Anarchism and Other Essays,
by Emma Goldman begins with a discussion about what anarchism really stands
for. How befitting is it, as a philosophy
based on liberty unrestricted by man-made law; the theory that all forms of
government rest on violence, and are therefore wrong and harmful, as well as
unnecessary.
Anarchism directs its forces
against the third and greatest foe of all social equality; namely, the State,
organized authority, or statutory law,—the dominion of human conduct. Just as religion has fettered the human mind, and as
property, or the monopoly of things, has subdued and stifled man's needs, so
has the State enslaved his spirit, dictating every phase of conduct. Also, this book mentions that law, instead of
making man a whit more just, is making them more prone to finding solace in
injustice. And by destroying government and statutory laws,
Anarchism proposes to rescue the self-respect and independence of the
individual from all restraint and invasion by authority. Anarchism, thus stands for liberation from the
dominion of religion, from the dominion of property, and also from the shackles
and restraint of government.
Then come the other
fundamental issues with politics. Political
aspirants will find their path of good intentions full of pitfalls:
wire-pulling, intriguing, flattering, lying, and cheating; in fact, chicanery of
every description. Or they will feel intimidated by the tyranny of a compromising
majority or a stubborn minority. Or how unsettling is patriotism, as a menace
to liberty.
Discussions on prostitution,
women’s suffrage, marriage, love and issues of emancipation of women, bring the
book to a close.
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