How did Mikhail Bakunin's anarchist ideas differ from Proudhon's?

While Mikhail Bakunin regarded Pierre-Joseph Proudhon as his philosophical ancestor, his anarchist ideas diverged from Proudhon’s in two primary areas: economic organization and revolutionary method.12

Economic Differences

Proudhon advocated for mutualism, which allowed for individual possession of land and tools by workers, viewing this as a safeguard for liberty. Bakunin, however, considered these property rights impractical and instead championed collectivism. He argued that the means of production should be owned collectively, though he maintained that individual remuneration should still be based on the amount of work performed.132

Revolutionary Method

The two also differed significantly on how to achieve an anarchist society:

• Proudhon: Believed in a gradual, nonviolent approach. He argued that workers could create mutualist associations within existing society to eventually replace the state, thus opposing violent revolution.2
• Bakunin: Rejected this piecemeal strategy, famously declaring that "the passion for destruction is also a creative urge". He insisted that a violent revolution was necessary to sweep away all existing institutions as a prelude to building a free society.2