Post-anarchism

Post-anarchism or postanarchism is an anarchist

philosophy that employs post-structuralist and
postmodernist approaches (the term post-structuralist
anarchism is used as well, so as not to suggest having
moved beyond anarchism). Post-anarchism is not a single
coherent theory, but rather refers to the combined works
of any number of post-structuralists such as Michel
Foucault, Gilles Deleuze, Jacques Lacan; postmodern
feminists such as Judith Butler; and post-Marxists such
as Ernesto Laclau, Chantal Moue, Jacques Rancire;
with those of the classical anarchists, with particular
concentration on Emma Goldman, Max Stirner, and
Friedrich Nietzsche. Thus, the terminology can vary
widely in both approach and outcome.

discourse
the denaturalization of the body and sexuality
the rejection of the repressive hypothesis
Foucaults genealogy
the deconstruction of the binary oppositions of
Western thought
the deconstruction of gender roles through feminist
post-structuralism[1]

2 Approaches

Background

The term post-anarchism was coined by philosopher of

post-left anarchy Hakim Bey in his 1987 essay PostAnarchism Anarchy.[2][3] Bey argued that anarchism
had become insular and sectarian, confusing the various anarchist schools of thought for the real experience of lived anarchy.[3] In 1994, academic philosopher Todd May initiated what he called poststructuralist
anarchism,[4] arguing for a theory grounded in the poststructuralist understanding of power, particularly through
the work of Michel Foucault and Emma Goldman, while
taking the anarchist approach to Ethics.

See also: Anarchism and Friedrich Nietzsche

The prex post- is not used to denote a philosophy
after anarchism, but instead refers to the challenging
and disruption of typically accepted assumptions within
frameworks that emerged during the Enlightenment era.
This means a basic rejection of the epistemological
foundations of classical anarchist theories, due to their
tendency towards essentialist or reductionist notions
although post-anarchists are generally quick to point out
the many outstanding exceptions, such as those noted
above. This approach is considered to be important insofar as it widens the conception of what it means to have
or to be produced, rather than only repressed, by power,
thus encouraging those who act against power in the form
of domination to become aware of how their resistance
often becomes overdetermined by power-eects as well.
It argues against earlier approaches that capitalism and
the state are not the only sources of domination in the
moment in which we live, and that new approaches need
to be developed to combat the network-centric structures of domination that characterize late modernity. Although thinkers such as Foucault, Deleuze, Derrida, Butler, Lacan, and Lyotard are not explicitly self-described
anarchists, their ideas nevertheless serve of great importance, given the anti-authoritarian nature of their thought.
Some of them also showed interest, to varying degrees, in
the events of May 1968 in France.

The Lacanian anarchism proposed by Saul Newman

utilizes the works of Jacques Lacan and Max Stirner
more prominently. Newman criticizes classical anarchists, such as Michael Bakunin and Peter Kropotkin, for
assuming an objective "human nature" and a natural order; he argues that from this approach, humans progress
and are well-o by nature, with only the Establishment as
a limitation that forces behavior otherwise. For Newman,
this is a Manichaen worldview, which depicts the reversal
of Thomas Hobbes' Leviathan, in which the good state
is subjugated by the evil people.

Lewis Call has attempted to develop post-anarchist theory through the work of Friedrich Nietzsche, rejecting
the Cartesian concept of the subject. From here, a radical form of anarchism is made possible: the anarchism
of becoming. This anarchism does not have an eventual
goal, nor does it ow into being"; it is not a nal state
of development, nor a static form of society, but rather
Common concepts within post-anarchism include:
becomes permanent, as a means without end. Italian autonomist Giorgio Agamben has also written about this
the misalignment of the subject in relation to idea. In this respect it is similar to the complex systems
1

2
view of emerging society known as panarchy. Call critiques liberal notions of language, consciousness, and rationality from an anarchist perspective, arguing that they
are inherent in economic and political power within the
capitalist state organization.[5]

