Contemporary anarchism within thehistory of anarchism is the period of theanarchist movement continuing from the end of World War II and into the present. Since the last third of the 20th century, anarchists have been involved inanti-globalisation,peace,squatter andstudent protest movements. Anarchists have participated in armed revolutions such as in those that created theMakhnovshchina andRevolutionary Catalonia, and anarchist political organizations such as theInternational Workers' Association and theIndustrial Workers of the World have existed since the 20th century. Within contemporary anarchism, theanti-capitalism ofclassical anarchism has remained prominent.[1][2]
Anarchist principles undergird contemporary radical social movements of the left. Interest in the anarchist movement developed alongside momentum in the anti-globalisation movement,[3] whose leading activist networks were anarchist in orientation.[4] As the movement shaped 21st century radicalism, wider embrace of anarchist principles signaled a revival of interest.[4] Various anarchist groups, tendencies and schools of thought exist today, making it difficult to describe the contemporary anarchist movement.[5] While theorists and activists have established "relatively stable constellations of anarchist principles", there is no consensus on which principles are core and commentators describe multiple "anarchisms" (rather than a singular "anarchism") in which common principles are shared between schools of anarchism while each group prioritizes those principles differently. Gender equality can be a common principle, although it ranks as a higher priority toanarcha-feminists thananarcho-communists.[6]
New currents which emerged within contemporary anarchism includepost-anarchism andpost-left anarchism.New anarchism is a term that has been notably used by several authors to describe the most recent reinvention of the anarchist thought and practice. What distinguishes the new anarchism of today from the new anarchism of the 1960s and 1970s, or from the work of Anglo-American based authors such asMurray Bookchin,Alex Comfort,Paul Goodman,Herbert Read andColin Ward, is its emphasis on the global perspective. Essays on new anarchism[7] includeDavid Graeber's "New Anarchists"[8] andAndrej Grubačić's "Towards Another Anarchism";[9][10] other authors have criticized the term for being too vague.[11]
Anarchists are generally committed against coercive authority in all forms, namely "all centralized and hierarchical forms of government (e.g., monarchy, representative democracy, state socialism, etc.), economic class systems (e.g., capitalism, Bolshevism, feudalism, slavery, etc.), autocratic religions (e.g., fundamentalist Islam, Roman Catholicism, etc.), patriarchy, heterosexism,white supremacy, and imperialism."[12] Anarchist schools disagree on the methods by which these forms should be opposed.[13] The principle ofequal liberty is closer to anarchist political ethics in that it transcends both the liberal and socialist traditions. This entails that liberty and equality cannot be implemented within the state, resulting in the questioning of all forms of domination and hierarchy.[14] Contemporary news coverage which emphasizesblack bloc demonstrations has reinforced anarchism's historical association with chaos and violence; however, its publicity has also led more scholars to engage with the anarchist movement, although contemporary anarchism favours actions over academic theory.[3][15]
Anarchism was influential in thecounterculture of the 1960s[16][17][18] and anarchists actively participated in theprotests of 1968 involving students and workers revolts.[19] In 1968, the International of Anarchist Federations was founded during an international anarchist conference held inCarrara by the three existing European federations, namely theFrench Anarchist Federation, theIberian Anarchist Federation and theItalian Anarchist Federation as well as the Bulgarian Anarchist Federation in French exile.[20] In the United Kingdom during the 1970s, this was associated with thepunk rock movement as exemplified by bands such asCrass (pioneers of theanarcho-punk subgenre).[21]
The housing and employment crisis in most of Western Europe led to the formation ofcommunes,intentional communities andsquatter movements like that of Barcelona. In Denmark,squatters occupied a disused military base and declared theFreetown Christiania, an autonomous haven in central Copenhagen. The relationship between anarchism and punk as well as squatting has carried on into the 21st century. InInfinitely Demanding,Simon Critchley wrote: "There is no doubt that 60s anarchism was libertarian and linked to the sexual revolution, liberation of the erotic instincts and whatHerbert Marcuse called 'nonrepressive sublimation'. Yet, contemporary anarchism can be seen as a powerful critique of the pseudo-libertarianism of contemporaryneo-liberalism, where the sexual revolution has turned the culture industry into the sex industry – ask yourself, is there today anything less transgressive and more normalizing than pornography? One might say that contemporary anarchism is about responsibility, whether sexual, ecological or socio-economic; it flows from an experience of conscience about the manifold ways in which the West ravages the rest; it is an ethical outrage at the yawning inequality, impoverishment and disenfranchisment that is so palpable locally and globally."[22]
