Communist anarchism

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Pyotr Alexejewitsch Kropotkin , central theoretician of communist anarchism

The communist anarchism (also anarchist communism , anarchist communism , liberal communism or libertarian communism is called) a political concept of anarchism , according to the state and capitalism are overcome and through networks of voluntary associations, workers' councils and communal municipalities should be replaced.

Historical development

From the point of view of the anarchist historian Max Nettlau , the labor movement in the first half of the 19th century was very authoritarian. Only a group of workers who published a magazine called L'Humanitaire saw their political ideas as liberal as possible, i.e. anti-authoritarian. After just two editions of the newspaper, the members of the group were arrested and sentenced. That meant the end of their work.

After the brief work of the group of L'Humanitaire in 1841, the first expressions of communist anarchism appeared again from the beginning of 1876, from a group called "L'Avenir", to which, among others. Adrien Perrare, François Dumartheray and T. Colonna included. In the French elections in 1876, the group issued four brochures in which they published the main features of a "communisme anarchiste".

The central pioneer of this trend was the Russian anarchist Pyotr Kropotkin . He believed that anarchism and communism could only work together because they were mutually dependent. During the Russian Revolution, Kropotkin and other communist anarchists criticized the concept of communism propagated by Lenin , which they called " state socialism " and rejected it as totalitarian and elitist .

The ideological and political conflict between Marxists and anarchists goes back to the conflict between Mikhail Bakunin on the anti-authoritarian side and Karl Marx on the scientific-socialist side, who were ideologically opposed to each other at the beginning of the labor movement. While the Marxists were striving for the dictatorship of the proletariat , in the course of which the state would at some point become superfluous and wither away , the anarchists wanted to abolish the state immediately . In addition, they rejected any party organization as patronizing the masses by an avant-garde .

concept

Anarcho-communist ideas are conceptually related to ideas of the anarcho-syndicalist movement, which found a certain following in Germany during the council movement of 1918/19, which is still largely organized in the FAU and internationally in the IAA .

The advocates of communist anarchism oppose the concept of workers ' self-administration in the factories against the concept of leadership by a revolutionary class party or parliamentary “representation” of workers' interests in order to prevent the emergence of new forms of rule after a social revolution . In doing so, they set themselves apart from both bourgeois reformism, for example in the Weimar Republic, and from Marxism . In Germany, Erich Mühsam advocated similar ideas.

Communist anarchism propagates a domination-free, egalitarian and self-governing social order without hierarchical structures and laws , in which a fair appropriation of social wealth should exist through the voluntary and solidary form of economic activity. Private ownership of the means of production is to be abolished. Only the needs of every person should be decisive, because any calculation of the value of individual work is impossible and therefore an arbitrary, authoritarian act. In this society, the free development of the individual should be just as present as the common free development of all. The freedom of the individual only ends where it disturbs the freedom of others.

Economic theory

The abolition of money, prices and wage labor is central to communist anarchism. When the distribution of wealth is based on self-determined needs, people can freely engage in activities that they consider most fulfilling and no longer have to do work for which they have neither the temperament nor the ability.

The Conquest of the Bread by Peter Kropotkin , influential work that represents the economic vision of anarcho-communism

Anarcho-communists argue that there is no valid way of measuring the value of a person's economic contributions because all wealth is a common product of present and previous generations. For example, one could not measure the value of a factory worker's daily output without considering how transportation, food, water, shelter, relaxation, machine efficiency, and emotional mood contributed to their production. In order to really give anything numerical economic value, an overwhelming number of external and other factors would have to be taken into account - particularly current or past workforce, which contribute to the ability to employ future workforce. As Kropotkin put it, “No distinction can be made between the work of any person. Measuring the work on its results leads us to absurdity; Dividing and measuring through the hours we spent on work also leads us to absurdity. One thing remains: to put needs above the plants and to recognize first the right to life and later to comfort for all who have their share in the production. "

Communist anarchism shares many features with collectivist anarchism , but the two are different. Collectivist anarchism represents collective property, while communist anarchism negates the entire concept of property in favor of the concept of use. It is crucial that the abstract relationship between "landlord" and "tenant" no longer exists, since such titles are subject to legal constraint and are not absolutely necessary to occupy buildings or rooms ( intellectual property would also expire), since they are a form of private property . Anarcho-communists argue that rent and other fees are not only exploitative, but also that they create arbitrary pressure that induces people to do independent duties. For example, they wonder why you have to work a certain number of hours a day just to live anywhere. Instead of working conditionally for the wages they deserve, they believe they are working directly for the respective goal.

