Anarcho-Pacifism

We might have in our minds an image of a typical anarchist - a young person, perhaps masked with a bandana, throwing a molotov cocktail at rows of riot police during a violent demonstration. It’s difficult to reconcile this stereotypical image of anarchists with the idea of pacifism and non-violence. However, throughout the history of anarchist thought, there have always been individuals who have advocated peaceful, non-violent ways of rejecting the state. In this explanation, we’ll look at the key ideas within anarcho-pacifist thought and how they compare with other expressions of anarchism.

Anarcho-pacifism: definition

Although there is a great deal of ideological variance within anarcho-pacifist thought, all anarcho-pacifists subscribe to two core principles

• The rejection of the state
• The rejection of the use of violence

Beyond these two core beliefs, anarcho-pacifists may adhere to various ideological positions. They may be motivated by religious beliefs, or they may be atheists. They may also be socialists, collectivists or communitarians, or closer to individualist or mutualist positions.

Anarcho-pacifism and anarchism

In this series of articles on anarchism, we have used this tree image to illustrate how various forms of anarchism relate to each other. However, it’s not easy to find a logical place for anarcho-pacifism on this tree.

Fig. 1 - Illustration of forms of anarchism, StudySmarter original

Adherents of anarcho-pacifism can be influenced by Marxist or socialist ideas or by liberal and libertarian ones. Additionally, many anarcho-pacifist thinkers are influenced by elements of religious philosophy, whilst many other forms of anarchist thought are hostile to religion. Anarcho-pacifists belong somewhere in the middle of this tree, with adherents falling along a spectrum between left-wing and right-wing ideas.

Anarcho-pacifism and violence

Anarchism is not a violent ideology in itself, and the majority of anarchists are opposed to violence; however, some anarchists accept that violence is sometimes necessary. This can be seen within branches of anarchism such as anarcho-syndicalism which often adopts the idea that the means justify the end. Anarcho-syndicalists in the tradition of Georges Sorel (1847-1922) would argue that violence is an acceptable part of revolutionary change. The Italian anarchist writer Errico Malatesta (1853-1932) also argued in favour of revolutionary violence.

By contrast, anarcho-pacifists view violence as a form of coercion and therefore see it as incompatible with anarchism. The only legitimate revolutionary methods in anarcho-pacifism are non-violent ones, such as civil disobedience.

Anarcho-pacifism and religion

Many forms of anarchist thought view religion with scepticism or even hostility. Many anarchists are also anti-clericalists, who oppose the undue privilege they believe is exercised by representatives of organised religion.

By contrast, anarcho-pacifist thought doesn't automatically equate religious belief with coercion and some anarcho-pacifists have been strongly motivated by their religious beliefs. Religions like Christianity, Islam, Hinduism and Sikhism all have strong traditions of resisting unjust laws or persecution through peaceable means. Leo Tolstoy profoundly influenced anarcho-pacifist thought and was deeply inspired by his Christian pacifist faith. American philosopher Henry David Thoreau's thought was shaped both by his Unitarian Christian background and his interest in Hindu spirituality. These figures inspired Mohandas K Gandhi (later called Mahatma Gandhi) in his non-violent struggle against British colonial rule in India.

Anarcho-pacifism principles and theory

Below are a few key principles in anarcho-pacifism.

Pacifism

The 19th century was hardly the most peaceful period in modern history, with wars, upheavals and conflicts around the world. Naturally, some objected to the use of violence to solve political or social conflicts, and many felt that the considerable advances in science and technology that had defined the 19th century should be matched by a refinement of human nature, away from violence and towards peace and stability. This was the context in which the French anti-war writer Émile Arnaud first started using the term pacifisme in French (from the word pacifique, which means ‘peaceful’). Delegates also adopted the term pacifism at the 10th International Peace Conference held in Glasgow in 1901.

The core argument running through all pacifist thought is that there is no justification for the use of violence or physical force. Following this, pacifists believe that any form of social change or conflict resolution should be achieved only by peaceful means. One of these non-violent means is civil disobedience, which means disobeying laws or rules that are believed to be unjust.

Revolution

Anarchism is fundamentally a revolutionary doctrine. All schools of anarchist thought agree on the basic principle that the state is oppressive and places unjust limits on human freedom. In order to replace the state and create an anarchist society, some form of revolution must take place. The different schools of anarchism disagree on what that revolution should look like, whether violence is necessary to achieve it and what form of social organisation should replace the state. For anarcho-pacifists, revolution must only come about peacefully without resorting to violence.

In anarcho-pacifist thought, the two core principles of anti-statism and pacifism are mutually-dependent and mutually reinforcing. For the anarcho-pacifist, violence means one individual exercising power over another. The difference in power distributed between these two individuals results in a hierarchy, which is fundamentally at odds with the core anarchist principles of equality and liberty. Likewise, by their very nature, states require the use of at least some form of violence and coercion in some form to create and sustain themselves, which is clearly not reconcilable to the pacifist position. Therefore, for the anarcho-pacifist, anarchism leads logically to pacifism, and pacifism leads logically to anarchism.

Non-violent protest and civil disobedience

Since they are fundamentally opposed to bringing about a revolution by violent means, anarcho-pacifism tends to stress the use of non-violent protests and civil disobedience.

Civil disobedience is also called passive resistance and refers to the refusal of a citizen to abide by certain laws, however in order for it to be deemed civil disobedience this refusal must be non-violent.

Anarcho-pacifism symbol and flag

Like many other schools of anarchist thought, the anarcho-pacifist movement also has a set of symbols to identify itself. Firstly, the anarcho-pacifist flag consists of a diagonally-divided space, with white - the colour of pacifism - in the upper-right part and black - the colour of anarchism - on the lower-left side. Anarchists also use the five-pointed star, which is divided - in the case of anarcho-pacifists - into a white half and a black half. Other anarcho-pacifist symbols include the black-and-white 'A' symbol within a circle, like the international symbol for peace. Anarcho-pacifists Christians might also use the biblical imagery of a dove carrying an olive twig in its beak. Another common anarcho-pacifist symbol is a broken rifle.

Fig. 3 - Basic Anarcho Pacifist flag

Anarcho-pacifism books

The following books are from key thinkers in the field of anarcho-pacifism.

Leo Tolstoy, The Kingdom of God is Within You, 1894

Leo Tolstoy was a novelist and Russian Christian Anarchist who promoted non-violence based on the teachings of the Bible. The title of this book comes from a phrase that appears in the 17th chapter of the Gospel of Luke. In his book, Tolstoy criticises the church and its use of biblical texts to justify violence, emphasising instead Christ's voluntary subjection to capture, trial and crucifixion.

Henry David Thoreau, Civil Disobedience, 1849

In Civil Disobedience Thoreau argues that government is an evil and unjust government is evil and unjust, using the US government as an example and citing war and slavery as evidence for his viewpoint. Thoreau argues that the power of the government is derived from the support it has gained from the majority as opposed to moral authority. Thoreau opposes collaboration with governments, even if individuals are trying to achieve reform from within.

Bart de Ligt, The Conquest of Violence: an Essay on War and Revolution, 1937

In his famous essay, the Dutch anarcho-pacifist Bart de Ligt addresses the historical examples of non-violence, including Mahatma Gandhi's protests against British rule in India. Whilst de Ligt praises some of Gandhi's actions he also criticises his opportunism in not opposing conscription into the British army. The central argument in this essay is that violence and revolution are fundamentally irreconcilable concepts.

Anarcho-pacifism quotes