18 concepts the spec wants you to use precisely, drawn from the Panther database. Read them, then test yourself.
In test mode, tap a concept to reveal its definition.
The concepts
Collectivist anarchism(tap to reveal)- Collectivist anarchists want to get rid of both the government and big business. Instead of private ownership, workers should control things together through voluntary groups.Use it: Use collectivist anarchism to explain the majority anarchist tradition. Contrast with individualist anarchism. Bakunin, Kropotkin, Goldman, and Proudhon all represent different versions of this strand.
Individualist anarchism(tap to reveal)- Individualist anarchists say the most important thing is personal freedom. No government, group, or tradition should have any power over what you do with your own life.Use it: Use individualist anarchism to contrast with collectivist anarchism. Stirner is the founding figure. Useful for questions on how anarchists disagree among themselves.
Altruism(tap to reveal)- Acting for the benefit of others rather than yourself; anarchists believe this comes naturally once oppressive structures are removed.
Anarcho-capitalism(tap to reveal)- Anarcho-capitalists want no government at all. They believe private companies competing in a free market could provide everything governments currently do - without any coercion.Use it: Use anarcho-capitalism to illustrate the individualist extreme and the internal disagreements within anarchism. Contrast with anarcho-communism and mutualism. Nozick's philosophy is relevant here.
Anarcho-communism(tap to reveal)- Anarcho-communists want a world with no government and no private ownership. Everyone contributes what they can and takes what they need, organised through voluntary communes.Use it: Use anarcho-communism to illustrate the collectivist anarchist vision. Kropotkin is the key thinker. Contrast with mutualism (retains exchange) and anarcho-capitalism (retains markets).
Anarcho-syndicalism(tap to reveal)- Anarcho-syndicalists believe workers should organise in trade unions and use strikes to bring down both the government and capitalism. Unions then run industry directly.Use it: Use anarcho-syndicalism to explain the industrial dimension of anarchist politics. Contrast with electoral approaches. Goldman and Bakunin are associated with this tradition.
Anarchy(tap to reveal)- Anarchy literally means 'without rulers'. Anarchists say this would not cause chaos - people would naturally co-operate if not controlled by states or employers.Use it: Use the concept of anarchy to explain why anarchists reject conventional political wisdom. Contrast with Hobbes (who argues anarchy is war) and with liberal approaches to limited government.
Authority (anarchist)(tap to reveal)- Anarchists see authority as the unjustified right of some to command others, which they reject unless it is freely agreed to.
Autonomy(tap to reveal)- The ability to govern yourself and make your own decisions, free from external control.
Collectivisation(tap to reveal)- The replacement of private ownership with collective, community ownership of property and the means of production.
Direct action(tap to reveal)- Taking political action outside formal channels, such as protests, strikes, or occupations, to bring about change directly.
Egoism(tap to reveal)- Stirner argued that the self is all that really matters. Concepts like 'duty', 'God', 'society', and 'the nation' are just ideas used to control you. True freedom means doing what you want.Use it: Use Stirner's egoism to illustrate the most radical individualist position within anarchism. Contrast with Kropotkin (mutual aid) to show the collectivist-individualist divide. Useful for questions on human nature in anarchism.
Government (anarchist)(tap to reveal)- Anarchists see government as a system of organised control that enforces the will of the powerful over ordinary people.
Insurrection(tap to reveal)- A sudden, individual act of rebellion against authority, not aimed at seizing power but at expressing personal defiance.
Mutual aid(tap to reveal)- The anarchist idea, linked to Kropotkin, that cooperation and helping each other is natural to humans and more effective than competition.
Mutualism(tap to reveal)- An anarchist economic idea where people exchange goods and services fairly and equally, without profit or exploitation.
Power (anarchist)(tap to reveal)- From an anarchist viewpoint, power is the means by which some people dominate and control others, and must be abolished.
Solidarity(tap to reveal)- A sense of unity and shared commitment among people working towards a common goal, especially among workers or oppressed groups.