Anarchism and the nature of man: a philosophical appraisal

Abstract

This work with the title “Anarchism and the Nature of Man: a Philosophical Appraisal” holds that Anarchism as a belief, movement or school of thought boils down to the age long philosophical problem of the relationship between authority and individuals or put differently, the problem of the justification of constituted authority and its implication for the freedom or liberty of the individual. The 17th and 18th centuries epochs of enlightenment brought with it the subjugation and alienation of the individual who was swallowed up in a mechanical explanation of man and his world. The modern capitalist states that resulted from this consequently became overly authoritarian because in the spirit of the enlightenment men were more or less seen as machines that must be controlled if the common goals of the society were to be attainable. Anarchism therefore emerged as an intellectual cum practical resistance against the inhuman excesses of authoritarian states. The paper critically evaluates the implication of anarchism for the nature of man and also attempts a balance between anarchism and authoritarianism.

Keywords: Anarchism, Nature of Man, Authoritarianism