdly, "ust as anarchists advocate a highly organised society, they also advocate highly organ organis ised ed mean means s to reac reach h such such a soci society ety.. Anar Anarch chis istt polit politic ical al organ organis isati ations ons must must,, in Malatesta’ Malatesta’s s ords, ords, (remain (remain in harmony ith the principles principles of anarchism> anarchism> that is, they must kno ho to blend the free action of individuals ith the necessity and the "oy of co' operation hich serve to develop the aareness and initiative of their members and a means of education for the environment in hich they operate and of a moral and material prepara preparatio tion n for the future future e desire.6 desire.699 Anarch Anarchist ists s thus seek a balanc balance e beteen beteen rigid rigid organisational structure and the spontaneous free activity of its members. The main main type type of organis organisati ation on anarch anarchist ists s advoca advocate te are affin affinity ity groups groups,, hich hich are self' self' managed, autonomous groupings of anarchists ho unite and ork on specific activities and interests. To uote the Anarchist +AP, (7t8he local affinity group is the means by hich anarchists co'ordinate their activities in a communi community ty,, orkpl orkplace ace,, social social moveme movement nt and so on. they eld the orkers together as a class and prevent the rise of any narro'minded factional
the hole body of organised labour in the use of every agency available under the circumstanc circumstances. es. All the labour cartels are grouped according according to districts districts and regions to form the Iational +ederation of )abour artels, hich maintain the permanent connection beteen the local bodies, arranges for free ad"ustment of the productive labour of the members of the different organisations on co'operative lines, provide for the necessary co'operation in the field of education, in hich the stronger cartels ill need to come to the aid of the eaker ones, and in general support the local groups ith council and guidance. very trade union is, moreover, federatively allied ith all the same organisations in the same trade throughout the country, and these in turn ith all related trades, so that all are combined in general industrial alliances. !t is the task of these alliances to arrange for the co'operative action of the local groups, to conduct solidaric strikes here the necessity arises, and to meet all the demands of the day'to'day struggle bet beteen een capi capital tal and and labo labour ur.. Thus Thus the +eder +ederat atio ion n of )abou )abourr artel artels s and and the the +ederation +ederation of !ndustrial !ndustrial Alliance Alliances s constitute constitute the to poles about hich the hole life 9; of the trade unions revolves.2 +ourthly, there are an incredibly large number of anarchist organi/ations that have been created since the #$%&s across the orld hose collective membership is in the millions.
Leadership Anarchists are not opposed to leadership in the sense of individuals ho guide or direct other other people. people.
expression, ill make its ay among the mass of the people. 5preading everyhere, the anarchist groups...ill take strength from the support they find among the people.2 1e beli believ eved ed that that larg large' e'sc scal ale e revo revolu luti tion onar ary y acts acts by the the mass masses es ere ere caus caused ed by the the transformation of the masses consciousness. This in turn he thought as caused by, among other other factors factors,, (the (the action action of the minori minoritie ties2 s2 ho through through (conti (continuou nuous s action action endless endlessly ly 9C reneed2 instil in people the spirit of revolt by their propaganda and direct action. 1e thought that it as the (party hich has done 7the8 most revolutionary agitation2 and has shon in their acts great (liveliness and audacity2 that (ill get the best hearing on the day hen action becomes necessary, necessary, hen someone someo ne must march at the t he head to accomplish a ccomplish the revolution.2 Thus hile (the direction hich the revolution ill assume is clearly dependent on the sum of the circumstances that have led up to the cataclysm2, the direction can nonethel nonetheless ess be (fores (foreseen een in advance advance22 by examin examining ing (the (the strengt strength h of the revolu revolutio tionar nary y :& actions deployed in the preparatory period by the various advanced groups.2 1e thus thought it essential (to plan for the penetration of the masses and their stimulation by libertarian militants2.:# A concrete example of such a revolutionary minority ould be the !nterna !nternatio tional nal
against certain kinds of leadership and in fact think that some kinds of leadership are a good thing.
Conclusion !n summary, !t should be clear by no hy Booth’s comments on anarchism are highly inaccurate. They strike me as so inaccurate that ! onder hether or not Booth has ever read any of the ma"or anarchist texts hich are easily available in nglish, such as *God and 5tate’ by Bakunin, *The onuest of Bread’ by 3ropotkin, *Anarcho'5yndicalism’ by Eocker and *
1
Booth, Adam, Marxism and The State Introduction, Introduction, from 9&O:@ to 99O;@. Accessed #$S#4S#%, http://www.socialist .net/marxism-andhttp://www.socialist.net/marx ism-and-the-state the-state-audio-audio- 2013.htm 2 3ropotkin, 0eter, 0eter, Fugitive Writings (Black Rose Books, 1!, @4 State . Accessed #$S#4S#%, 3 Bakunin, Mikhail, The Immoralit# o$ The State. httpsOSS.marxists.orgSreferenceS httpsOSS.marxists.orgSreferenceSarchiveSbakuninSorksSvariousSstat archiveSbakuninSorksSvariousSstate'im.htm e'im.htm Writings, #%& 4 3ropotkin, Fugitive Writings, 0eter, Words o$ % Re&el Black Black Eose Books, #CC4H, ##$ 5 3ropotkin, 0eter, 6 Bakunin, 'od and State Accessed #$S#4S#%, httpOSSdardmac.pit/er.eduS httpOSSdardmac.pit/er.eduSAnarchistArchivesSbakuninSgodandstateSg AnarchistArchivesSbakuninSgodandstateSgodandstatech#.html odandstatech#.html )i&erte Accessed #$S#4S#%, 7 Bakunin, )etter to )i&erte Accessed httpsOSS.marxists.orgSreferenceS httpsOSS.marxists.orgSreferenceSarchiveSbakuninSorksS#$@4Sla'liberte. archiveSbakuninSorksS#$@4Sla'liberte.htm htm 8 3ropotkin, *volution and *nvironment Black Eose Books, #CC;H, C:'C; 9 +or a detailed account of this sort of holistic theory see, Albert et al, )i&erating Theor# 5outh nd 0ress, #C$%H 10 Bakunin, Bakunin on %narch#+ Selected Works & # the %ctivistFounder o$ World %narchism , ed. 5am Qoldoff Uintage Books, #C@4H, #:: %narchism, ed. G.0 Maximoff The +ree 0ress, 11 Bakunin, The -olitical -hiloso.h# o$ Bakunin+ Scienti$ic %narchism, #C;9H, p4:C Qaniel, %narchism+ From Theor# to to -ractice Monthly -ractice Monthly Eevie 0ress, #C@#H, 4;'4% 12 Puoted in Guerin, Qaniel, %narchism+ 13 3ropotkin, *volution and *nvironment , $4 14 3ropotkin, Fugitive Writings, Writings, #%& 15 Bakunin, The The -olitical -hiloso.h# o$ Bakunin, Bakunin, 4## 16 Bakunin, Bakunin on %narch# , 9#$ 17 5chmidt, Michael N Uan der
39 3ropotkin,
Words o$ % Re&el , #$% 40 !bid, #$%, #$C, #C& 41 Puoted in Iettlau, Max, % Max, % Short 3istor# o$ %narchism %narchism,, +reedom 0ress, #CC%H, #9#
