Dimly lit streets, hooded figures in dark clothing ranging through the streets, wielding guns, baseball bats or knives. Burning barricades casting ghostly shadows over the shields of rank after rank of riot police. The scream of sirens, wailing of the injured and constant deep roar of a thousand angry voices demanding violent protest.
All of these things, Anarchy is not.
The word behind the philosophy has been hijacked by association, until the images cannot be torn away from the characters, sounds or intent under which it was formed. Wikipedia quotes Immanuel Kant’s poetic alternative interpretation – one that this site utilises as a foundation for discussion on Anarchy and anarchistic thought.
- Law And Freedom without Violence (Anarchy)
- Law And Violence without Freedom (Despotism)
- Violence without Freedom And Law (Barbarism)
- Violence with Freedom And Law (Republic)
Anarchy ideals have yet to be realised in a globally substantial and sustained way, leading to the possibility, and very high probability, that those ideals are unattainable or at least, too lofty to be implemented in our chaotic world. Potentially so, yet one of the ‘tag lines’ of Anarchy is “Order from Chaos”. In other words, taking away the bindings of laws, restrictions, class structures, religious taboos and hierarchical traditions MIGHT result in chaos but out of that chaos would come an order, as each person does what is best for them, and allows room for others to do as they will.
