Anarchism has many meanings - it means chaos, quirky individuality and a school of political thought and a social movement, born in 19th century. As a movement, anarchism has both over- and underperformed during its history. Overperformed, because no-one questions importance of individuality. Underpeformed, because promised future without state and capital has failed to materialize. Its classical thinkers are simultaneously completely out of date, and clairvoyants of the present reality and struggles. As Max Stirner wrote, people of the future will yet fight their way to many a liberty that we do not even miss. What is anarchism as a social movement, and its relevance in the 21th century? Lecture slides from Tuesday 13th of April 2021. Lecture was part of the Anarchy, Art and Anachrony 12.4.-16.4. intense week in Aalto University in Helsinki. Second part: https://www.slideshare.net/AnttiRautiainen5/actuality-of-anarchism-22 Check out this lecture -as a video: https://youtu.be/NbYLpY8ffyU - as a podcast: https://soundcloud.com/arautiainen/actuality-of-anarchism-12 Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/arautiainen Twitter: https://twitter.com/ARautiainen Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/arautiainen Spotify: https://sptfy.com/arautiainen Blog: https://avtonom.org/en/people/antti-rautiainen Google podcasts: https://tinyurl.com/Arautiainengoogle Itunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/fi/podcast/antti-rautiainen/id1512789511 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/antti.i.rautiainen Instagram: anttiraut Ask: https://ask.fm/AnttiR Bio: https://anttirautiainen.livejournal.com/profile

1. Actuality of Anarchism

2. Meanings of Anarchy,
Anarchism
1) Ancient Greek anarkhia, "without a
ruler". "Disorder", "Chaos".
2) Political philosophy and movement
from mid-19th century.
3) Without (fixed) rules: Epistemological
anarchism (of Feyerabend), relationship
anarchism etc.

3. Pierre-Joseph Proudhon
1809-1865
The first person to declare himself an
anarchist

4. Mutualism of Proudhon
 Property is theft.
 No contradiction between
individual and society.
 Society is a force against
state.
 Cooperatives, peoples'
bank. No revolution.
 Proudhon is cancelled.

5. Anarchism and visual arts
Realism: Gustave Coubert
Impressionism: Camille
Pissarro
Futurism: Carlo Carrà
Suprematism: Kazimir Malevitš
Cubism: Juan Gris
Surrealism: André Breton

6. 19th century discussions
 What is the meaning of art?
 What is purpose of the artist?
 Should art be propaganda for the
cause, or should art have value in
itself?

7. Pyotr Kropotkin ( 1842 – 1921)
and anarcho-communism
 Everything belongs to
everyone, everything
should be free.
 Mutual aid, criticism of
(social) Darwinism
 ”Anarchism is born in
everyday struggle”.
 Communities should be
based on volunteer
association.

8. Art in 21st Century
 Integral and ever growing part of
capitalist production of value
 Extremely unequal distribution of
demand between artists, fierce
competition of everyone against
everyone
 Survival requires relevancy
 Politics important for relevancy, but
not any kind politics

9. Two questions
 Can anarchism provide you with
relevancy, grants and fame in the art
world?
 Can anarchism help artists and
cultural workers to organise as a
class?

10. Détournement
Turning expressions
of the capitalist
system and its
media culture
against itself.

11. Détournement (2)

12. Recuperation
Process by which
politically radical
ideas and images
are co-opted within
capitalism.

13. (Sidenote: What is Capitalism?)
 Economic system dominated by
accumulation of circulating capital
 Alternative definition: economic
system dominated by private
ownership of means of production
 Every anarchist tendency is against
capitalism

14. Situationist international 1957-
1972
 Situations, Society of
the spectacle
 Inspired by anarchism
and anti-Leninist
Marxism
 Inspired May 1968
movement in Paris
 Excluded Artists and
then everyone else
 Cancelled itself

15. Can anarchism provide you with
relevancy, grants and fame in the art
world?
According to Situationist
International:
Maybe, but that might
also be end of anti-
capitalism and
anarchism.

16. (Direct) Democracy

17. Democracy vs. Republic
 Δημοκρατία 508-507 ekr.
 Res publica 451 ekr.

18. Democracies and Republics of
Middle Age
Venice (Republic) 697 – 1797
Iceland (Democracy) 930 – 1262
Switzerland (Depending on Canton) 1291 –
Novgorod (Democracy with issues) 1136 – 1478
Pihkova (Likewise)1348–1510
Hanseatic League (Corporatist Republics) 1358 –
And several city states in Germany and Italy

19. Direct Democracy in Switzerland

20. Direct democracy in 20th and
21st Century
 Soviets in Russia 1905, 1917-1918
 And Italy, Germany after 1st World
War
 Budapest 1956
 Gwangju insurrection in South
Korea 1980
 Indignados, Occupy movements

21. Imperative mandate
 Rousseau: Du contrat social;
ou Principes du droit politique
1762
 Banned during French
revolution
 Used in Paris Commune