`Author:` [[Mikhail Bakunin]] `Availability:` > [!info] > ## Key Takeaways ## Summary ## Quotes - ## Notes Mikhail Bakunin’s Statism and [[Anarchy]] (1873) emerged during a period of significant political, economic, and social upheaval in [[Europe]]. This was a time of rapid industrialisation, the consolidation of nation-[[Statism]], and the rise of [[Socialism]] as a major political force. Bakunin’s work critiques both state power and authoritarian socialism, particularly Marx’s centralised vision of governance, and advocates for a stateless [[Society]] based on decentralised, collective organisation. ### Cultural and Political Milieu of the 1870s ###### 1. Nation-State Formation: • The 19th century saw the consolidation of nation-states such as Germany (unified in 1871) and Italy (unified in 1861). These processes often involved militarism, centralised control, and suppression of local identities, which anarchists like Bakunin opposed. • Bakunin viewed the nation-state as an inherently oppressive structure that served ruling elites, regardless of whether it claimed to be democratic or socialist. ###### 2. Industrialisation and Class Conflict: • The expansion of industrial [[Capitalism]] created vast inequalities, displacing workers and fostering urbanisation. This era witnessed the rise of the proletariat as a political class, leading to widespread strikes and labour movements. • Bakunin engaged with these struggles, advocating for direct action and workers’ autonomy rather than reliance on state-mediated reforms or authoritarian socialism. ###### 3. Rivalry with Marxism: • The International Workingmen’s Association (First International) was divided between Marxists, who sought a revolutionary dictatorship of the proletariat, and Bakunin’s anarchists, who rejected all forms of state authority. Statism and [[Anarchy]] critiques Marx’s vision as a betrayal of revolutionary principles, arguing that it would replace one form of tyranny with another. ###### 4. Rise of Radical Ideas: • The failure of earlier [[Revolutions]] (e.g., 1848) and the brutal repression of the Paris Commune in 1871 radicalised many leftists, pushing them toward more revolutionary and anti-authoritarian ideas. Anarchism gained traction as an alternative to both liberalism and authoritarian socialism. ### Overview of Statism and Anarchy Bakunin’s Statism and [[Anarchy]] is a critique of state power, a warning against authoritarian socialism, and a call for grassroots revolution. Key themes include: ##### 1. Critique of the State: • Bakunin argues that the state is inherently oppressive, concentrating power in the hands of a ruling elite, whether bourgeois or socialist. Even a “worker’s state,” he warns, would eventually replicate [[hierarchical]] oppression. ##### 2. Rejection of Marx’s Centralisation: • The book critiques [[Karl Marx]]’s vision of the dictatorship of the proletariat, predicting that it would lead to a new class of [[bureaucratic]] rulers, alienating workers and perpetuating inequality. ##### 3. Decentralisation and Autonomy: • Bakunin advocates for a stateless, federalist structure based on voluntary associations and worker-led [[Communes]], which he sees as the foundation for true equality and freedom. ##### 4. Revolutionary Praxis: • Emphasising direct action, Bakunin rejects gradualist reforms or reliance on parliamentary systems, calling for an immediate and total overthrow of hierarchical structures. #### Connections to the 1960s The 1960s saw a revival of anarchist thought, paralleling the 1870s in several ways: 1. Anti-Authoritarian Movements: • Like the rejection of centralised authority in Bakunin’s time, the 1960s counterculture and New Left movements opposed hierarchical governance, whether capitalist or Soviet-style socialist. • Movements like the Civil Rights Movement, feminist struggles, and anti-war protests often employed decentralised, grassroots organising strategies inspired by anarchist principles. 2. Youth Radicalism: • In both periods, young people spearheaded revolutionary [[Change]], driven by disillusionment with existing political structures. In the 1960s, students and activists criticised bureaucratic states and corporate capitalism, echoing Bakunin’s critiques of both state socialism and bourgeois governance. 3. Cultural Resurgence of Anarchism: • In the 1960s, anarchism re-emerged as a theoretical and practical framework, influencing movements like Situationism in Europe and anti-authoritarian communal experiments worldwide. Bakunin’s ideas, along with those of Kropotkin and other anarchists, were rediscovered and applied to these struggles. Conclusion Bakunin’s Statism and Anarchy captures the anti-authoritarian spirit of a time when industrialisation and state formation prompted fierce debates about the future of power and governance. Its critique of hierarchical socialism and advocacy for decentralised, stateless organisation resonated with the radical movements of the 1960s, which similarly sought to challenge entrenched power structures. Both eras illustrate the enduring relevance of anarchist ideas in times of social and political transformation. `Concepts:` [[Politics]] `Knowledge Base:` [[Books index]]