Why do social anarchists criticize anarcho-capitalism?

Social anarchists criticize anarcho-capitalism primarily because they believe it would facilitate the use of market forces to consolidate economic and political power, ultimately leading to new forms of tyranny and oppression.1

While anarcho-capitalism advocates for a society based on voluntary exchange and private property, social anarchists argue that this framework is inherently flawed. The philosopher and social anarchist Noam Chomsky famously challenged the concept of "free contract" within such a system, characterizing the idea of an agreement between a powerful entity and a desperate, impoverished individual as a "sick joke".1

From the perspective of social anarchism, which emphasizes egalitarianism and the collective management of resources by workers, the anarcho-capitalist reliance on private institutions and significant economic power contradicts the fundamental anarchist goal of dismantling hierarchical structures. By prioritizing private property and market-driven authority, social anarchists contend that anarcho-capitalism fails to prevent the exploitation of the vulnerable, thereby failing to achieve true individual or social liberty.12