Anarchism and Social Revolution

This monograph provides an update to anarchist philosophy, advocating for a paradigm shift beyond neoliberalism and liberal democracy. The book's central thesis has two components. First, it is argued that the maximization of equal liberty requires historical progress beyond the sovereign state system. In contrast to Fukuyama's (1992) argument that liberal democracy is the end of history, it is argued that liberalism contains two contradictions (socioeconomic inequality and the shortcoming in equal liberty inherent to state power) with the potential to propel history further. This book's argument - libertarian social democracy - provides a framework to guide that final stage of history.

Second, while anarchist philosophy offers a vision beyond the sovereign state, it can be rendered more suitable as an alternative paradigm. Specifically, it is argued that anarchism is hampered by its traditional adherence to prefigurative strategy, according to which the state cannot be used as a means to achieve a free and equal society. By contrast, libertarian social democracy incorporates a role for a democratic transitionary state (described here as gradualist anarchism) thus addressing mainstream "Hobbesian" concerns about bad anarchy (where decentralization yields a net loss in equal liberty). In so doing, the book reveals the full spectrum of anarchist strategy from prefigurative to gradualist.

Auteur

Brian Williams is Assistant Professor in the Department of Political Science at SUNY Cortland (US) where he teaches classes in political research methods, comparative politics, and international relations. His recent empirical research has focused on direct democracy and voter turnout, electoral connection and private member bill proposals, as well as coalition agreements and intra-party unity. In the area of political philosophy, his recent writing has examined the interrelationship between anarchism and democracy. His work has been published in The Social Science Journal, Representation, Political Science Research and Methods, Theory in Action, and Legislative Studies Quarterly.