In Defense of Anarchism

116 Pages·1998·3.02 MB·English

by  Robert Paul Wolff

InDe fenosfe
Anarchism

RoberPta ulW olff
UNIVERSITYO F CALIFORNAI PRESS
Berkel•e Lyo sA ngel•e sL ondon
� .
http://avaxho.me/blogs/ChrisRedfield
UniversoiftC ya lifornPirae ss
Berkelaenyd L osA ngeleCsa,l ifornia
UniversoiftC ya lifornia PressLt,d .
LondonE,n gland
FirsCta lifornPiaap erbaPcrki ntin1g99 8
LibraroyfC ongreCsast aloging-in-PubliDcaattai on
WolffR,o berPta ul.
Ind efenosfea narchiIsR mo berPta ul Wolf.
p. cm.
Originalpluyb lishNeedw:Y or:k Harpe&r Row,1 970i,ns eries:
HarpeTro rchbooTkBs ,1 541Wi.t h newp ref.
Includbeisb liograprheifcearle nacnedsi ndex.
ISBN0 520-21573-7
1.A uthorit2y..D emocracy3.. An archism.4 .S tatTeh,e .
I.T itle.
JC571.W861 998
335.'8 3 dc21 98-16131
CIP
Copyrig©h 1t9 701,9 9b8y R obert PWaoullff .
Al righrtess erved.
Printiendt heU nitedS tatoefsA merica
2 3 45 6 7 8 9
Thep apeurs edi nt hipsu blicatiisbo ont ha cid-free
andt otalclhyl orine-(fTrCeFe)I .tm eettsh emin imum
requiremeonfAt mse ricaSnt andafrodr I nformation
Sciences PermaonfeP nacpee rf orP rinteLdi brary
MateriaAlNsS,I Z 39.48 1998 4.
Contents

Prefatcote h 1e 99Ed8i,t ion vi
Preface xxvii
ONE!T HE CONFLIBCETT WEEANU THORITYA ND
AUTONOMY
1.T heC onceopfAt u thority 3
2. TheC onceopfAt u tonomy 12
3.T heC on1lBiecttw eAeunt horaintdy
Autonomy 18
TWO: THES OLUTIOONFC LASSICAL DEMOCRACY
1.D emocyr atIchsOe n lFye asiSbolluet ion2 1
2.U nanimDoiurseD cetmc oracy 22
3.R epresenDteamtoicvrea cy 27
4.M ajiotrarDieamno cracy 38
THRE:E BEYONTD HEL EGITIMASTTEA TE
1.T he Qfuoetrsh tLee g itimSaatttee 69
2.U topian ofaW orlWdi thoSuattt e7s8

