Social anarchism

Social anarchism (sometimes referred to as socialist anarchism) is a non-state form of socialism and is generally considered to be the branch of anarchism which sees individual freedom as being dependent upon mutual aid. Social anarchist thought generally emphasizes community and social equality.

Social anarchists advocate the conversion of present-day private property into social property or the commons, while retaining respect for personal property. The term is used specifically to describe those who place a higher emphasis on supporting the communitarian and cooperative aspects of anarchist theory than other anarchists. It is generally considered an umbrella term which includes (but is not limited to) collectivist anarchism, anarchist communism, anarcho-syndicalism, and social ecology.

The term "social anarchism" is often used interchangeably with libertarian socialism,left-libertarianism, or left anarchism. It emerged in the late 19th century as a distinction from individualist anarchism.

Giovanni Baldelli

Giovanni Baldelli (1914–1986) was an anarchist theorist, best known for his 1971 work Social Anarchism which defines social anarchism and provides a framework for its introduction.

Social Anarchism was published originally by Aldine in the USA in 1971 and by Penguin in the UK in 1972. It has now been republished (2009) by Transaction Publishers and is readily available.

Giovanni Baldelli also wrote poetry, plays and philosophical works. Published poetry includes: In French the collections "Quand l'aube se survit," "Chair à étoiles," "Proses et poèmes," "Le pied à l’étrier". In Italian the collections "Itinerario" and "All'ombra del gufo". In English "Seven Fugues".

Baldelli regularly wrote articles for anarchist journals, including the Italian publications "Internazionale" and "Volontà".

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Further reading

Social Anarchism (journal)

Social Anarchism: A Journal of Theory and Practice is a biannual journal of "community self-reliance, direct participation in political decision-making, respect for nature, and nonviolent paths to peace and justice". Each issue contains essays on current anarchist theory, anarchist history, an exchange of hot topics, as well as one or two book reviews. The journal has been continually published since Winter 1980 and was founded by Howard Ehrlich.

The magazine is based in Baltimore, MD.

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References