Collectivist Anarchism :: Papers

left-winger Anarchism The philosophical roots of Collectivist Anarchism lie in socialism rather than liberalism. Collectivists believe that human beings are social animals better suited to working together for the common good, than for individual interests. When people are colligate together by a common humanity they have no need to be controlled or regulated by a government. As Michael Bakunin proclaimed, social solidarity is the prototypic human law, freedom is the second law. Collectivist anarchists are sometimes criticised for holding a nave and hopelessly optimistic view of human nature. Human beings get out be greedy if they are brought up in an unjust society, they will be caring if they are brought up in a society where referee and equality reign. This helps us to understand just why anarchists are so interested in education. Anarchism and Marxism - whats the disagreeence? A number of parallels exist between Collectivist Anarchism and Marxism Both see capitalism as a system of class exploitation Human beings have the ultimate ability to order their own personal business without the controlling hand of state intervening. But Collectivists and Marxists do come into conflict over a couple of things * Firstly Anarchists criticise Marxisms deterministic character, taking serving out of the hands of the people, and making it an economic certainty. * Marxists view the proletariat as the only truly revolutionary class, whereas anarchists view every integrity from peasants, to students, to the ethnic minorities, as victims of repression. * The ideologies also differ in the need for a vanguard party, with the specific purpose of leading the oppressed to utopia. Anarchists have always rejected traditional political means, and that only a oral uprising of the masses can lead to true anarchism, and so avoid a * Dictatorship of the Proletariat, an idea crucial to defending the progres sion from capitalist to socialist, according to Marx, and one abhorred by anarchists, who view the state not as a symbol of class rule, but as an independent oppressive body.