What exactly is anarchy? A true, solid, definition of anarchy does not really exist. Rather, people have been trying for centuries to define the word. This, however, does not mean that anarchy is just an abstract concept floating randomly about the world of government and philosophy, because, in fact, quite the opposite is true. Though the ideas and definitions of anarchy have varied widely depending on the time period and location of different movements and anarchistic thinkers, there are many aspects of anarchy that have, and will, remain as constants.
The foremost aspect of anarchy is PEACE. Anarchists reject the use of violence as a form of social change, and they do not believe that any period of war or bloodshed will ever be necessary to bring about change. All that war and fighting create are death, suffering, destruction, and misery; how then, can war ever bring about a better world? Some argue that fighting is necessary for peace. Anarchists, however, believe that humans are rational creatures and that disputes of any kind can be solved without resorting to violence.
Many people also believe that anarchy means anti-government. This is true to some extent. Anarchists are against hierarchy and, since government is the most prevalent, most powerful, form of hierarchy, it is natural that anarchists are against it. Hierarchy, by definition, means one person or class having power over another person or class. Whether that power is political, economic, or social, anarchists believe that it is wrong.
Anarcists believe that all people should have control over their own lives. This possibility can not exist while we have governments, religions, corperations, and other forms of hierarchy that try to tell the public how to conduct their lives. Instead, anarchists opt to take matters, and their lives, into their own hands.
Written by Andy Power