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- Title
The Antiauthoritarians of the First International.
- Authors
D'AMATO, DAVID S.
- Abstract
The First International, also known as the International Workingmen's Association, was a gathering of workers, trade unionists, and socialists in London in 1864. It brought together individuals with different political beliefs, leading to a tension between libertarian and authoritarian strains of socialism. The influence of anarchists like Proudhon and Bakunin is often overlooked, as their ideas were rejected by Marx and his followers. The International initially had a decentralist and libertarian character, but eventually became dominated by statist communism. The text also discusses the exclusion of women from leadership positions in the First International and explores the views of Russian anarchist Peter Kropotkin. It emphasizes the common ground between American and European anti-authoritarians and the formation of the anti-authoritarian international. The text argues that the relevant distinction is not between individualism and collectivism, but between authority and liberty, and that a society based on freedom and equality is achievable.
- Subjects
INTERNATIONAL Workingmen's Association; ANARCHISM; WORKING class; STATE power; EUROPE-United States relations
- Publication
CounterPunch, 2024, p1
- ISSN
1086-2323
- Publication type
Article