Individualist Anarchism

[runningmadbull]

Do you consider individiualist anarchism to be on the left as compatriots? What about other individualist ideologies. Is individualism as a phenomenon in itself compatible with the left?

[Organic Revolution]

Hmm, interesting question. Yes, and no. Albert Meltzer says that individualist anarchism differs radically from revolutionary anarchism, and it "is sometimes too readily conceded 'that this is, after all, anarchism'." He says Benjamin Tucker accepting the use of a private police force (including to break up violent strikes to protect the "employer's 'freedom'") is contradictory to the definition of anarchism of "no government." Meltzer also opposes the anarcho-capitalist form for similar reasons. He argues that since it supports "private armies" that is actually supports a "limited State." He contends that it "is only possible to conceive of Anarchism which is free, communistic and offering no economic necessity for repression of countering it."

But at the same time, individualism fights for total liberty and personal freedom, but I would lean more to the no side.

[runningmadbull]

Well outside of Benjamin Tucker and the anarcho-capitalists, there were some who opposed capitalism. Individualist anarchism and anarcho-capitalism are not synonymous.

[RedKnight]

See for yourself. Here is the website of one of the most well known indivisualist anarchists. http:www.mutualist.org (http://http:www.mutualist.org)

[Idola Mentis]

I see. Thanks for the link. The first objection I had is that the completely noncoercive relationships they build their ideology on don't exist.

Their market friendlyness appears to grow from a badly founded opposition to "collectivism". I can't spot any explanation of how their individualism is any less coercive than this collectivism. Does one exist?