But I do not for a moment allow myself to be deluded into thinking that, with all my endeavours to be just to all, I have succeeded in doing justice to all. Elisée Reclus wrote to me, when I informed him of my intention to write the present book, and of my opinion of Anarchism, that he wished me well, but doubted the success of my work, for (he said) on ne comprend rien que ce qu'on aime. Of this remark I have always had a keen recollection. If that great savant and gentle being, the St. John of the Anarchists, thinks thus, what shall I have to expect from his passionate fellow-disciples, or from the terror-blinded opponents of Anarchism? "We cannot understand what we do not love," and unfortunately we do not love unvarnished truth. Anarchists will, therefore, simply deny my capacity to write about their cause, and call my book terribly reactionary; Socialists will think me too much of a "Manchester Economist"; Liberals will think me far too tolerant towards the Socialistic disturbers of their peace; and Reactionaries will roundly denounce me as an Anarchist in disguise. But this will not dissuade me from my course, and I shall be amply compensated for these criticisms which I have foreseen by the knowledge of having advanced real and serious discussion on this subject. For only when we have ceased to thrust aside the theory of Anarchism as madness from the first, only when we have perceived that one can and must understand many things that we certainly cannot like, only then will Anarchists also place themselves on a closer human footing with us, and learn to love us as men even though they often perhaps cannot understand us, and of their own accord abandon their worst argument, the bomb.
E. V. Zenker.
CONTENTS.
| [Part I.]—Early Anarchism. | ||
| PAGE | ||
| [Preface] | [iii] | |
| CHAP. | ||
| [I.] | Precursors and Early History | [3] |
| Forerunners and Early History — Definitions — IsAnarchism a Pathological Phenomenon? — Anarchism ConsideredSociologically — Anarchist Movements in the Middle Ages —The Theory of the Social Contract with Reference to Anarchism —Anarchist Movements during the French Revolution — ThePhilosophic Premises of the Anarchist Theory — The Political andEconomic Assumptions of Anarchism. | ||
| [II.] | Pierre Joseph Proudhon | [32] |
| Biography — His Philosophic Standpoint — His EarlyWritings — The "Contradictions of Political Economy" —Proudhon's Federation — His Economic Views — His Theory ofProperty — Collectivism and Mutualism — Attempts to Puthis Views into Practice — Proudhon's Last Writings —Criticism. | ||
| [III.] | Max Stirner and the German Proudhonists | [100] |
| Germany in 1830-40 and France — Stirner and Proudhon— Biography of Stirner — The Individual and his Property(Der Einzige und sein Eigenthum) — The Union of Egoists— The Philosophic Contradiction of the Einziger —Stirner's Practical Error — Julius Faucher — Moses Hess— Karl Grün — Wilhelm Marr. | ||
| [Part II.]—Modern Anarchism. | ||
| [IV.] | Russian Influences | [141] |
| The Earliest Signs of Anarchist Views in Russia in 1848 —The Political, Economic, Mental, and Social Circumstances of Anarchismin Russia — Michael Bakunin — Biography — Bakunin'sAnarchism — Its Philosophic Foundations — Bakunin'sEconomic Programme — His Views as to the Practicability of hisPlans — Sergei Netschajew — The Revolutionary Catechism— The Propaganda of Action — Paul Brousse. | ||
| [V.] | Peter Kropotkin and his School | [172] |
| Biography — Kropotkin's Main Views — AnarchistCommunism and the "Economics of the Heap" (Tas) — Kropotkin'sRelation to the Propaganda of Action — Elisée Reclus: hisCharacter and Anarchist Writings — Jean Grave — DanielSaurin's Order through Anarchy — Louise Michel and G.Eliévant — A. Hamon and the Psychology of Anarchism— Charles Malato and other French Writers on Anarchist Communism— The Italians: Cafiero, Merlino, and Malatesta. | ||
| [VI.] | Germany, England, and America | [213] |
| Individualist and Communist Anarchism — ArthurMülberger — Theodor Hertzka's Freeland — EugenDühring's "Anticratism" — Moritz von Egidy's "UnitedChristendom" — John Henry Mackay — Nietzsche and Anarchism— Johann Most — Auberon Herbert's Voluntary State —R. B. Tucker. | ||
| [Part III.]—The Relation of Anarchism to Science and Politics. | ||
| [VII.] | Anarchism and Sociology: Herbert Spencer | [245] |
| Spencer's Views on the Organisation of Society — SocietyConceived from the Nominalist and Realist Standpoint — TheIdealism of Anarchists — Spencer's Work: From Freedom toRestraint. | ||
| [VIII.] | The Spread of Anarchism in Europe | [260] |
| First Period (1867-1880): The Peace and Freedom League —The Democratic Alliance and the Jurassic Bund — Union with andSeparation from the "International" — The Rising at Lyons— Congress at Lausanne — The Members of the Alliance inItaly, Spain, and Belgium — Second Period (from 1880): TheGerman Socialist Law — Johann Most — The London Congress— French Anarchism since 1880 — Anarchism in Switzerland— The Geneva Congress — Anarchism in Germany and Austria— Joseph Penkert — Anarchism in Belgium and England— Organisation of the Spanish Anarchists — Italy —Character of Modern Anarchism — The Group — NumericalStrength of the Anarchism of Action. | ||
| [IX.] | Concluding Remarks | [304] |
| Legislation against Anarchists — Anarchism and Crime— Tolerance towards Anarchist Theory — Suppression ofAnarchist Crime — Conclusion. | ||
