At the turn of the late 1990s and early 2000s, the influence of anarchist thought and practice on the collective imaginary—radical and otherwise—grew increasingly significant. In particular, looking at the developments in global social movements, the collapse of the Soviet bloc, the emergence of zapatismo, and the wave of anti-globalisation struggles sparked by the 1999 anti-WTO protests in Seattle, made this paradigm shift evident to all. On the theoretical and political level, even as early as the 1970s, some radical thinkers had already recognized the generative potential of the anarchist perspective.
By the dawn of the new millennium, Marxism appeared discredited, and anarchism was seen as the last viable praxis still standing. It was no surprise that some proclaimed the beginning of an “anarchist century” (Grubacic, Graeber, Anarchism, or the Revolutionary Movement of the Twenty-first Century).
Now, twenty-five years later, the mood is far less optimistic. Despite earlier hopes, it does seem that anarchism lost the wind in its sails: ecosystems are collapsing, globalised capitalism appears more entrenched than ever, and some of the most effective anti-systemic movements are authoritarian, fascist, or fundamentalist in nature.
And yet, the sense persists that the anarchist approach remains not only relevant but perhaps the most effective—indeed, for some, the only sensible—response to the current global conjuncture (CrimethInc., Become an Anarchist or Forever Hold Your Peace).
Given this context, it is essential to reflect on some key questions: If the influence of anarchist thought and practice on political analysis, social movements, and significant sectors of civil society is now undeniable—so much so that it has become a crucial element of many contemporary critiques of the present—why does the anarchist movement itself still seem unable to articulate a concrete, widely comprehensible alternative?
Looking back at the first quarter of this century, what lessons can guide a self-critique of anarchism? What challenges lie ahead, and what strategies might help us overcome them?
Useful resources #
Speakers #
- Salvo Vaccaro, The Influence of Anarchist Thought on Contemporary Political Philosophy
- Tomás Ibáñez, An Anarchist Critique of Anarchism, or on Non-Foundational Anarchism
- Francesco Codello, Prefigurative Anarchism, or (In)Positive Anarchism
Articles #
- Andrej Grubacic, David Graeber, Anarchism, Or The Revolutionary Movement Of The Twenty-first Century, 2004
- Crimethic., Become an Anarchist or Forever Hold Your Peace, 21 febbraio 2025
- Gabriel Kuhn, Matthew Wilson, Gabriel Kuhn in Conversation With Matthew Wilson, Anarchist Studies, vol. 31, n.1, 2023
- Matthew Wilson, Colin Ward: an Ambiguous Legacy, «Anarchist Studies», vol. 32, n. 2, 2024
- Francesco Codello, Alcune idee per un anarchismo positivo, «Semi sotto la neve», n.8, giugno 2024
- Materiali preparatori per l’incontro «Al ladro! Anarchismo e filosofia»
Books #
- Richard J.F. Day, Gramsci è morto, dall’egemonia all’affinità, elèuthera 2025 (2008)
- Matthew Wilson, Discorso sull’autogoverno, elèuthera, 2022
- Salvo Vaccaro, Pensare altrimenti, anarchismo e filosofia radicale, elèuthera, 2024 (2011)
- Salvo Vaccaro, Agire altrimenti, anarchismo e movimenti radicali nel XXI secolo, elèuthera, 2014
- Catherine Malabou, Al ladro! Anarchismo e filosofia, elèuthera, 2024
- Tomás Ibáñez, L’anarchia del mondo contemporaneo, elèuthera, 2022
- Tomás Ibáñez, Per una critica anarchica dell’anarchismo, elèuthera, prossima uscita (estate 2025)
- Francesco Codello, La condizione umana nel pensiero libertario, elèuthera, 2017
- Francesco Codello, Né obbedire né comandare, lessico libertario, elèuthera, 2022 (2009)