‹ All questionsPaper 2 Ideology · 2025 · 24 marks
To what extent is anarchism divided in its views of society? (24 marks)
Non-Core Ideologies: Anarchism
Mark scheme: agreement
AO1 All anarchists agree that future anarchist society will have certain common features, notably the absence of law and systems of rule.
AO2 All anarchists agree that the future society must be free from hierarchies, power relations, the law and ideology (Stirner) allowing individuals to enjoy absolute freedom and to take responsibility for their own lives and circumstances.
[IJ] The future society must allow individuals to take control of their own lives and choices.
AO1 All anarchists agree that existing society restricts liberty so must be rejected.
AO2 All anarchists agree that existing society is based on authority and power restricting the individual's freedom to make choices and corrupting human nature (Bakunin).
[IJ] This shows clear evidence that existing society restricts the liberty that is central to the full expression of human nature.
AO1 All anarchists agree that liberty is crucial to the idea that anarchy is order.
AO2 All anarchists agree that liberty is the mother not the daughter of order (Proudhon); liberty will allow true human nature to flourish, and it is this optimistic view of what human nature can be that is the cornerstone of the idea that anarchy is order.
[IJ] This shows the importance of a future society based on freedom to all anarchists.
Mark scheme: disagreement
AO1 There is disagreement over what the future anarchist society will look like.
AO2 Although all agree that there should be maximum liberty in an ideal society, anarchists are deeply divided over whether this requires a society based on individualism (Stirner) or collectivism (Proudhon, Kropotkin, Bakunin) and what type of economic system there should be, from free-market capitalism to mutualism (Proudhon) to anarcho-communism (Kropotkin).
[IJ] This shows clear differences over the ideal society in the future.
AO1 There is a disagreement within anarchism over how existing society restricts liberty and corrupts human nature.
AO2 Anarchism is divided on how society impacts on liberty and human nature by subordinating humans, with individualists seeing society as removing autonomy and "ownness" (Stirner) whilst for collectivists society corrupts and distorts human nature.
[IJ] This shows clear disagreement within anarchism.
AO1 There is disagreement over liberty rooted in differences in views of human nature in anarchism.
AO2 Individualists (Stirner) are concerned that the individual will be made a slave to the collective whilst collectivists believe individuals are only free in an ideal society through collective work (Bakunin).
[IJ] This shows a clear disagreement within anarchism over the nature of liberty in the future society.
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