Preftaotc hee Edition
1998

Moret hana quartoefra centuargyo I, publislhietdtb loaeo k
InD efeonfAsn ea rchism.
witthh ep rovocattiivtel e, Theb ook
conformeIdl ,i kteo t hinkt,oB ertraRnuds selplr'ess cription
fora n "ideafolr mo fa worki np hilosophy("q uoting Arthur
Dantino theN.o vembe1r7 1,9 9i7s suoeft heN atio"Inst)h :ou ld
begiwni thp ropositnioo onnse w ouldq uestiaonnd c onclude
with propositnioo onnse w oulda cceptT.h"e p remiseo ft he
iis
bookw asq uitien disputEaabclheo :f hasa no verridoibnlgi ­
gatitoonb em oralaluyt onomo�unsd;t hec oncluswiaosnq u ite
outrageoAu mso:r allleyg itismtaatteie sa logiciamlp ossibility.
They eawra s1 970ri,g hitnt hem iddloefw hath asc omet o
bec allesdo,m ewhaitn accurat"etlhySe,i xtieasn,d"t heb ook
receivae gdr eadte aolf n otifcoer a philosophicalv ierstsua­y,
allayl ol fi tn egatiEvvee.r syi ngrleevi ewer-antdh erwee re
ma�y-saitdh atth ea rgumenotf t heb ookw asf atallflya wed.
JeffrReeyi maenv enw rotae s horbto oki nr esponaspep,r opri­
InD efeonfPs oel itPihciallo s,o phy
atelcya lled inw hichhe u n­
dertootko d emonstrtahteef alsiotfym y thesiTsh.e o nly
persoinnt hep hilosophwiocralwldh oa greewdi tmhe ,t ot he
�esotf m y knowledwgaes,a younggr adua.tset udaentFt l an­
dersU niversiintA yu stralPi.aD ,.J ewellw,h od efendmeyd
positiionhn i sd octordailse srtatiaonnd,t henp ublishetdh e
viii Prefatoct eh 1e9 9E8d ition
resulint sa b ookc allBedy W haAtu thorAint�yr?c hitshme,
Stataen.dt hIen dividual.
Nevertheleevsesr,y oniets, e emedr,e adt heb ookif, onlyt o
disagrwieteh itA.n othedro ctorsatlu denTta,n yaS negirova,
thitsi mien M oscowm,a dei tt hef ocuosf h erdi sserta[tailo­n
thougahs,s het olmde whens hev isitmeed i nN orthampton,
Mass.s,h eh adt og ets pecipaelr missfiroonmh ers upervisors
tor eadi t]I.tw ase venr equirreeda difnogr a whiloen the
Moral SciTernicpeoa st C ambridUgnei versIi htayv.e a lways
beenc onvinctehdat th er easle croefti tssu ccelsasyi nt hef act
thaittw asa perfeocnte -weaesks ignmienna t c oursoet herwise
devottedom ainstrepaoml ititchaelo rNyo. p rofesisnoh ri so r
herr ighmitn d wouldde votae s ubstanptoiratli oofna semester
toa works os ubversainvdeu nAmericnano,tt os ayu ndemo­
cratibcu,ta ftesro ldiertihnrgo ugHho bbesL,o ckeR,o usseau,
and Kanto ns ocicaoln tratchte oriytw, a sr athefru nt os pend
a fewt hrowawsaeys siboenast iunpgo nW olff.
Therwee res omfea nso,fc oursAef.t etrh eb ooka ppeareId ,
receivae ndu mbero fw arm,a pprecialteitvteef rrso mr ight­
wingl ibertarai afnasct,th agta vem e greatpearu seI, m ust
confestsh,a na lolf t heh ighltye chniccoauln ter-arguimne nts
thep hilosophjiocuarln aBlust.w itht hea pplicaotfia o cne r­
taianm ounotf d ialectliocgaiIlcm ,a nagetdo r eassumryes elf
thaItw asr ealnloyta closreeta ctionary.
Sot hel ittbloeo kh ass urvivaendd,n ow,t hanktsot heg ra­
ciougse nerosoiftt yh eU niversoiftC ya liforPnrieas si,st o
havey eta nothleirf Teh.e P ress's PapEedribta,ocC rkh arlene
Woodcochka,s i nvitmeed t ow ritae n ewP refafcoer I nD e­
fensseug,g esttihnagIt mighlti kpee rhaptso s ays omething
aboutth er elationosfht ihpie ss satyo m orer ecenatc ademic
worki np olitipchaill osopIwh iyl.hl a vea goa tt hata, b ilta ter
Preftaotch 1ee9 9E8d itioix n
oni nt hiPsr efacbeu,tfi rsts,i ncteh ilsi ttbloeo kh asa rather
oddh ist,o rwilyIl teltlh es tor'Oyfh owi tc amet ob e.
InD efeonfAs nea rcahcitusamllhya di tsst aritn1 96as0Ii
reactitoont hep ersonal emotionawla ss suftfreersisbn eg­I
causoef tchaem paiaggna innsutc lewaera ponasn dn ucledaer­
terrenTchee.n a younIgn strucitnPo hri losoapnhdyG eneral
EducatiaotnH arvardI, h ad/becodmeee pliyn volviendt he
rl!-thedre speraetfef omratn yo fu sw erem akintgo p ersuade
Americaonfst hei nsaniotfty h en ucleaarrm sr aceT.h em on­
strousnoefts hsed angeorfsn uclewaera ponasn dt heb lindiless
ofo ure lectaendd u nelectleeda dedrrso vael lo fu sa little
crazyF.o rm e,t heb reakipnogi ncta meo nea fternoiontn h e
HarvarUdn ionw,h ereI begaanil a rgumentw iths omeH ar­
vardl uminatrhya rta piddleys cendiendta o s houtimnagt chI.
cannorte canlolw w hom y opponenwta s,b uti tc oulhda ve
beena nyo fa numbero fp eoplHea.r vartdh ena,s n ow,w as
fulolf a mbitious, scellefv-esra,t miesnfiw ehdo sbee liienft he
infalliobfit lhietioyrw ni ntellleecdtt hse md ownt hep atht o
succeasnsd f ollHye.n ryK isisngeMrc,G eorgBeu ndyZ,b igniew