3 POST-ANARCHISM AND SPACE

plan imposed upon society by institutions,[9] engendering forms of organization that emerge spontaneously,
and which people determine freely for themselves.[9]
These insurrectional spaces work to foster alternative
ways of being while continually undermining the logic
of hegemony as they work non- rather than counterhegemonically, exposing the cracks within the dominant social, political, and economic order.[9] A distinctly
postanarchist conception of politics can be understood in
terms of an ongoing project of autonomy and a pluralization of insurrectional spaces and desires,[9] exemplifying pregurative practices, which seek to realize alternatives to capitalism and statism within the current order.[9]
Newman sees this re-situation of the political dimension
away from the hegemony of the state [...] as central to
postanarchism.[9]

Recently the French hedonist philosopher Michel Onfray

has embraced the term post-anarchism to describe his
approach to politics and ethics.[6] He advocates for an
anarchism in line with such intellectuals as "Orwell, la
philosophe Simone Weil, Jean Grenier, la French Theory avec Foucault, Deleuze, Bourdieu, Guattari, Lyotard,
le Derrida de Politiques de l'amiti et du Droit la
philosophie, mais aussi Mai 68" which for him was a
Nietzschean revolt in order to put an end to the 'One'
truth, revealed, and to put in evidence the diversity of
truths, in order to make disappear ascetic Christian ideas
and to help arise new possibilities of existence. [7]
In his book,Gramsci is Dead, Richard Day examines
many
such insurrectional spaces and non-hegemonic
Another anarchist and French intellectual with a dedicamovements
and practices. The TAZ concept is one such
tion to post-structuralism is Daniel Colson who published
example
and
the utilization of such a tactic is seen regPetit lexique philosophique de l'anarchisme de Proudhon
ularly
throughout
contemporary society. Critical of the
Deleuze in 2001.
eeting and potentially over-individualistic nature of the
TAZ, Day posits the Semi-Permanent Autonomous Zone,
the SPAZ, as a potential mode of organization that is
neither utterly eeting nor totally enslaving,[10] break3 Post-anarchism and space
ing out of the temporary/permanent dichotomy.[10] Day
theorizes the SPAZ as a form that allows the construcPostanarchist theory has many implications for social and tion of non-hegemonic alternatives to the neoliberal orpolitical space and, seeing as space is always political, se- der here and now, with an eye to surviving the dangers of
riously considers the question of space for radical pol- capture, exploitation and division inevitably arising from
itics and movements today. Much postanarchist theory within and being imposed from without.[10] The SPAZ
is centered around an extensive critique of hegemony embraces a postanarchist spirit of contingency and indeand the neoliberal societies of control. The logic of terminancy, fostering relationships and links of solidarhegemony contains all conceptions of freedom and jus- ity based on voluntary association without falling into the
tice narrowly within the connes of the state, creating a trap of hegemony by refusing the aspiration of total perpolitical climate in which radical notions of justice are manence.
seen as a threat to the very existence of society, perpetuating the liberal ideological myth that unity requires Gustav Landauers concept of Structural Renewal feahomogeneity.[8] Postanarchism conceives of a political tures prominently in much postanarchist theory and pracspace which is indeterminate, contingent and heteroge- tice, inuencing concepts such as Days idea of the
neous a space whose lines and contours are undecidable SPAZ, as well as the deeply ethical aspects of postaand therefore contestable.[9] Saul Newman denes this narchist theory and practice. Structural Renewal adpostanarchist conception of political space as a space vocates for the creation of new institutions alongside,
of becoming.[9] If we see current conceptions and ar- rather than inside, existing modes of social organization,
pairing of disengagement
rangements of space as frameworks for dominant po- involving a complementary
[10]
Structural
Renewal aims to reand
reconstruction.
litical and economic interests, postanarchist theory exduce
the
ecacy
and
reach
of
hegemonic
institutions by
plores the ways in which this hegemonic space is chalwithdrawing
energy
from
them
and
rendering
them relenged, contested and recongured, as well as the fan[9]
dundant,
appearing
simultaneously
as
a
negative
force
tasies and desires invested in political spaces and looks
working
against
the
colonization
of
everyday
life
by
the
to the occupation of space as a means to pregure and
[10]
state
and
corporations,
and
as
a
positive
force
acting
to
create autonomous alternatives.
reverse this process via mutual aid.[10]
Newman sees postanarchist political space as based
around the project of autonomy.[9] In keeping with a Most important for contemporary postanarchism is Lanbetween
postanarchist anity with contingency, Newman theo- dauers analysis of the state as a certain relation
[11]
Followpeople:
a
mode
of
behaviour
and
interaction.
rizes autonomy as an ongoing project of political spaing
this
logic,
the
state
can
be
transcended
only
through
a
tialization, rather than a fully achieved form of social
[9]
certain
spiritual
transformation
of
relationships,
without
organization. These autonomous political spaces can
be considered insurrectional as they defy the idea of a such a transformation the state will be simply reinvented

