Associational Anarchism

Chris Wyatt is a Senior Lecturer in Politics at the University of Brighton

'Wyatt remains a leading theorist of anarchist political economy. [...] At a time when people increasingly search for new political directions (religious authoritarianism, escapist capitalist adventurism, egomaniacal Populism, and more), Wyatt offers potentialities rooted in freedom, decentralization, and cooperation.'CHOICE: Recommended'A learned, engaged and pertinent contribution to the philosophy of social anarchism, which clarifies important concepts such as freedom, autonomy and democracy, situating them back into the left-libertarian revolutionary tradition. Chris Wyatt draws expertly from a range of contemporary and historical sources, including the much-neglected guild socialism of G.D.H Cole. These are adapted and applied to defend and develop original – and sometimes provocative - insights into the appropriate forms of inter-personal relationships, social organisation and economic coordination. Associational anarchism is a valuable work for anyone interested in, and working to bring about, less hierarchical pollical, economic and social arrangements.'Benjamin Franks, Senior Lecturer in Social and Political Philosophy, University of Glasgow, and author of Anarchisms, Postanarchisms and Ethics

• IntroductionPart I: A new genre of social anarchism1 Freedom as Marxian-autonomy2 Social anarchism: classical to contemporary3 Anarcho-constitutionalism as associational anarchism4 Bridging the Marxist-anarchist dividePart II: Libertarian politics: social coordination through functional decentralisation5 Legal authority beyond state imposition6 Free federation7 The organisational contours of an unorthodox mixed-economyPart III: The associational anarchist conditions of liberty in the realm of necessity8 Self-determination, self-realisation and negative freedom9 Freedom in the guild system10 Freedom in the guild system and beyond11 The civic functional bodiesConclusion: associational anarchism and human emancipation as developed selfhoodIndex