Brzezinosnkt ih,e iwra yt oW ashingtmoans,sm urde,ra ndt he
�
NoblP eacPer ize.
Ata nyr atet,h ea rgumenitn t heU niognr ewm oreh eated,
andI musth avew iggeodu tb,e cautshee n extth inIgk newI,
waso runnidnogw nM assachusAevtetnsu et owarHda rvard
Squaraes f asats I couldi,nt het hroeosfa full-sacnaxliee ty
attacWkh.e nI recoverIe dde,c idetdh aIt hadi ob acko ff
somehofwr omt hei ntensoiftt yh ed ailfyr,u straetfifnogtr ot
persuaddeea fe arst hatth eyw erel eadiunsgt od estruction.
y
My-waofp reservmiyn sga nity-raat choepr- oIut th ougahtt
thet ime-watso r etreiantt poo litictahle orayn,d spemnyd
timteh inkianbgo utth ei ntellecftouuanld atiooftn hsem adness
...
x Preftaoct eh 1e9 9E8d ition
thapta ssefdo ro fficiUa.l S .p olic,yS.oI spenat g oodm any
tranquhiolu rmsa steriGnagm eT heorayn dC ollectCihvoei ce
Theorya,s w elals t hep hysiocfsf allosuhte lteBrust.I also
launchaendi nvestigianttitooh nef oundatiooftn hsel egitimacy
oft hea uthoroiftt yh es tate.
As a studeonftt hep hilosoopfhI ym manueKla ntI, n atu­
rally contcheeiq vueeds tioofsn t atlee gitimaastc hye p roblem
ofm akintgh em oraalu tonomoyft hei ndividualc-etnhtee r­
piecoef K ant'est hictahle ory-compawtiitbhtlh ee a uthority
claimtsh aMta x Weberh adi dentiafiset dh eh allmaorfkt he
statSeo.m y firsetf forwtesr e tihnef ormo fa ne ssaeyn titled
"TheF undamentParlo bleomf P olitiTchaelo ryI. r"e adt hat
essahye rea ndt herien,C ambridagned t heni nC hicagfoo,r
severyaela rsu,n tiiln 1 964I waso fferae dP rofessorasth ip
Columbia UnivBeyrt shiittsiy m.e I,h adg rowwne aroyf r ead­
inga papeirn w hicIh p osead p robleomn ltyo c onfetshsa It
coulndo tfi nda solutisoonI , h adt aketno c allintgh ep aper,
"TheI mpossiboifla i Stoyl utitootn h eF undamentParlo blem
ofP olitiPchaill osophy."
When I arrivaetdC olumbiian t heF allo f1 964,I was
greetbeydA rthuDra ntoa,l reaad mye mbero ft heP hilosophy
Departmewnitt,ah p roposition.h aAdr'tbheureren c ruibtye d
Harpe&r Rowt oa ssembal ceo llectviovleu moefo rigineasls ays
tob ec alleTd heH arpGeuri dteoP hilosHoaprhpyecr.o nceived
thiass o neo fa serioefsh andsomveo lumebso,u ndi nh alcfa lf,
tob ec alled colltehceHt airvpeelGryu ides-Haa rpeGru idteo
Arta, HarpeGru idteo M usiacri ds of ortAhs.o nee diteoxr­
plainteodm e somey earlsa tewrh,e nI a skehdi mw hoo ne arth
wouled verre adt hesveo lumeHsa,r pewra s" aimingm orea t
theb ookb uyintgh ant heb ookr eadipnugb licA.t"a nyr ate,
Arthuhra dr oundeudp a stellaasrs emblaogfae u thors for
thesees saybsu,tI saiBahe rlihna dj usttu rnehdi md ownf or
Preftaoct eh1 e9 9E8d itioxni
theP olitiPchaill osocpohnyt ributainodhn e,w asa bidte sper­
ateW.o uldI writiet W?e llI, w asa boutto b egian f ull-scale
four-times-pas-ywceheoka nawiltyhsa insU pperE astS idaen ­
alysattt hef orbiddpirnigco ef$ 25an h our( myw holaen nual
salartyh atfi rsty earw as$ 1l,00s0o)m y onlyq uestitoon
Arthuwra s," Howm uchi st hea dvanceF?i"v eh undredh,e
saida,n dI w asi nT.h atw asfi vew eekosf a nalysis.
Then exstu mmerw,h ilIew ast eachisnugm mesrc hooIls ,a t
downt ow ritteh ee ssayA.r thuhra ds aids omethivnagg ue
[vaguenewsassA rthurc'hsa ractermiosdteio cf discourse]
aboustk etchwihnagt w ash appeniantg" thfeo,r efroonftt hse
field,b"u tI d ecidteodi gnotrhea atn ds implsye fto rtmhy own
politipchaill osopOhvye.rt hec oursoefs everwaele kdsu ring
thes ummerI, w rotaen eightpya gee ssaeyn,t it"lPeodl itical
Philosopwhhyi,c"lh a iodu tt hef ull-svcearlsei oofnt hea rgu­
mentI h adb eenr etailfionrfig v ey earnso wo n� e incompati­
biliotfyi ndividmuoarla alu tonoll).wyi tha nys tatcel aimtso
authorwihtayt soever.
WhenI w rotteh ee ssaiyn 1 965th,eF reeS peecmho vement
hads tartaetdB erkelbeuyt,t heV ieNta m Warw ass tiilnli ts
vereya rlisetsatg easn,dt hec hallengteoas u thoroifta yn ys ort,
whicwhe ret op latyo l argae p aritn A mericpaunb lliicf wee,r e
stiilntl h ef uture.
TneH arpeGrui del anguishaessd u,c ht hinogfst edno .T he
origiendailt oFrr,e dW ieckw,a sr eplacfeodra bibty AI Pret­
tymana,n dt henb y HughV anD usent,h eg enereadli toorf
HarpeTro rchbooaknsd s tial sle nieodri taotrH arperCollins
'
[asit isn owc alleBdy] .1 970I ,ha dp ublishae ndu mbero f
�
tiilgisn w hicIhh adr atheorp timistirceaflelryrt eotd h ee ssay
as" forthcomibnugtt, h"e b ookm arkehta dc hangeadn,d i t
wasp rettcyl eatrh eH arper Guiwdeersen evegro intgo a p­
pearS.o met imien e arlSpyr ingo ft hayte a,r cIa lleHdu ghV an