I am trying to write a simple faq about anarchism. One of the question is “Why do anarchist want to abolish hierarchies?”. This question sounds so obvious to me I cannot write something convincing enough.

For know I got the following:

First, it is necessary to indicate what kind of authority anarchism challenges. While anarchists have, on occasion, stated their opposition toall authority” a closer reading quickly shows that anarchists reject only one specific form of authority, what we tend to call hierarchy.

Hierarchy is a social, religious, economic or political system or organization in which people or groups of people are ranked with some superior to others based on their status, authority or some other trait.

Authority is the power to enforce rules and give orders.

But why do we need a such authority? Why would they be more accountable for doing this job than anybody else? For example, in a factory, why would the boss be necessary? Workers could just organize themselves and do the same function.

You never agreed to respect hierarchies like the state, the police, the companies, etc. When you born you never signed a contract saying you agreed with all of this, so why should you respect it?

What do you think about it? What would you add to it?

  • @BlackLotus
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    13 years ago

    I’m not against hierarchy while there exists capitalist threats, but I’d support leftist anarchists in the revolutionary struggle.