Anarchism and Violence

Ema Goldman, Anarchism and Other Essays, "Anarchism: What it Really Stands For", Dodo Press, 2008. All of it.

Mikhail Bakunin, God and The State, Dover Publications, 1970. (pgs. 21-98)

George Sorel, Reflections on Violence, "Ethics of Violence", Dover Publications, 2004. [pgs. 175-214]

Discuss the Anarchist movements of the late 19th and early 20th century. The goal is for the students to be able to successfully articulate why groups with classically liberal goals (freedom and equality) would attack the state form as well as use violence as a means to achieve those goals. Examples of the Haymarket riots and the assassination of Franz Ferdinand will be explored to consider the global effects of local events. In addition to which we will develop a provisional definition of violence as a point of reference for the following weeks.