Introduction: a philosophical approach to anarchism -- Anarchism and the problem of authority -- Defining anarchism -- The nature of authority -- Forms of authority -- The legitimacy of the state -- Anarchism and the history of ideas -- The historical foundations of anarchism -- Foundational texts of anarchism -- Theoretical developments of anarchism -- Conclusion: the problem of authority in social context -- Select bibliography
Summary
Examining the political theory of anarchism from a philosophical and historical perspective, Paul McLaughlin relates anarchism to the fundamental ethical and political problem of authority. The book pays particular attention to the authority of the state and the anarchist rejection of all traditional claims made for the legitimacy of state authority, the author both explaining and defending the central tenets of the anarchist critique of the state