Current development

Like most revolutionary currents within the political left , anarcho-communism is currently only a minority position and can be found mainly in small political groups. It is relatively widespread in the spectrum of the Autonomous , who often appear as the Black Block at demonstrations with anarcho-communist slogans. In the anarchist movement, he is supported in particular by platform organizations such as the platform in Germany, but also by anarchist federations such as NEFAC and AF Britain.

With the class struggle anarchism in the late 20th century within anarchist organizations, a trend in the tradition of anarcho-communism and anarcho-syndicalism was developed, which is based on the Marxist idea of class struggle and with council-communist and libertarian ideas such as situationism overlaps.

Examples of real anarcho-communism

An example of real anarcho-communism is the Autonomous Administration of Northern and Eastern Syria (also known under the Kurdish name Rojava). It is an autonomous area in Syria. On March 17, 2016, an assembly of Kurdish , Assyrian-Aramaic , Arab and Turkmen delegates proclaimed the autonomous federation of Northern Syria, then consisting of the cantons of Afrin , Kobanê and Cizîrê . It describes itself as " Democratic Confederalism ". From the traditional anarchist as well as anarcho-syndicalist side, some ideas, especially the participation in elections at the local level, are rejected as bourgeois and reformist.

literature

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ M. Nettlau: The early spring of anarchy. Your historical development from the beginning to the year 1864 . (History of Anarchy. Vol. 1) Topos Verlag, Vaduz 1984, pp. 138–141.
  2. ↑ a b M. Nettlau: The anarchism from Proudhon to Kropotkin. Its historical development in the years 1859–1880 . (History of Anarchy. Vol. 2) Topos Verlag, Vaduz 1984, p. 228 f.
  3. ↑ Peter Kropotkin - Letter to Lenin (1920) ( Memento of August 22, 2007 in the Internet Archive )
  4. ↑ a b L. Susan Brown , "Does Work Really Work?" (English).
  5. ↑ Alexander Berkman . What is communist anarchism? [1]
  6. ↑ Kropotkin, Peter. "The collectivist wage system". The Conquest of Bread, Sons of GP Putnam, New York and London, 1906, Chapter 13, Section 4
  7. ↑ Alexander Berkman. What is anarchism? , P. 217
  8. ^ The Anarchist Federation is an organization of revolutionary class struggle anarchists. We aim for the abolition of all hierarchy, and work for the creation of a world-wide classless society: anarchist communism. Aims & Principles ( 10 October 2016 memento on the Internet Archive ) on the AF Britain website, accessed 10 September 2016
  9. ↑ For example, it is now possible to talk about 'class-struggle' anarchism, as an identifiable position which, leaning on marxism, prioritizes liberation from class dominationas the prinicipal goal of revolution Randall Amster: Contemporary anarchist studies: an introductory anthology of Anarchy in the Academy . 2009, ISBN 978-0-415-47402-3 , p. 271
  10. ↑ Class struggle anarchism continues the traditions of communist anarchism and anarcho-syndicalism, and overlaps with libertarian (autonomist) Marxism, such as council communism. In his overview of current British anarchism, Benjamin Franks writes, "The organizations identified under the heading of 'class struggle anarchism' include those that identify themselves as such, as well as those from autonomist marxist and situationist-inspired traditions." (Rebel Alliances AK Press & Dark Star, Edinburgh 2006, p. 12) from Wayne Price: What is Class Sruggle Anarchism? on anarkismo.net, accessed March 13, 2010
  11. ^ Paul-Anton Krüger: How the Kurds imagine the new Syria. Retrieved February 2, 2021 .
  12. ↑ Andreas Speck: libertarian communalism for beginners - GWR 232 - October 1998. In: graswurzel.net. October 1, 1998, accessed February 1, 2016 .
  13. ↑ The citoyen as a protoanarchist by Oskar Lubin. In: trend.infopartisan.net. Retrieved February 1, 2016 .