Episode Overview

Podcast: New Books Network
Host: Morteza Hajizadeh
Guest: Dr. Alex Prichard (Associate Professor of International Political History, University of Exeter)
Book Discussed: Anarchism: A Very Short Introduction (Oxford UP, 2022)

This episode features a deep dive into the history, philosophy, myths, and modern relevance of anarchism. Dr. Alex Prichard, a leading scholar in anarchist political thought, discusses the origins and evolution of anarchism, its complicated relationship to violence, property, nationalism, and its surprising presence in both popular culture and everyday public life. The conversation not only debunks common misconceptions but also explores anarchism's practical alternatives for organizing society.

Main Themes & Discussion Points

Introduction to Dr. Alex Prichard and Anarchism

• Dr. Prichard describes his academic journey, initially sparked by his discovery that Proudhon, an early theorist, had written extensively on international politics (01:11).
• He explains how most scholarly work misrepresented or misunderstood anarchists, which motivated him—alongside Ruth Kinna and others—to help found the Anarchist Studies Network and "rewrite the history of anarchism in really important ways" (03:47).
• This background set the stage for his Very Short Introduction, meant to update and broaden the narrative of anarchism beyond outdated and often mischaracterized perspectives.

Defining Anarchism & Dispelling Myths

• Key Definition:
  “Anarchism is primarily a political philosophy that is predicated on the denial of any final point of authority … Anarchists deny the legitimacy of all institutions or people that present themselves as a final point of authority, the supreme authority in any particular area.” (07:10)
• Dr. Prichard clarifies that anarchists are not simply "anti-authority," "anti-hierarchy," or "anti-power." Instead, they advocate for participation and consensual, non-arbitrary forms of organization.
• Common misconception: equating anarchism solely with chaos or disorder.
• He stresses that “we already live in something like an anarchy” since no ultimate authority exists, and anarchism is about how we navigate that reality together (09:05).

Anarchism, Terrorism, and Pacifism

• Discusses anarchism’s association with terrorism, notably in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, but emphasizes:

  ”The history of this anarchist terrorism is completely out of proportion to the actual extent ... often completely devoid of any connection to reality.” (14:51)

• Many acts were reprisals to state violence or even encouraged by agents provocateurs; genuine anarchist terrorism was rare and often counterproductive.
• Notably, such violent episodes often “had a stronger hand in creating the nation state through those acts of terrorism than they would have otherwise,” as states used the threat to justify police and surveillance measures (15:22).
• Anarchists have robust traditions of pacifism and nonviolent mutual aid rarely discussed in mainstream narratives.

Anarchism and the Nation State

• Explores anarchist difficulties in national liberation struggles—then and now (e.g., Ukraine's ongoing war).
• "...if you adopt the instruments of the master, that you will eventually be subjected to them and that the state is that instrument." (18:22)
• Historically, anarchists aided revolutionary movements but were later purged or suppressed once state power was consolidated, as in Russia and China.

Classical Anarchism & the French Revolution

• Anarchism’s roots lie in disappointment with the Revolution's failure to deliver genuine “liberty, fraternity, equality” (20:39).
• Innovation: Taking the secular logic of the French Revolution further by aiming to "democratise everything"—not only state laws but workplaces, families, and local communities (21:55).
• Anarchism became the lingua franca of the radical left, even before Marxism or social-democracy rose to prominence.

Mutual Aid and Kropotkin

• Revisits the biographical background and influence of Peter Kropotkin (23:53), a prince-turned-geographer whose landmark Mutual Aid (1902) argued:

  "The most successful animal species are those that cooperate. ... And actually, what you see is not only is it a struggle for survival, but that struggle for survival is quintessentially driven by and sustained through mutual aid." (24:42)

• Kropotkin opposed Social Darwinism, showing cooperation, not just conflict, as central to both evolution and human societies.
• Anarchism thus foregrounds the practical and ethical necessity of cooperation over competition.

Private Property: Anarchist Views

• Anarchists critique the myth of private property as a natural right:

  "...private property didn’t drop out of the sky. It’s not a natural right.” (30:30)

• Property is fundamentally relational and communal; the state upholds private property with violence or the threat thereof.
• Anarchists advocate for collaborative, mutual forms of property relations, not enforced individual ownership.

