anarchist communism
Quick Summary
Anarchist communism is a political philosophy that advocates for the abolition of both the state and private property. It is a form of non-Marxian communism that believes the state and private property are interconnected systems of oppression.12
Key tenets include:
* Communal Ownership: All property should be owned by the community.
* Abolition of the State: The state is seen as an instrument to protect private property and must be dismantled entirely.1
* Rejection of Transitional States: Unlike Marxist theory, anarchist communists like Mikhail Bakunin argued against a "dictatorship of the proletariat," believing any state, even a transitional one, would become oppressive.12
Influential figures include William Godwin, Mikhail Bakunin, Peter Kropotkin, and Emma Goldman. Kropotkin, for instance, used scientific and historical arguments to support the idea that cooperation, rather than competition, is a key to societal success.12
Ask Britannica AI about this topic
Britannica doesn't have a full article on this topic, so we've curated a list of our relevant coverage.
Peter Alekseyevich KropotkinPhilosopher of revolutionIn his theory of “anarchist communism,” according to which private property and unequal incomes would be replaced by the free distribution of goods and services, Kropotkin took a major step in the development of anarchist economic thought. For the principle of wages he substituted the principle of needs. Each…
Read MoreIn his theory of “anarchist communism,” according to which private property and unequal incomes would be replaced by the free distribution of goods and services, Kropotkin took a major step in the development of anarchist economic thought. For the principle of wages he substituted the principle of needs. Each…
Read More
anarchismRussian anarchist thought…of anarchist theory known as anarchist communism. Kropotkin and his followers went beyond Bakunin’s collectivism, arguing not only that the means of production should be owned cooperatively but that there should be complete communism in terms of distribution. This theory revived the scheme described in Sir Thomas More’s Utopia (1516),…
Read More…of anarchist theory known as anarchist communism. Kropotkin and his followers went beyond Bakunin’s collectivism, arguing not only that the means of production should be owned cooperatively but that there should be complete communism in terms of distribution. This theory revived the scheme described in Sir Thomas More’s Utopia (1516),…
Read More