Annotated Bibliography

Wittel, Andreas. “What Is Anarchism All about?” The Conversation, 10 Nov. 2015, www.theconversation.com/what-is-anarchism-all-about-50373. Accessed 30 Mar. 2018.

Andreas Wittel, a Senior Lecturer of Social Theory at Nottingham Trent University, explores the philosophy and history of anarchism by first defining it as “…a process whereby authority and domination is being replaced with non-hierarchical, horizontal structures, with voluntary associations between human beings”. His interpretation of the term paints it in a utopian light but also acknowledges the credibility of the philosophy due to its rejection of capitalism and focus on individual freedoms. Using evidence from activist movements in the present day, he presents a strong argument that anarchism is not always associated with irrational violence. He also elaborates on the different types of anarchism (social and libertarian), the world history of the term, and its application in past societies. While not claiming to be a direct supporter of anarchism, acknowledging that there may be some justification in some of the more questionable groups could prove there is a possible slant in his overall definition.

Black, Robert Charles. “Anarchy 101.” The Anarchist Library, 28 Apr. 2009, www.theanarchistlibrary.org/library/bob-black-anarchy-101. Accessed 30 Mar. 2018.

Bob Black, a well-known American anarchist, describes the term in a more revolutionary way. He claims that “anarchism is the idea that government (the state) is unnecessary and harmful”. While at first glance it can be simple to dismiss this extremist view, Black is a very well-educated man and does produce a valid argument in his article. His higher education spans from the University of Michigan, Georgetown Law School, University of California, and State University in New York where he has obtained Master’s Degrees in a variety of subjects, the most relevant being social policy and criminal justice. He makes no attempt to mask his bias, although he mentions that it is unlikely that as a society we could return to this state of non-government. He proposes, however, that we could all benefit from understanding the conflict resolutions of a society focused on the individual without government intervention. In his defense on the association of anarchy and violence, he claims that anarchists are less violent (some even being complete pacifists) than other forms of government. While for many readers this can present itself as a drastic reinterpretation of the term, Black provides a strong foundation and resources to better understand the true meaning of anarchy.

Fiala, Andrew. “Anarchism.” Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, Stanford University, 3 Nov. 2017, www.plato.stanford.edu/entries/anarchism/. Accessed 30 Mar. 2018.

The Stanford University encyclopedia defines anarchism as “political theory, which is skeptical of the justification of authority and power, especially political power”. The author of this definition, Andrew Fiala, Ph.D, takes a very objective and analytical approach to the ideology using a variety of sources. Rather than offer opinionated insight of the term, the subcategories of anarchism (political, religious, theoretical, and applied) are discussed in detail, addressing the misconceptions of a generalized definition. With this research, concluding that all anarchists promote violence and carry a destructive mindset is a profound stereotype. Like Bob Black’s conclusion, Fiala states that while an ideal anarchism state is generally unachievable, it is important to reflect on our own individualistic values outside of political influence. Another similar reflection noted between the two authors is the state of passivism found within certain ideologies in many situations. Conversely, there exists a more pro-active form of anarchism (feeding off direct action) that has resulted in violence, which, in turn, has led to a mostly negative definition overall.

Woodcock, George, et al. “Anarchism.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 20 Dec. 2017, www.britannica.com/topic/anarchism. Accessed 30 Mar. 2018.

Authors of the EB define anarchism as a “cluster of doctrines and attitudes centered on the belief that government is both harmful and unnecessary”. All the contributing authors (George Woodcock, Arik Dirlik, Martin A. Miller, and Franklin Rosemont) have contributed to works that discuss anarchy on a more focused level in some way, so this definition slants towards advocates who support the philosophy, such as Bob Black. The article provides an in-depth history of the movement from across the world, from its inception in the 1870s to more contemporary examples. The core concept (that is also shared by other definitions) is not necessarily a violent reaction to authority always, but simply a denial of it. The focus remains on an individual’s natural freedoms over those that are defined by state law as well as the objection to the oppression of groups that were not fairly represented by the state. Art, poetry, and theater showcasing propaganda allowed followers to express themselves and influence others in a non-violent way before the violent assumptions took hold.

“Anarchy.” Merriam-Webster, Merriam-Webster, www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/anarchy. Accessed 30 Mar. 2018.

The Merriam-Webster Dictionary (one of the most renowned and trusted American dictionary sources) define anarchy in a few ways. These include: an “absence of government”, “a state of lawlessness or political disorder due to the absence of governmental authority”, and “a utopian society of individuals who enjoy complete freedom without government”. As other sources have shown, without expanding on the subfields of the philosophy, this has become quite possibly the most accepted definition overall, associating “disorder” and “utopia” with anarchy while this is not always the case. While not inheritably negative, it is not the most objective definition either. An editor’s note provides a brief explanation of these different meanings of the word throughout history, although it does not explore the depths of this term compared to other sources. While this may not be the appropriate source to find this type of information, it would only benefit to at least acknowledge the many branches and ideologies that are directly linked to the term rather than omit them.