Globalization, Colonization, and Industrialization

• Anarchism spread globally through migratory labor, global trade, and revolutionary movements throughout the 19th and early 20th centuries (35:51).
• The consolidation of sovereignty, particularly via colonial ventures (e.g., Africa), was central to state-building—and contesting this process was key to anarchist praxis.

Anarchists & Labor: Syndicalism and Libertarian Communism

• Industrialization produced highly mobile, interconnected working classes who established radical, grassroots “syndicates” (unions).
• "Anarcho-syndicalism" transformed labor relations, making unions more participatory and accountable (37:37).
• Both anarcho-syndicalism and libertarian communism are practical tactics for self-organization, differing mainly in theoretical emphasis rather than practice (41:36).

Anarchism’s Modern Revival

• Cold War marginalized the movement but created subcultural and artistic anarchism.
• The post-Soviet 1990s and the anti-globalization era revived anarchism’s mass relevance (Seattle 1999 protests, global justice movement):

  "All of these sorts of things were anathema to party politics ... but now it is much more part of what we take for granted in how people should be organizing." (46:09)

Anarchism in Popular Culture

• Anarchist ethos is “everywhere”—in film (e.g., Matrix, V for Vendetta), music (punk, Chumbawamba), literature (Ursula Le Guin, Iain M. Banks), and especially education.
• “...I challenge anyone that's listening ... within a minute you've come up with other anarchist popular culture.” (49:36)
• Student-centered, decentralized learning is itself an anarchistic contribution.

Anarchist Alternatives to Public Goods Management

• Anarchism offers a third way beyond privatization vs. nationalization: communal self-organization (50:59).
• Most people globally already organize in ways that aren't reliant on states or corporations.
• Cites Elinor Ostrom’s Nobel-winning work showing success of communal resource management in real-world settings.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Redefining Anarchism:

  “Anarchists are not anti-authority. Anarchists are not anti-hierarchy, anarchists are not anti-power. They are quite happy with all of those things as long as they have a direct say in their exercise.” (08:00, Prichard)

• On Terrorism and the State:

  "The history of this anarchist terrorism is completely out of proportion to the actual extent ... and often completely devoid of any connection to reality." (14:51, Prichard)

• On Popular Culture:

  “It’s just everywhere, isn’t it? ... The Matrix wasn’t invented out of nowhere ... you see the anarchist ethos within not just those movies but also within music ... education... I could go on.” (47:32, Prichard)

• On Public Goods:

  “It doesn’t have to be nationalization or privatization... you can think about organizing public goods through communal self-organization.” (51:02, Prichard)

• On Property:

  "Private property didn’t drop out of the sky. It’s not a natural right." (30:30, Prichard)

Timeline of Key Segments

| Timestamp | Topic | |-----------|---------------------------------------------------| | 01:02 | Dr. Prichard’s background; aims of the new book | | 07:03 | Defining anarchism; debunking myths | | 11:05 | Anarchism and terrorism/pacifism | | 16:57 | Nation-states, insurrectionary politics | | 20:39 | Classical anarchism and the French Revolution | | 23:53 | Russian anarchism & Kropotkin’s Mutual Aid | | 30:24 | Private property—anarchist views | | 35:51 | Globalization, colonization, industrialization | | 37:37 | Industrial unionism, syndicalism | | 41:36 | Anarcho-syndicalism vs. libertarian communism | | 43:41 | Anarchism’s revival after the Cold War | | 47:32 | Anarchism in popular culture | | 50:59 | Communal alternatives to privatization/nationalization |

Final Thoughts

This episode provides an accessible but rigorous survey of anarchism’s past, present, and possible future. Dr. Prichard presents anarchism not as chaos, but as a pragmatic, historically grounded approach to living together without centralized, unaccountable authority. Listeners come away with a deeper understanding of both the philosophy and real-world practice of anarchism—its global roots, its moral debates, its political strategies, and its often-hidden influence on culture and community organization. The book discussed is highly recommended for further exploration.