Since the revival of anarchism in the mid-20th century,[23] a number of new movements and schools of thought emerged, well documented inRobert Graham'sAnarchism: A Documentary History of Libertarian Ideas, Volume Two: The Emergence of the New Anarchism (1939–1977).[24] Although feminist tendencies have always been a part of the anarchist movement in the form ofanarcha-feminism, they returned with vigour during the second wave of feminism in the 1960s. The Americancivil rights movement and the movement inopposition to the Vietnam War also contributed to the revival of North American anarchism. European anarchism of the late 20th century drew much of its strength from thelabour movement and both have incorporatedanimal rights activism. Anarchist anthropologistDavid Graeber and anarchist historianAndrej Grubačić have posited a rupture between generations of anarchism, with those "who often still have not shaken the sectarian habits" of the 19th century contrasted with the younger activists who are "much more informed, among other elements, byindigenous,feminist,ecological andcultural-critical ideas" and who by the turn of the 21st century formed "by far the majority" of anarchists.[7]
Around the turn of the 21st century, anarchism grew in popularity and influence as part of theanti-war,anti-capitalist andanti-globalisation movements.[25] Anarchists became known for their involvement in protests against the meetings of theWorld Trade Organization (WTO), theGroup of Eight and theWorld Economic Forum. Some anarchist factions at these protests engaged in rioting, property destruction and violent confrontations with police. These actions were precipitated byad hoc, leaderless and anonymous cadres known asblack blocs, although other peaceful organisational tactics pioneered in this time includeaffinity groups,security culture and the use of decentralised technologies such as the Internet.[25] A significant event of this period was the1999 Seattle WTO protests.[25] Many commentators have stated that theOccupy Wall Street movement has roots in anarchist philosophy.[26][27][28][29][30]
International anarchist federations in existence include the International of Anarchist Federations and theInternational Workers' Association. The largest organised anarchist movement today is in Spain in the form of theCGT and theCNT, with the CGT membership being estimated at around 100,000 for 2003.[31] Other activeanarcho-syndicalist movements include theCNT–AIT in France, theUnion Sindicale Italiana in Italy, theCentral Organisation of the Workers of Sweden and theSwedish Anarcho-syndicalist Youth Federation in Sweden, theWorkers Solidarity Alliance in the United States and theSolidarity Federation in the United Kingdom. The revolutionaryindustrial unionistIndustrial Workers of the World claiming 10,000 paying members and theInternational Workers' Association, an anarcho-syndicalist successor to the First International, also remain active. The International of Anarchist Federations was founded in 1968 during an international anarchist conference in Carrara by the three existing European anarchist federations of France, Italy and Spain as well as the Bulgarian Anarchist Federation in French exile. These organizations were also inspired onsynthesis anarchist principles.[32] Currently alongside the previously mentioned federations, the International of Anarchist Federations includes theArgentine Libertarian Federation, the Anarchist Federation of Belarus, the Czech-Slovak Anarchist Federation, the Federation of German speaking Anarchists in Germany and Switzerland and theAnarchist Federation in the United Kingdom and Ireland.[33]
