Revision as of 04:20, 22 July 2005

Josiah Warren is commonly regarded as the first American individualist anarchist

Individualist anarchism, while being advocated among some European philosophers in various forms, has a distinctive flavor in The United States of America. Whereas as some individualists, such as Germany's Max Stirner, oppose all forms of property, American individualist anarchism is particularly noteable for its strong advocacy private property and equally strong opposition to collectivism. The American form of individualist anarchism is sometimes called "liberal-anarchism" [1], as it is often seen as a radicalized version of classical liberalism. Whereas Thomas Jefferson says "That government is best which governs the least," individualist anarchist Henry David Thoreau modifies the phrase to state "That government is best which governs not at all."

Traditional individualist anarchism

Traditional American individualist anarchists include Benjamin Tucker, Lysander Spooner, Josiah Warren, Ezra Heywood, Stephen Pearl Andrews, and Henry David Thoreau. Josiah Warren is commonly regarded as the first individualist anarchist in the American tradition. He had participated in a failed collectivist experiment called "New Harmony" and came to the conclusion that such a system is inferior to one where individualism and private property is respected. He details his conclusions in regard to this collectivist experiment in Equitable Commerce. In a quote from that text that illustrates his radical individualism, he says: "Society must be so converted as to preserve the SOVEREIGNTY OF EVERY INDIVIDUAL inviolate. That it must avoid all combinations and connections of persons and interests, and all other arrangements which will not leave every individual at all times at liberty to dispose of his or her person, and time, and property in any manner in which his or her feelings or judgment may dictate. WITHOUT INVOLVING THE PERSONS OR INTERESTS OF OTHERS" (Tucker's emphasis). Warren coined the phrase "Cost the limit of price" to refer to his interpretation of the labor theory of value. The labor theory holds that the value of a commodity is equal to the amount of labor required to produce or acquire it. Warren maintains, therefore, that the price of labor of one individual must be equal to the production of the equivalent amount of labor of every other individual. And, consequently, that an employer who labors not, but retains a portion of the produce of an employee as profit is guilty of violating the principle of "cost principle" --he recieves payment without cost to himself. Warren regards this practice as "invasive." If an employer is to be paid, he must not be paid unless he labors. In 1827, Warren put his theories into practive by starting a business that he called a "labor for labor store" in Cincinatti, Ohio. Warren, like all the American individualists, that followed was a strong supporter of the right of individuals to retain the product of their labor as private property.

Thomas Jefferson, a minarchist, says: "Whenever there is any country uncultivated lands and unemployed poor it is clear that the laws of property have been so far extended as to violate natural rights. The earth is given as a common stock for man to labor and live on." In accordance with the philosophies of classical liberals of the time (such as Thomas Paine, Thomas Jefferson, Adam Smith, and John Locke), Warren holds that raw land cannot be looked at as property in the same way that the product of labor can be. As the production of land itself is not the result of human labor, he proposes that raw land should not be owned, bought, and sold. This aversion to ownership of raw land is a constant among the 19th century American individualist anarchists.

Ezra Heywood is another individualist anarchist, influenced by Warren and other classical liberals, who was a ardent slavery abolitionist and feminist. He wrote one of the first feminist anarchist essays.

Benjamin Tucker, being influenced by Warren, Heywood, Proudhon's mutualism, and Stirner's egoism, is probably the most famous of the Americans. Tucker, also follows this tradition of opposing profit and supporting private property as being essential to liberty. He says that the idea that profit is exploitative since it violates the labor theory of value "was Proudhon's position before it was Marx's, and Josiah Warren's before it was Proudhon's" (Liberty or Authority). In addition, Tucker makes clear his opposition to collectivist notions such as economic egalitarianism [2]. Tucker published a periodical called Liberty that was instrumental for the development of individualist anarchist theory. Tucker describes his philosophy as "unterrified Jeffersonianism." He advocates private defense forces to protect individual liberty and property [3].

Lysander Spooner is an individualist anarchist who apparently worked without association with the other individualists of the time, but came to approximately the same conclusions. Lysander Spooner, like his compatriots, strongly emphasizes private property. He says that "...the principle of individual property... says that each man has an absolute dominion, as against all other men, over the products and acquisitions of his own labor." However, unlike Tucker, he also maintains that the ideas of an individuals should be considered their private property; he supports intellectual property rights. He says: "So absolute is an author's right of dominion over his ideas that he may forbid their being communicated even by human voice if he so pleases."

