A theoretical political stance skeptical of the justification of state authority, grounded in moral claims about individual liberty and freedom from domination. Philosophical anarchism focuses on the theoretical rejection of political legitimacy rather than on practical activism, asking whether any government can be morally justified at all, and does not by itself carry a strong imperative to actively oppose or eliminate existing states.
Facts
Disputed
Start Year1840 marks Pierre-Joseph Proudhon's What Is Property?, in which he became the first person known to call himself an anarchist. William Godwin's 1793 Enquiry Concerning Political Justice is commonly cited as an earlier systematic precursor that did not use the label, and anarchist sentiment has ancient roots older than either; no single founding year commands full agreement. Founded Date1840 marks Pierre-Joseph Proudhon's What Is Property?, in which he became the first person known to call himself an anarchist; William Godwin's 1793 Enquiry Concerning Political Justice is an earlier systematic precursor that did not use the label, and anarchist sentiment has older roots, so no single founding year commands full agreement (matches this entity's own start-year note). Classification
TraditionModern or Enlightenment 1 RegionEurope and North America 2 Connections
Founded By
Source Anarchism (Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy)
Source Pierre-Joseph Proudhon (Wikipedia)
In Branch
In the Other Atlases
- Also in Political Atlas: Anarchism, the same subject.
- Also in Society and Culture Atlas: Anarchism, the same subject.
Sources
1. Wikipedia: Anarchism
WikipediaLead, Enlightenment origin sentenceQuote, Lead, Enlightenment origin sentence
Although traces of anarchist ideas are found all throughout history, modern anarchism emerged from the Enlightenment.
2. Anarchism (Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy)
Stanford Encyclopedia of PhilosophyIntroduction
Anarchism is a political theory that is skeptical of the justification of authority and power.
SEP Anarchism entry, section 2.1 Anarchism in the History of Political Philosophy
One of the first authors to explicitly affirm anarchism, Pierre Proudhon, defended a kind of "communism", which he understood as being grounded in decentralized associations, communes, and mutual-aid societies.
- Founded By: Mikhail Bakunin
View the Source 3. Pierre-Joseph Proudhon (Wikipedia)
WikipediaAnarchism section
Proudhon was the first person known to refer to himself as an 'anarchist'.
- Founded By: Pierre-Joseph Proudhon
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