Platformism is an important current in international anarchism. Around thirty platformist andspecifist organizations are linked together in theAnarkismo project, including groups from Africa, Europe, Latin America and North America.[34] At least in terms of the number of affiliated organisations, theAnarkismo network is larger than other anarchist international bodies such as the International of Anarchist Federations and the International Workers' Association. However, it is not a formal international and has no intention of competing with these other formations. Today, there are organisations inspired byDielo Truda'sOrganizational Platform of the General Union of Anarchists (Draft) in many countries, includingFederación Anarco-Comunista de Argentina andLínea Anarco-Comunista in Argentina, the Melbourne Anarchist Communist Group and Sydney Anarchist Communist Trajectory in Australia,Fórum do Anarquismo Organizado in Brazil, Common Cause (Ontario) andUnion Communiste Libertaire (Quebec) in Canada,Federación Comunista Libertaria andOrganización Comunista Libertaria (OCL) in Chile,Alternative Libertaire andOrganisation Communiste Libertaire in France,Federazione dei Comunisti Anarchici in Italy,Alianza de los Comunistas Libertarios in Mexico,Motmakt in Norway,Unión Socialista Libertaria in Peru, theZabalaza Anarchist Communist Front in South Africa, Collective Action in the United Kingdom, Common Struggle/Lucha Común in the United States and the Revolutionary Confederation of Anarcho-Syndicalists by the name of N. I. Makhno which is an international anarcho-syndicalist and platformist confederation with sections and individual members in Bulgaria, Georgia, Germany, Israel, Latvia, Russia and Ukraine. Organisations inspired by platformism were also among the founders of the now-defunct International Libertarian Solidarity network and its successorAnarkismo network which is run collaboratively by roughly thirty platformist and specifists organisations around the world.[34]
Anarchist ideas have been influential in the development of the Democratic Federation of Northern Syria, more commonly known asRojava, ade factoautonomous region in northern Syria.[35]Abdullah Öcalan, a founding member of theKurdistan Workers' Party who is currently imprisoned in Turkey, is an iconic and popular figure in Rojava and whose ideas shaped the region's society and politics.[36]
While in prison, Öcalan corresponded with and was influenced byMurray Bookchin, asocial anarchist theorist and philosopher who developedcommunalism andlibertarian municipalism.[36] Modelled after Bookchin's ideas, Öcalan developed the theory ofdemocratic confederalism. In March 2005, Öcalan issued his "Declaration of Democratic Confederalism in Kurdistan", calling upon citizens "to stop attacking the government and instead create municipal assemblies, which he called 'democracy without the state'".[36]
Noam Chomsky stated thatanarcho-syndicalism, aclassical anarchist school of thought that remains popular and relevant to contemporary anarchism, is "highly relevant to advanced industrial societies".[37] Anarchism continues to generate many philosophies and movements, at times eclectic, drawing upon various sources and syncretic, combining disparate concepts to create new philosophical approaches.[38]
Self-avowed anarchist scholars such asDavid Graeber andAndrej Grubačić have written on trends within contemporary anarchism both individually and in collaboration. Writing together, their emphasis is upon a "global revolutionary movement" finding roots in anarchism as opposed to Marxism, and a new generation "much more interested in developing new forms of practice than arguing about the finer points of ideology."[7] Using the phrase "thenew anarchists", Graeber elaborates upon practice with regard to globalization, "a 'new language' of civil disobedience", direct democracy, and prefigurative politics.[8] Using the phraseanother anarchism, Grubačić situates contemporary anarchism in terms of its historical roots, and emphasizes its "anti-sectarian" nature, rejection of vanguardism, internationalism, decentralization, and direct democracy.[10] Using the phrasenew anarchism, political scientist Leonard Williams seeks out an "anarchist metaphysic" of contemporary anarchism and emphasizes its anti-authoritarianism, pluralism, and its "theory of practice."[39] While stipulating a use of the phrasenew anarchism that does "not specifically refer to David Graeber's use of the term here in hisNew Left Review article 'The New Anarchists'", Teoman Gee decries the associations of the phrase with anarchist practices that are anti-historical, polemical, or associated with superficiallifestyle anarchism.[11]
Post-anarchism is a revision ofclassical anarchism sometimes through the influence ofpost-structuralists such asJean Baudrillard,Gilles Deleuze,Michel Foucault, andJacques Lacan.[40] Post-anarchism is a contested term, with its prefix "post-" referring to post-structuralism and/orpostmodernism, which themselves are contested terms.[41] Many post-anarchist theorists (e.g., Jason Adams,Todd May, andSaul Newman) invoke post-structuralist writings. The postmodern aspect of post-anarchism involves rejection of universal values and grand theories in favor of plurality and hybridity.[42] Philosopher Benjamin Franks identified three types of post-anarchism: (1)Lyotardianpostanarchism, which proposes replacingclassical anarchist (revolutionary) tactics with those of post-structuralists; (2) redemptivepostanarchism, to incorporate post-structural theory into existing anarchist practices; and (3) postmodern anarchism, which applies anarchist approaches to globalized oppressions of the late 21st century.[43] Critics of post-anarchism argue that it ignores principles ofclass warfare andeconomic exploitation, not producing political action.[40]Duane Rousselle andSaul Newman have advanced a psychoanalytic post-anarchism inspired by the writings of Jacques Lacan. Duane Rousselle's work brings together thinking from theLacanianism ofJacques Lacan andSlavoj Žižek to outline a distinctive approach that takes seriously the political challenges of enjoyment orjouissance.[44]
