De la capacité politique des classes ouvrières

work by Proudhon

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June 25, 2026

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De la capacité politique des classes ouvrières (The Political Capacity of the Working Classes), published in 1865, is a work by Pierre-Joseph Proudhon. In this book, Proudhon argues that the liberation of the working class must be their own responsibility, achieved through economic action rather than political means.12

Proudhon, a French libertarian socialist and journalist, is considered a foundational figure in anarchist theory. He believed that society should be organized on an egalitarian basis through mutualism, where workers' associations control production and exchange goods based on mutually agreed-upon contracts. He advocated for a decentralized, federal system of autonomous communities and associations, free from state control. Proudhon's ideas influenced various radical movements and laid the groundwork for direct action as a means of social change.123

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anarchism
French anarchist thought
” In The Political Capability of the Working Classes—his final, posthumously published work—Proudhon argued that liberation was the task of the workers themselves. He thereby laid the intellectual foundations of a movement that rejected democratic and parliamentary politics in favour of various forms of direct action.
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” In The Political Capability of the Working Classes—his final, posthumously published work—Proudhon argued that liberation was the task of the workers themselves. He thereby laid the intellectual foundations of a movement that rejected democratic and parliamentary politics in favour of various forms of direct action.
Read More

Pierre-Joseph Proudhon
Early life and education
…completed on his death bed, De la capacité politique des classes ouvrières (1865), developed the theory that the liberation of the workers must be their own task, through economic action.
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…completed on his death bed, De la capacité politique des classes ouvrières (1865), developed the theory that the liberation of the workers must be their own task, through economic action.
Read More