An appraisal of Anarchism

AN APPRAISAL OF ANARCHISM

Emeritus Professor Sebastian van As, Department of Paediatric Surgery, University of Cape Town

Thursday 21 January < 3.00 pm < COURSE FEES R115; Staff and students R58

Anarchism is one of the most misunderstood and misrepresented political philosophies in modern discourse. Popularly caricatured as mere chaos or nihilistic destruction, it is in fact a rich, internally diverse tradition of thought with deep roots in moral philosophy, economics and social theory. A fair appraisal requires engaging with both its genuine insights and its significant challenges. This lecture will highlight the roots of anarchism from the ancient perspective of the hunter-gatherers.

For over 95% of our species’ history, we lived in small, mobile bands of hunter-gatherers whose way of life bore a striking resemblance to the core tenets of anarchist thought. Anarchism’s enduring value lies less in offering a detailed blueprint for society than in its insistent, morally serious questioning of authority, hierarchy and power. It keeps alive the demand that every structure of domination justify itself  –  and reminds us that many structures we take for granted cannot do so.

Recommended reading

Sanger, MC. 2017. Anarchic Theory and the Study of Hunter-gatherers. The SAA Archaeological Record, 17(1), pp. 39–44.

Wolff, RP. 1998. In Defence of Anarchism. University of California Press.

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