Editing Political philosophy (section)

=== Anarchism ===
{{main|Anarchism}}
[[File:Portrait Pierre-Joseph Proudhon (cropped).jpg|thumb|alt=Black-and-white photo of a bearded man with glasses wearing a dark coat|[[Pierre-Joseph Proudhon]] was a founding figure of anarchism and saw state authority as an obstacle to equality and liberty.<ref name="Laslett 2006 loc=§ Anarchism">{{harvnb|Laslett|Cummings|2006|loc=§ Anarchism}}</ref>]]
Anarchism is a school of political thought{{efn|In a slightly different sense, ''anarchism'' refers to a form of political activism that may or may not be motivated by philosophical considerations.<ref name="Fiala 2021 loc=§ 2. Anarchism in Political Philosophy">{{harvnb|Fiala|2021|loc=§ 2. Anarchism in Political Philosophy}}</ref>}} that rejects hierarchical systems, arguing for self-governing social structures and a stateless society, known as ''[[anarchy]]''. Anarchists typically see liberty and equality as their guiding values. They understand authority over others as a threat to individual autonomy and criticize hierarchical structures for perpetuating power imbalances and inequalities. As a result, they challenge the legitimacy of centralized governments wielding coercive power over others.{{efn|For example, some anarchists consider states as criminal organizations and the class division they require as inbuilt slavery.<ref>{{harvnb|Fiala|2021|loc=§ 1.1 Political Anarchism}}</ref>}} Anarchism maintains that freedom from domination is central to human flourishing. It promotes social structures based on voluntary association to advance universal [[egalitarianism]].<ref>{{multiref | {{harvnb|Moseley|loc=§ 3d. Anarchism}} | {{harvnb|Fiala|2021|loc=Lead section, § 2. Anarchism in Political Philosophy}} | {{harvnb|Long|2013|pp=225–226}} | {{harvnb|Shipka|1984|pp=247–248}} }}</ref>

Various schools of anarchism have been proposed.<ref>{{multiref | {{harvnb|Moseley|loc=§ 3d. Anarchism}} | {{harvnb|Fiala|2021|loc=§ 1.1 Political Anarchism, § 2. Anarchism in Political Philosophy}} }}</ref> Absolute or ''a priori'' anarchism rejects any form of state, arguing that state power is inherently illegitimate and unjust. Contingent or ''a posteriori'' anarchism presents a less radical view, suggesting that states are not inherently bad but nonetheless usually fail in practice. For example, utilitarian anarchists reject states based on the claim that they typically do not promote the greatest good for the greatest number of people because their disadvantages outweigh their advantages.<ref name="Fiala 2021 loc=§ 2. Anarchism in Political Philosophy">{{harvnb|Fiala|2021|loc=§ 2. Anarchism in Political Philosophy}}</ref> [[Individualist anarchism|Individualist anarchists]] emphasize the importance of individual freedom, seeking to defend it against any social structure that restricts personal autonomy, including parental authority and legal institutions. This outlook can take the form of libertarian anarchism or [[anarcho-capitalism]]. [[Collectivist anarchism|Collectivist or socialist anarchists]], by contrast, stress the importance of community and voluntary cooperation within society, advocating collective ownership of resources and the means of production. For example, [[anarchist communism]] argues for decentralized social organization and communal sharing to promote well-being for all.<ref>{{multiref | {{harvnb|Moseley|loc=§ 3d. Anarchism}} | {{harvnb|Fiala|2021|loc=§ 2.4 Individualism, Libertarianism, and Socialist Anarchism}} | {{harvnb|Long|2013|pp=228–231}} }}</ref>

Diverse criticisms of anarchism have been articulated. Some see anarchism as primarily a negative attitude that seeks to destroy established institutions without providing viable alternatives, thereby simply replacing order with chaos. Another objection holds that anarchy is inherently unstable since hierarchical structures emerge naturally, meaning that [[stateless societies]] will inevitably evolve back into some form of state. Further arguments assert that the guiding anarchist goal is based on an unreachable utopian ideal and that anarchism is incoherent since the attempt to undermine all forms of authority paradoxically is itself a new form of authority.<ref>{{multiref | {{harvnb|Fiala|2021|loc=§ 4. Objections and Replies}} | {{harvnb|Shipka|1984|pp=247–248}} }}</ref>