The Anarchist Idea

A short excerpt from Chomsky's essay "Notes on Anarchism." This is basically a quote of Michael Bakunin after the Paris Commune.

I am a fanatic lover of liberty, considering it as the unique condition under which intelligence, dignity and human happiness can develop and grow; not the purely formal liberty conceded, measured out and regulated by the State, an eternal lie which in reality represents nothing more than the privilege of some founded on the slavery of the rest; not the individualistic, egoistic, shabby, and fictitious liberty extolled by the School of J.-J. Rousseau and other schools of bourgeois liberalism, which considers the would-be rights of all men, represented by the State which limits the rights of each---an idea that leads inevitably to the reduction of the rights of each to zero. No, I mean the only kind of liberty that is worthy of the name, liberty that consists in the full development of all the material, intellectual and moral powers that are latent in each person; liberty that recognizes no restrictions other than those determined by the laws of our own individual nature, which cannot properly be regarded as restrictions since these laws are not imposed by any outside legislator beside or above us, but are immanent and inherent, forming the very basis of our material, intellectual and moral being---they do not limit us but are the real and immediate conditions of our freedom.

Category:

Nonprofits & Activism

Tags:

• variablast
• anarchism
• anarchy
• libertarian socialist
• Chomsky

[buddhagem]

It seems to becoming more popular to just say Michael, the English equivelant to his name. I like Mike.

[bjarczyk]

What's with you and the hot topic circle-A, The traditional one is so much cooler. :P

[buddhagem]

I wasn't aware that hot topic had branded the circle A. Interesting.

[Metallicuss]

This is fuckin retarded. What do you want to achieve? Someone is going to die if you want to change your whole country

[maneaterbug1993]

Try the new Axe deodorant named Anarchy... Capitalists don't fear Anarchy but Communism.

[TheHONKYLIPS]

yes i did.

[Terzos92]

@TheHONKYLIPS did you go study anarchy and then see if somalia has anything to do with it?

[TheHONKYLIPS]

i love how people get this hippie love an peace ideal of anarchy. go study somalia an tell me how anarchy works

[SiouxSyndicate]

@SiouxSyndicate damned, Bakunin lol

[SiouxSyndicate]

Viv(A) M. Bukanin! (googl it)

[JagjeetMann]

I don't know what it is but hearing an American say this makes me cringe.

[RichtoffenRoach]

@speed0noize Imma nihilist too, worthless , meaningless, without purpose or illusions. But don't you think anarchy is the best?