American individualist anarchists were not without influence outside U.S. borders. John Henry Mackay is a German individualist anarchist who was heavily influenced by Benjamin Tucker.

Contemporary American individualist anarchists include Robert Anton Wilson, Joe Peacott, Wendy McElroy (an anarcho-capitalist), and James J. Martin.

Anarcho-capitalism

Anarcho-capitalism differs from traditional individualist anarchism in that it supports profit, ownership of raw land, and hence, stateless capitalism. While individual anarchists of the anti-capitalist tradition are still active today, most individualist anarchists refer to themselves as anarcho-capitalists [4].

External links

American Anarchism by Wendy McElroy 19th Century Individualist Anarchism in America
American Liberal-Anarchism from The Conquest of Power, by Albert Weisbord
Bibliographical Essay by James J. Martin from his book Men Against the State: The Expositors of Individualist Anarchism in America, 1827-1908
Plan of the Cincinnati Labor for Labor Store by Josiah Warren
Manifesto by Josiah Warren 1841
Equitable Commerce by Josiah Warren 1852
Uncivil Liberty: An Essay to Show the Injustice and Impolicy of Ruling Woman Without Her Consent (1873) by Ezra Heywood
The Law of Intellectual Property: or an essay on the right of authors and inventors to a perpetual property in their ideas. by Lysander Spooner, 1855
Benjamin Tucker on Economic Rent Includes his explicit support for the liberty of wealth inequality
Capitalism Versus Free Enterprise discusses capitalism and traditional individualist anarchism
Links to various documents dealing with American individualist anarchism

@@ Line 10: / Line 10: @@
 [[Ezra Heywood]] is another individualist anarchist, influenced by Warren and other classical liberals, who was a ardent slavery abolitionist and feminist. He wrote one of the first feminist anarchist essays.
-[[Benjamin Tucker]], being influenced by Warren, Heywood, [[Proudhon]]'s ''[[mutualism (economic theory)|mutualism]]'', and Stirner's ''[[egoism]]'', is probably the most famous of the Americans. Tucker, also follows this tradition of opposing profit and supporting private property as being essential to liberty. He says that the idea that profit is exploitative since it violates the labor theory of value "was [[Proudhon]]'s position before it was Marx's, and Josiah Warren's before it was Proudhon's" (''Liberty or Authority''). In addition, Tucker makes clear his opposition to collectivist notions such as economic egalitarianism [http://flag.blackened.net/daver/anarchism/tucker/tucker29.html]. Tucker published a periodical called ''[[Liberty (19th century magazine)|Liberty]]'' that was instrumental for the development of individualist anarchist theory. Tucker describes his philosophy as "unterrified Jeffersonianism."
+[[Benjamin Tucker]], being influenced by Warren, Heywood, [[Proudhon]]'s ''[[mutualism (economic theory)|mutualism]]'', and Stirner's ''[[egoism]]'', is probably the most famous of the Americans. Tucker, also follows this tradition of opposing profit and supporting private property as being essential to liberty. He says that the idea that profit is exploitative since it violates the labor theory of value "was [[Proudhon]]'s position before it was Marx's, and Josiah Warren's before it was Proudhon's" (''Liberty or Authority''). In addition, Tucker makes clear his opposition to collectivist notions such as economic egalitarianism [http://flag.blackened.net/daver/anarchism/tucker/tucker29.html]. Tucker published a periodical called ''[[Liberty (19th century magazine)|Liberty]]'' that was instrumental for the development of individualist anarchist theory. Tucker describes his philosophy as "unterrified Jeffersonianism." He advocates private defense forces to protect individual liberty and property [http://flag.blackened.net/daver/anarchism/tucker/tucker30.html].
 [[Lysander Spooner]] is an individualist anarchist who apparently worked without association with the other individualists of the time, but came to approximately the same conclusions. Lysander Spooner, like his compatriots, strongly emphasizes private property. He says that "...the principle of individual property... says that each man has an absolute dominion, as against all other men, over the products and acquisitions of his own labor." However, unlike Tucker, he also maintains that the ideas of an individuals should be considered their private property; he supports intellectual property rights. He says:  "So absolute is an author's right of dominion over his ideas that he may forbid their being communicated even by human voice if he so pleases."