Frequently Asked Questions
From LiberateRochester
What is anarchism? Anarchy? Anarchists?
Anarchy comes from the Greek word "anarchos", meaning "no ruler". Practically speaking, anarchy is a social condition in which everyone has (roughly) equal power/authority. In anarchy, there is no person or class of people which can be said to rule over others.
Anarchism is a broad set of ideas justifying anarchy and strategies for achieving it.
Anarchists are those who seek anarchy.
- Emma Goldman on Anarchism
- Wikipedia Article on Anarchism
- Infoshop.org's Anarchist FAQ
- Brian Caplan's Anarchist Theory FAQ
- Replies to Some Errors and Distortions in Bryan Caplan's "Anarchist Theory FAQ" version 5.2
- Anarchism from Anarchopedia
- Anarchist Related Concepts from Anarchopedia
- What Anarchism is Not from Anarchopedia
What's wrong with some people having more power than others?
If someone has power over others, they have less of an incentive to use cooperation rather than violence or the threat of violence to achieve their goals. They are able to use their position to shield themselves from the consequences of their actions.
While power can be used to do good things, on the whole it is a liability. The more power a person has, the more likely they are to use it in a harmful fashion, and the more severe the effects can be.
