Anarchism

Anarchism is a far-left political philosophy and movement that seeks to abolish all institutions that perpetuate authority, coercion, or hierarchy, primarily targeting the state, capitalism, and organized religion. Anarchism advocates for the replacement of these hierarchical social structures with stateless societies consisting of horizontal networks of voluntary associations that operate based on the principles of free association and reciprocity. Anarchism is described as being part of the libertarian wing of the socialist movement, broadly known as libertarian socialism.

Although traces of anarchist ideas are found all throughout history, modern anarchism emerged from the Enlightenment. During the latter half of the 19th and the first decades of the 20th century, the anarchist movement flourished in most parts of the world and had a significant role in workers' struggles for their immediate interests and for emancipation. Various anarchist schools of thought formed during this period. Anarchists have taken part in several revolutions, most notably in the Paris Commune, the Russian Civil War and the Spanish Civil War, whose conclusion marked the end of the classical era of anarchism. In the last decades of the 20th and into the 21st century, the anarchist movement has been resurgent, growing in popularity and influence within anti-capitalist, anti-war and anti-globalisation movements.

Anarchists employ a range of approaches to social change, often categorised as revolutionary or evolutionary, though the two frequently overlap and are reflected in a diversity of tactics. Evolutionary approaches generally favour gradual and often nonviolent change, while revolutionary approaches seek to destroy oppressive states and institutions.