009. Q&A: Who Counts as an Anarchist?

In this episode, I dive into the definition of anarchism. Are the street fighters of the black bloc "really" "anarchists"? Is cooperation really all it takes to be an "anarchist"? Why even bother with this dangerous term "anarchism" anyway? Was Tolstoy even an "anarchist"?

If you want to skip to a specific question:

01:50 - Do everyday anarchists and black bloc anarchists even believe the same thing?

23:35 - Where does the word anarchism come from? Couldn't we just use "mutual aid" or even "cooperation"?

28:20 - Why use the word anarchism when it's so associated with violence and chaos? Doesn't that just require lots of explanation?

33:20 - Why call Tolstoy an anarchist? Wasn't he a spiritual revolutionary, not a political one?

I make multiple references to Ruth Kinna's magisterial history and theory of anarchism, The Government of No One. Professor Kinna is scheduled to appear on the show in December; in the meantime, here's a link to the book: The Government of No One