I have a couple of question about anarchy. If their was to be anarchy on a large scale, how would education and justice be taken care of? Would it be private, or would it simply be inexistant? Would there be a minimum salary? Who would fixe restrictrictions on the industries? Please enlighten me on those subjects as I know nothing about anarchy.
I'll give you my opinion on how an anarchist society should look but I can't guarantee that's how it would be. First of all, the ideal Anarchist society would be free from currency so you can cross out minimum wage. Collectivization would be the ideal method of trade in my opinion, but I think it would be up to each community to decide what works best for them. The important thing is that people find a job that satisfies them and that they enjoy doing. As to education, of course it would be public since one of the aims of Anarchism is the abolition of private enterprise. However, in my opinion, the ideal education system would be student led, where young people are free to learn what they want and what they feel they need. Schools would be operated more like universities, where classes are optional and information, advice and counseling is available to those who need it. There was a cool metaphor, though I forget who came up with it, but that basically said, children and learning should be more like plants, where they basically grow on their own though they do sometimes need outside care (like when you water a plant), instead of learning being like a factory, where students are seen more as empty bottles that are simply "filled up" with a little more information at every level. I don't really know how to explain the justice part so I'll use an example. Say some guy is accused of murdering his wife which he denies. So you have two parties, the accusors (the community, wife's family, witnesses or whoever) and the accused (the husband). At that point a tribunal could be set up by the community with a jury and a respected individual to act as judge. Both parties would then agree to hand their case over to a 3rd party who would then investigate the situation and present their evidence to the jury. Anyway, there are the answers to some of your questions. The best to go though if you want answers would be the www.anarchistfaq.org. Otherwise for a detailed acount of a large-scale version of anarchism in practise, check out the Spanish Civil War. "Homage to Catalonia" by George Orwell is probably the best book on the subject and should be read regardless if you're into anarchy or not.
To tell the truth there really is no "anarchist way" of doing things, because anarchism is at it's core a rejection of hierarchical living and an embracement of the "unconventional". Communities and individuals will work out justice, education, and labor the way that fits them best for each given situation. And chances are the very concepts of "justice, education, and labor" will be challenged as well. There is no set way to have an "anarchist system", because an "anarchist system" would be an oxymoronic falsehood. For a broad definition of "anarchism" you can browse the anarchist faqs in this forum, or read kropotkin/bakunin/goldman/tucker/stirner/mcquinn, or check out the Infoshop or Crimethinc sites, but you are not going to be able to nail down the "proper" defintion of anarchy or what an anarchist society is like. Anarchy basically means (to most): without hierarchy. Cooperation rather than competition Emphasis on individuals affecting society and organizations rather than society and organiztaions affecting the individual. Instead of you being the product of your environment, you strive daily to actively have your environment be a product of you. Breaking laws is anarchist making love is anarchist dumpster diving is anarchist writing a poem is anarchist Basically almost anything and everything that you can think of to subvert, destroy, humiliate, confront or expose the status quo (ie normalcy) can be considered anarchist. It's about (to me) being as free as you possiblly can every second of every day, taking personal responsibilty for your actions and decisions, living as opposed to just surviving, and connecting with human beings as human beings instead of as symbols, labels, and societal roles. It's committing to a daily revolution. It's rejecting the standard. It's rejecting all forms of measurement. It's being true to self.
In the end Anarchy is just a guideline and a way of organising and thinking, but there never is one way of doing things. It all depends on what works for you and the community. Education, justice and other issues of the sort will hopfully develop on their own bassed on Anarchic principles.
I understand what you mean. It's a very beautiful ideal but unfortunately I think it would require all human to change radical their way of living and thinking.
A.2.15 What about Human Nature? A.2.16 Does anarchism require "perfect" people to work? A.2.17 Aren't most people too stupid for a free society to work?
As explained already, anarchism is about relating to politics, society, culture, religion and most anything else in a non-hierchical way. without rulers. being niether slave or master.
should an ideology neccesarily be so coherent and tangible anyway? anarchists differ in their ideals, their motivations, and their experiences that lead them to beleive in an anarchist society.. it's consistent with our desire to extend the freedom of the individual to differ in our personal ideals. as long as someone isnt tramping on my freedom they should be able to do whatever the fuck they want. a rigid doctrine explaining the anarchist movement would reduce it to something very much not anarchist.
If anarchism can mean anything, then we are already living in an anarchist society. Who's to say we aren't?
it cant mean 'anythign'... it can't mean a society where one person is considered to be inherently better than another. it can't mean a society where people are marginalized before they open their mouths on the basis of their race, gender, economic staus, or sexual identity. it can't mean a society where people's virtue is equated with what they own on such a large scale. it can't mean a society where our liberties are real only on paper and not in our daily lives, and cops who beat the piss out of dissidents and miniorites get a "hey don't do that again" it can't mean a society where the rich get richer and the poor stay poor. other than that, it can mean whatever you want it to mean. and it starts with you and me. if you believe it, then you do your best to live it and wipe your hands of the bullshit.
