Traditionally, it is believed that any modern society can be prosperous if there is a strong state and strong power in it. But there are political movements that advocate the complete abolition of the compulsory management of society, against the establishment of power over human freedoms. Those who hold such views are called anarchists.
What is anarchism
In sociology and political science, anarchism is understood as philosophy and ideology, which is based on a peculiar understanding of freedom. The ultimate goal of a true anarchist is the elimination of all types of coercion and exploitation in society. Representatives of this trend believe that the power of man over man must be replaced by cooperation with the complete destruction of the privileges of individuals and social groups.
Anarchists defend the point of view according to which social institutions and social relations should be based on voluntary consent, interest, and mutual assistance of all participants in social interaction. According to anarchists, any kind of government, even the most democratic, should be eliminated.
Features of modern anarchism
There are several types of anarchism that do not exclude, but complement each other. Some varieties of this movement are built on extreme leftist views and can be directed not only against the state, but also against the bourgeois system as a whole, including private property and free market relations. In this, the left anarchists are somewhat close to the communist ideology, although the similarity here is only superficial. One of the differences between anarchism and communism is the cultivation of the ideology of individualism, not collectivism.
Opposing views are characteristic of the so-called "market" anarchists. They partly support capitalist relations, but only in that part of it, which is related to an economy free from external control. Today, adherents of such views in anarchism are in the minority, yielding to the left wing of the movement.
Being mostly supporters of individualism, anarchists do not have an unambiguous answer to the question about the principles of building their movement. Some recognize the need for a certain organization, others are categorically opposed to this, preferring to build their activities on the principles of personal acquaintance of the participants in the anarchist movement.
There are also disagreements between different groups of anarchists about the possibility of using violent methods. Someone opposes coercion in principle, adhering to the ideology of pacifism. But there are also those who are convinced that organized violence is the only way to advance their views and fight for the ideals of anarchism. Supporters of this approach close their eyes to the discrepancy between the proposed means and the very foundations of the ideology of this movement.