Social anarchism,
socialist anarchism,
anarcho-socialism,
anarchist socialism or communitarian anarchism, (used interchangeably with
libertarian socialismLibertarian socialism is a group of political philosophies that aspire to create a society without political, economic, or social hierarchies, i.e...
,
left-libertarianismLeft-libertarianism is a term that has been used to describe several different libertarian political movements and theorists....
or left-anarchism in its terminology) is an umbrella term used to differentiate two broad categories of anarchism, this one being the collectivist, with the other being
individualist anarchismIndividualist anarchism refers to several traditions of thought within the anarchist movement that emphasize the individual and his/her will over any kinds of external determinants such as groups, society, traditions, and ideological systems. Individualist anarchism is not a single philosophy but...
. Where individualist forms of anarchism emphasize personal autonomy and the rational nature of human beings, social anarchism sees "individual freedom as conceptually connected with social equality and emphasize community and
mutual aidMutual aid may refer to:*Mutual aid , a tenet of anarchist thought*Mutual aid , an agreement between emergency responders*Mutual Aid: A Factor of Evolution, a biology book by anarchist Peter Kropotkin...
." Unlike individualist anarchism, which stresses the importance of private property or possession, socialist anarchism rejects private property, seeing it as a source of social inequality.
Social anarchism,
socialist anarchism,
anarcho-socialism,
anarchist socialism or communitarian anarchism, (used interchangeably with
libertarian socialismLibertarian socialism is a group of political philosophies that aspire to create a society without political, economic, or social hierarchies, i.e...
,
left-libertarianismLeft-libertarianism is a term that has been used to describe several different libertarian political movements and theorists....
or left-anarchism in its terminology) is an umbrella term used to differentiate two broad categories of anarchism, this one being the collectivist, with the other being
individualist anarchismIndividualist anarchism refers to several traditions of thought within the anarchist movement that emphasize the individual and his/her will over any kinds of external determinants such as groups, society, traditions, and ideological systems. Individualist anarchism is not a single philosophy but...
. Where individualist forms of anarchism emphasize personal autonomy and the rational nature of human beings, social anarchism sees "individual freedom as conceptually connected with social equality and emphasize community and
mutual aidMutual aid may refer to:*Mutual aid , a tenet of anarchist thought*Mutual aid , an agreement between emergency responders*Mutual Aid: A Factor of Evolution, a biology book by anarchist Peter Kropotkin...
." Unlike individualist anarchism, which stresses the importance of private property or possession, socialist anarchism rejects private property, seeing it as a source of social inequality. Social anarchism is used to specifically describe tendencies within anarchism that have an emphasis on the communitarian and cooperative aspects of anarchist theory and practice. Social anarchism includes (but is not limited to) anarcho-collectivism, anarcho-communism, some forms of
libertarian socialismLibertarian socialism is a group of political philosophies that aspire to create a society without political, economic, or social hierarchies, i.e...
,
anarcho-syndicalismAnarcho-syndicalism is a branch of anarchism which focuses on the labour movement. Syndicalisme is a French word, ultimately derived from the Greek, meaning "trade unionism" hence, the "syndicalism" qualification. Syndicalism is an alternative co-operative economic system...
and
social ecologySocial Ecology is a philosophy developed by Murray Bookchin in the 1960s.It holds that present ecological problems are rooted in deep-seated social problems, particularly in dominatory hierarchical political and social systems. These have resulted in an uncritical acceptance of an overly...
.
In the United States, the term "social anarchism" is used by the circle involved in publishing the
Social AnarchismSocial Anarchism: A Journal of Theory and Practice is a biannual journal of "community self-reliance, direct participation in political decision-making, respect for nature, and nonviolent paths to peace and justice." Each issue contains essays on current anarchist theory, anarchist history, an...
journal and was promoted by
Murray BookchinMurray Bookchin was an American libertarian socialist, political and social philosopher, environmentalist/conservationist, atheist, speaker, and writer. For much of his life he called himself an anarchist, although as early as 1995 he privately renounced his identification with the anarchist...
. Bookchin identifies social anarchism with the "
leftIn politics, left-wing, political left, leftist and the Left are terms used to describe a number of positions and ideologies. They are most commonly used to refer to support for changing traditional social orders or for creating a more egalitarian distribution of wealth and privilege...
," by which he refers to the "great tradition of human solidarity and a belief in the potentiality for humanness,"
internationalismInternationalism may refer to:* Internationalism , a political movement that advocates a greater economic and political cooperation among nations* Internationalism , the groups of words called internationalisms...
and confederalism, the
democraticDemocracy is a system of government in which either the actual governing is carried out by the people governed , or the power to do so is granted by them...
spirit, anti-militarism, and rational
secularismSecularism is the concept that government or other entities should exist separately from religion and/or religious beliefs.In one sense, secularism may assert the right to be free from religious rule and teachings, and freedom from the government imposition of religion upon the people, within a...
. Social anarchism aims for "free association of people living together and cooperating in free communities."
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