Post-left anarchist thought critiques anarchism's relationship to traditionalleft-wing politics, such as its emphasis onclass struggle,social revolution,labor unions, theworking class, andidentity politics. Influenced byanti-authoritarianpostmodern philosophy, post-leftists rejectEnlightenmentrationalism andmodernism anddeconstruct topics such as gender. While a few advocate for armedinsurrection, most advocate for creating spaces andaffinity groups to act freely within current society rather than fighting for a utopian ideal. In the United States,CrimethInc.,Anarchy: A Journal of Desire Armed, andGreen Anarchy are associated withpost-leftism, as are manyprimitivists. CrimethInc, which is influenced bysituationism,anarcho-punk, andgreen anarchy, argues for aDIY folk approach to everyday life, includingrefusal of work, escapinggender roles, andstraight edge lifestyle.[45]
Postcolonial anarchism critiques mainstream anarchism for minimizing race and the role of anticolonial liberation struggle.[46][47] It connects anarchism and other anti-authoritarian movements, such as that of indigneous and landless peoples.[48] The theoretical framework emerged from North American anarchists of color in the 1990s.[47] In the work of Roger White, it is associated with opposing universal generalizations about the role of nationalism, class, and feminism in anarchism.[46]
Prominent anarchist presses includeAK Press andFreedom Press. AK Press, founded in 1990, is a collective based inSan Francisco that publishes new and out-of-print works. Freedom Press, founded in 1886, is based inEast London and operates a bookshop and online news in addition to publishing.[49]
Contemporary anarchist periodicals includeFifth Estate,Perspectives on Anarchist Theory,[50] andGreen Anarchy.[49]
The Institute for Anarchist Studies offers grants for writing and translating works related to anarchism.[49]
While not always formally recognized, much of the protest of the sixties was anarchist. Within the nascent women's movement, anarchist principles became so widespread that a political science professor denounced what she saw as 'The Tyranny of Structurelessness.' Several groups have called themselves 'Amazon Anarchists.' After theStonewall Rebellion, the New YorkGay Liberation Front based their organization in part on a reading ofMurray Bookchin's anarchist writings.
Farrell provides a detailed history of the Catholic Workers and their founders Dorothy Day and Peter Maurin. He explains that their pacifism, anarchism, and commitment to the downtrodden were one of the important models and inspirations for the 60s. As Farrell puts it, 'Catholic Workers identified the issues of the sixties before the Sixties began, and they offered models of protest long before the protest decade.
These groups had their roots in the anarchist resurgence of the nineteen sixties. Young militants finding their way to anarchism, often from the anti-bomb and anti-Vietnam war movements, linked up with an earlier generation of activists, largely outside the ossified structures of 'official' anarchism. Anarchist tactics embraced demonstrations, direct action such as industrial militancy and squatting, protest bombings like those of the First of May Group and Angry Brigade – and a spree of publishing activity.
Within the movements of the sixties there was much more receptivity to anarchism-in-fact than had existed in the movements of the thirties. [...] But the movements of the sixties were driven by concerns that were more compatible with an expressive style of politics, with hostility to authority in general and state power in particular. [...] By the late sixties, political protest was intertwined with cultural radicalism based on a critique of all authority and all hierarchies of power. Anarchism circulated within the movement along with other radical ideologies. The influence of anarchism was strongest among radical feminists, in the commune movement, and probably in the Weather Underground and elsewhere in the violent fringe of the anti-war movement.
... anarchist publications such asFifth Estate,Perspectives on Anarchist Theory,Social Anarchism and others continue to offer important commentary on and critique of contemporary politics and culture.
