Definition of anarchism and libertarianism

Anarchism and libertarianism, as broad political ideologies with manifold historical and contemporary meanings, have contested definitions. Their adherents have a pluralistic and overlapping tradition that makes the precise definition of the political ideology difficult or impossible, compounded by a lack of common features, the differing priorities of its subgroups, the lack of academic acceptance, and contentious historical usage.

Overview

"Anarchism" generally refers to the anti-authoritarian (libertarian) wing of the socialist movement. "Libertarian socialism" has been a synonym for "anarchism" since 1890, as has the term "libertarian" through the mid-20th century.

The terms "anarchism" and "libertarianism" represent broad political ideologies with multiple historical and contemporary meanings. Incompatibilities within their pluralistic tradition prove difficult or impossible to reconcile into a singular set of core beliefs. The range of ideological disparities within anarchism is often paradoxical and never fully coherent. All anarchists are opposed to hierarchy and capitalism, but differ in how they believe that change should be made.

Other complicating factors in defining "anarchism" include disagreement over its status as a political ideology and contention over the term's historical usage. Anarchism's rejection of the state and state policy largely sits outside the purview of political scientists and in some formulations, its misconstruction as the antithesis of politics contributes to its marginalization as a political ideology.