Key Thinkers

• Max Stirner - Human Nature:

  We are fundamentally self interested egoists
• Max Stirner - The State


  The state is the complete denial of our egoism and individualism.
• Max Stirner - Society

  Society of any kind restrains. We must be completely self-reliant. Atomistic society. 
• Max Stirner - Economy

  The accumulation and retention of Property is our main economic motivation. 
• Peter Kropotkin - Human Nature


  people are sociable and prefer collective activity.
• Peter Kropotkin - the State

  The capitalist state must be destroyed by revolution and replaced by a voluntary system of independent self-governing communities.
• Peter Kropotkin - Society

  The commune should be the basis of society. Communes were to be small, independent, internally democratic units
• Peter Kropotkin - Economy

  Capitalism was to be replaced by the communist system of small units which should, as far as possible, be self sufficient.
• Bakunin - Human Nature 


  We are fundamentally social animals and productive work characterises our humanity. 
• Bakunin - The State 


  The state is the servant of capitalism. Both the state and capitalism must be destroyed by revolution.
• Bakunin - Society


  He proposed a federal system and the abolition of national boundaries. Federations of workers would cooperate and not compete with each other.
• Bakunin - Economy 


  The market system of exchange was to be abolished and replaced by exchange based on the true value of labour and goods
• Pierre-Joseph Proudhon - Human Nature 


  We are characterised by our productive abilities and creativity as producers. 
• Proudhon - The State 


  The state is oppressive and must be abolished, though possibly by peaceful, democratic means.
• Proudhon - Society 


  His theory of society was known as mutualism. People are bound together by economic and social relations which are mutually beneficial.
• Proudhon - Economy 


  People should be divided into independent productive units, trading with each other on a mutually beneficial basis. 
• Goldman - Human Nature 


  Stressed the need for individual liberty. The desire for freedom is fundamental to mankind.
• Goldman - The State

  the state is the only one source of oppression and denial of liberty. Religion and property ownership are equally oppressive. 
• Goldman - Society


  she proposed a society where all people would be treated as equal. She campaigned for economic, gender and racial equality in society.
• Goldman - Economy


  A violent opponent of capitalism, she was more concerned with liberty than with economic justice, but was fundamentally a communist.