Anarchist Studies

Volume 17, 2008 No.1

Editorial Ruth Kinna

This year is the two-hundredth anniversary of Proudhon's birth and, though he remains a controversial figure, it seems fitting to mark the occasion. Proudhon is often remembered for his anti-Semitism and his anti-feminism, charges which are difficult to deny. Critics have also traditionally accused him of individualism and idealism - usually without explaining why these traits should be treated negatively. Stirner accused him of confusion, though his objection that the concept of theft required prior validation of a concept of property perhaps overlooked the distinction between dominion and use that lay at the heart of Proudhon's critique. Another well-aired criticism is that Proudhon chose a poor epithet to describe his thought: why call yourself an anarchist when anarchy is understood to mean chaos, disorder and social malaise? Can't the confusions of anarchism with the chaos of anarchy be laid at Proudhon's door?

One response to this objection is that Proudhon's selection of the A-word to describe his politics did not confuse ideas about anarchism - and nor could it have done, since the ideas themselves had not been articulated. Moreover, when it came to exposition, Proudhon wrote with confidence that the contradictions that dogged mainstream thinking about centrally-managed polities were plain to see - or could be laid bare - and that the alternatives, the lines of which he carefully delineated, were clearly better. His position was assertive rather than defensive. Of course, this tradition is still well-represented in modern writing. Nevertheless, it's surprising how many would-be defenders of anarchism reinforce the very images they seek to contest, by taking the ideas of the opposition as a starting-point for discussion.

The articles in this issue cover considerable ground: from contemporary politics to the working of finance capital, the intersection of anarchism and art and the history of anarchist utopianism. The opening pieces are short reflections on recent events on Gaza and Greece. In the three substantive essays, Guido Preparata provides a comprehensive guide to the global economic system and the US Treasury's place within it - a prelude to a companion piece that will appear in Issue 18.1. Peter Wilkin's discussion of Tory anarchism examines an anarchistic satirical tradition in British thought and uses the analysis to reflect on British identity and the role of the empire in its construction. Ginger Frost's essay looks at the idea of free love and the attempt of early twentieth-century anarchists to live the principle in a hostile world. Gustave Courbet's decision to transform Proudhon's wife into a basket suggests that Proudhon would not have been impressed with such radical behaviours - but that's just one recommendation.

Sharp-eyed readers will have noticed the new format for AS - thanks are due to all at Lawrence and Wishart for working on the new look.

Happy Birthday Proudhon!