3
in a dierent form during the revolution.[11] Postanarchism consistently takes up this notion, seeing the political as intimately tied up with the social and guided by
a deeply ethical framework geared towards transforming
social space. According to Landauers analysis, although
it is possible to rid ourselves of particular states, we can
never rid ourselves of the state form [as] it is always already with us, and so must be consistently and carefully
warded o.[10] Postanarchism recognizes that states require subjects who desire not only to repress others, but
also desire their own repression, and that, consequently,
warding o the state [...] means primarily enabling and
empowering individuals and communities.[10] Postanarchism takes up the problem of voluntary servitude in order to gure out how to get more people in more places
to overcome not only their desire to dominate others, but
their own desire to be dominated as well.[10] This involves an unbinding of the self from his or her own attachment to power[9] and the creation of spaces and subjectivities which rely upon an amoral, postmodern ethics
of shared commitments based on anities rather than duties based on hegemonic imperatives.[10]

democracy,[11] understanding democracy not primarily as a mechanism for expressing a unied popular will,
but rather as a way of pluralizing this will opening
up within it dierent and even dissenting spaces and
perspectives.[11] This notion of democracy beyond the
state is in keeping with postanarchist ethics and commitments, imposing a certain ethical responsibility upon
people themselves to resolve, through ongoing practices
of negotiation, tensions that may arise.[11] Saul Newman emphasizes democracys own perfectibility, the
fact that democracy always points to a horizon beyond,
to the future, that it is always to come.[11] He states
that, we should never be satised with existing forms
taken by democracy and should always be working towards a greater democratization in the her and now; towards an ongoing articulation of democracys im/possible
promise of perfect liberty with perfect equality.[11] This
is a politics of anti-politics [...] outside, and ultimately
transcendent of, the state and all hierarchical structures of
power and authority, requiring the continual development of alternative libertarian and egalitarian structures
and practices, coupled with a constant awareness of the
[11]
Day identies the interlocking ethico-political commit- authoritarian potential that lies in any structure.
ments of groundless solidarity and innite responsibility
as central to postanarchist ethics. He denes groundless solidarity as seeing ones own privilege and oppres- 4 After post-anarchism
sion in the context of other privileges and oppressions, as
so interlinked that no particular form of inequality [...]
Duane Rousselle has claimed post-anarchism is begincan be postulated as the central axis of struggle, while
ning to move away from the epistemological characterinnite responsibility means always being open to the
ization and toward an ontological characterization.[12] He
challenge of another Other, always being ready to hear
has written numerous articles and books on the topic.[13]
a voice that points out how one is not adequately in solidarity, despite ones best eorts.[10] He identies these His book After Post-Anarchism is described by Repartee
commitments as central in guiding anity-based relation- Press as follows:
ships, rejecting a hegemonic conception of community
in order to embrace the coming communities, in the
Post-anarchists have hitherto relied on
plural.[10] Postanarchism conceives of ethics as open
post-structuralist
critiques of ontological esto a certain spontaneous and free self-determination by
sentialism
in
order
to situate their discourse in
individuals, rather than imposed upon them from above
relation
to
the
traditional
anarchist discourse.
[11]
through abstract moral codes and strictures, conceivPost-anarchism
requires
the elaboration of
ing of freedom as an ongoing ethical practice, in which
another
important
line
of
critique
against episones relationship with oneself and others is subject to
temological
foundationalism

