Anarchism

Anarchism is the only philosophy which brings to man the consciousness of himself; which maintains that God, the State, and society are non-existent, that their promises are null and void, since they can be fulfilled only through man's subordination. Anarchism is therefore the teacher of the unity of life; not merely in nature, but in man.

Emma Goldman (1869-1940), U.S. anarchist. Anarchism and Other Essays, "Anarchism: What It Really Stands For" (1910).

Can see your point...

However, it depends on the individual and how he/she interprets things rather than a religion/state/society etc. It also depends on how honest a person is to him/herself.

Religion has been given a bad name but we tend to forget that those who give religion a bad name always concentrate on the negative aspects and fail to see that religion is all down to personal interpretation and not what people read about it.

For example, if I said: " I don't like people from Mongolia" there will be many different interpretations of this sentence from many different people.
The same with religion.

Ok again I go off topic...

Originally Posted by ljepotica

Religion has been given a bad name but we tend to forget that those who give religion a bad name always concentrate on the negative aspects and fail to see that religion is all down to personal interpretation and not what people read about it.

I feel that Religions have earned their bad name by force feeding their narrowed doctrine based upon their own distorted interpretation of flawed dogma. And then requiring their followers to pay dues to blindly go along with their claptrap.

John

I, like many, began with the belief that anarchy was rebellion against government and authority, and nothing else. True, this is how the anarchy ideal evolved. Anarchy has been a tool of the so-called “elite” just as much as it has been a belief for others. The anarchy ideal has been manipulated and the definition altered so to prevent man from exploring the true nature of anarchism. Terrorism against the state, in the minds of most people, is what anarchy stands for. This trickery has been successful. But anarchy seems to be a positive ideal.

Ok, so yes ljepotica, "IT" is about the individual. From my understanding, true anarchism is a manifestation of personal AND communal lifestyle (to aid and receive aid from the COMMUNITY as one example), choice, etc. not terrorism against the state, but rather the will and action and belief to live in such a way that the laws of man and government do not apply; the laws of God apply! As Emma Goldman is stating, anarchism is a “path” to “oneness” or united self; that subordination and conformity can only fulfill material desires; that the “teacher of life” is within one’s self (an INsubordinate and NONconforming self).

So, you see, anarchism is an internal perception/belief whatever, and the material manifestation of that ideal is the so-called “rejection” of the state. A quote to “humanize” this: “the anarchists are right in the assertion that, without authority, there could not be worse violence than that of authority under existing conditions” –Leo Tolstoy (introduced Christian anarchism)

*Note: a bit of fun trivia: William Godwin, the first proclaimed anarchist in history, and feminist Mary Wollstonecraft, had a daughter; Mary Shelley author of Frankenstein.

Maybe anarchy becomes more realistic if you realise this is a dream where the only rule that makes any sense should be love the dream. After all you are the dream.