to
accomplish
[11]
a continual ethical interrogation.
The intensely ethithis
task,
this
book
takes
post-anarchism
to
cal dimension of postanarchism allows for the conception
its
limit
through
a
reading
of
the
philosophy
of a system of networks and popular bases, organized
of Georges Bataille. Georges Batailles phialong rhizomatic lines [...] and populated by subjects who
losophy allows for new ways of conceiving
neither ask for gifts from the state [...] nor seek state
anarchist ethics that are not predicated upon
power for themselves, conceiving of movements that
essentialist categories, foundationalist truthtake up ethico-political positions while refusing to try to
claims, or the agency of the subject in the
coercively generalize these positions by making foundapolitical context. After Post-Anarchism, we
[10]
empowering subjects that are capable
tional claims,
challenge the hegemony that epistemology has
of thriving outside of existing paradigms and contributing
enjoyed for several centuries of political and
to real and lasting social and political change.
philosophical thought.[14]
Postanarchism is intensely critical of current forms
of representative democracy, favouring peoples selforganization[11] and seeking to open the political
space to alternative and more democratic modes of In What Comes After Post-Anarchism, an article for
Continent Journal, Rousselle has claimed that:

7 FURTHER READING
By dismissing all ontologies as suspiciously representative and as incessantly
harbouring a dangerous form of essentialism,
post-anarchists have overlooked the privilege
that they have placed on the human subject,
language, and discourse, at the expense of the
democracy that the human subject shares with
other animals, objects, and beings in the world.
This epistemological characterization of postanarchism has held sway for far too long. It
is not by chance that post-anarchism, as a
concept, was rst formulated by Hakim Bey as
an ontological anarchism, and subsequently
repressed by the canon of post-anarchist
authors. ... I want to challenge this reluctance
and revive the roots of post-anarchism.

See also
Existentialist anarchism

References

[1] see generally Judith Butler, Gender Trouble: Feminism

and the Subversion of Identity, Routledge 1990.
[2] Bey, Hakim (March 1987). Post-Anarchism Anarchy.
Deoxy.net. Retrieved December 30, 2008.
[3] Adams, Jason. Postanarchism in a Bombshell. Aporia
(3).
[4] Antli, Allan (2007).
Anarchy, Power, and
Poststructuralism.
SubStance 36 (2):
5666.
doi:10.1353/sub.2007.0026.
[5] Martin, Edward J. (June 2003). Call, Lewis Postmodern
Anarchism. Perspectives on Political Science.
[6] Michel Onfray: le post anarchisme expliqu ma grandmre
[7] qu'il considre comme une rvolte nietzschenne pour
avoir mis n la Vrit Une, rvle, en mettant en vidence la diversit de vrits, pour avoir fait disparatre les
idaux asctiques chrtiens et fait surgir de nouvelles possibilits d'existence.Michel Onfray: le post anarchisme
expliqu ma grand-mre
[8] [Alfred, Taiaiake. Wasase: Indigenous Pathways of Action and Freedom. Toronto: University of Toronto Press,
2005. p. 112]
[9] [Newman, Saul. Postanarchism and Space: Revolutionary fantasies and autonomous zones. Planning Theory 10
(2011): 344- 365. p. 355]
[10] [Day, Richard. Gramsci is Dead: Anarchistic Currents in
the Newest Social Movements. New York: Pluto Press,
2005. p. 42]

[11] [Newman, Saul. The Politics of Postanarchism. Edinburgh University Press, 2010. p.162]
[12] Rousselle, Duane (November 2012). Max Stirners PostPost-Anarchism. Journal for the Study of Radicalism.
Retrieved November 14, 2012.
[13] Rousselle, Duane. Duane Rousselles Academia Page.
Retrieved November 14, 2012.
[14] Rousselle, Duane (November 2012).
After PostAnarchism. Repartee Books. Retrieved November 14,
2012.

7 Further reading
Rousselle, Duane and Evren, Sreyyya (eds) PostAnarchism: A Reader. London: Pluto Press. (2011)
Call, Lewis (2002). Postmodern Anarchism. Lexington: Lexington Books. ISBN 0-7391-0522-1.
Fabbri, Lorenzo. From Inoperativeness to Action:
On Giorgio Agambens Anarchism, Radical Philosophy Review, Volume 4, Number 1, 2011.
Ferguson, Kathy (1984). The Feminist Case against
Bureaucracy. Philadelphia: Temple University
Press. ISBN 0-87722-400-5.
Franks, Benjamin (June 2007). Postanarchism: A
critical assessment. Journal of Political Ideologies
(Routledge) 12 (2). ISSN 1356-9317.
May, Todd (1994). The Political Philosophy of Poststructuralist Anarchism. University Park: Pennsylvania State University Press. ISBN 0-271-01046-0.
Mmken, Jrgen (2003). Freiheit, Individualitt
und Subjektivitt. Staat und Subjekt in der Postmoderne aus anarchistischer Perspektive. Frankfurt am
Main: Edition AV. ISBN 3-936049-12-2.
Mmken (editor), Jrgen (2005). Anarchismus in
der Postmoderne. Beitrge zur anarchistischen Theorie und Praxis. Frankfurt am Main: Edition AV,
Verlag. ISBN 3-936049-37-8.
Newman, Saul (2001). From Bakunin to Lacan.
Anti-Authoritarianism and the Dislocation of Power.
Lexington: Lexington Books. ISBN 0-7391-02400.
Moore, John (2004). I Am Not a Man, I Am Dynamite!: Friedrich Nietzsche and the Anarchist Tradition. Autonomedia. ISBN 1-57027-121-6.
Michel Onfray La puissance d'exister, Paris, Grasset,
(2006) ISBN 2-246-71691-8
Michel Onfray Politique du rebelle: trait de rsistance et d'insoumission (1997)

5
Michel Onfray La philosophie froce : exercices anarchistes. (2004)
Colson, Daniel. Anarchist Subjectivities and Modern Subjectivity.
Colson, Daniel. Deleuze et le renouveau de la pense libertaire
Call, Lewis et al. Post-anarchism today, Anarchist
Developments in Cultural Studies, volume 1, 2010.
Springer, S. 2012. Violent accumulation: a postanarchist critique of property, dispossession, and the
state of exception in neoliberalizing Cambodia.
Annals of the Association of American Geographers.

External links
Archive of Post anarchist articles and on postanarchism in english at the Anarchist Library
Postanarchism in a Nutshell by Jason Adams.
Post-Anarchism and Social War:
Poststructuralism, and the Revival of an Anarchist
Subterranean by Torrance.
Toward a Post-Anarchist Critique of Anarchist
Businesses by Saint Schmidt.
Postanarchism is not what you think: The role of
postanarchist theory after the backlash By Saint
Schmidt.
Accursed Anarchism: Five Post-Anarchist Meditations on Bataille by Saint Schmidt.
Derridas Deconstruction Of Authority by Saul
Newman.
Anarchism and the politics of ressentiment by Saul
Newman.
Anarchist Subjectivities and Modern Subjectivity
by Daniel Colson.
Whats Wrong With Postanarchism? by Jesse Cohn
and Shawn Wilbur.
Anarsi, postanarchist texts in Turkish and translated
from other languages.

9 TEXT AND IMAGE SOURCES, CONTRIBUTORS, AND LICENSES

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