Sociology of the Anarchists - Gozips.uakron.edu - The University of ...

See the Models appendix for more on means and ends.)
Still, anarchists differed (and differ) much more within the “order model” of sociology
with Marx, than within the “conflict model”. That is to say, that they agree with a great
deal of Marx's analysis (conflict), but just not his solution (order). Or, it could be said,
they agree with much of his sociology, but not his ideology. Much of Marxist thinking is,
however, added on to Marx's writing long after he died. Thus, Marxian thinking more
closely represents what Marx actually did say, as opposed to what his followers
interpolated.
Revolutionary anarchists would agree with Marx in the dialectic; overthrowing capitalism
to transition to the next epoch: socialism/communism. Some anarchists do not think that
it has to take such a route, but rather could include an evolutionary change. This is
sometimes called a “r/evolutionary” attitude. 11
The Marxian notion of property seems rather influenced by anarchists, specifically
Proudhon, who famously observed that property is theft. 12 Property is not just a thing,
Marx said, but a relationship, and anarchists would agree (and maybe add that property is
also a weapon). When some have property, it means others cannot have it, thus there is a
deficit of equality and power. Anarchists further agree with the assertion that the state
acts to protect economic power by way of property laws.
Marx's notion of alienation is shared by anarchists: the division of labor and distancing of
workers from their own productive capacity and means can even be seen today. Workers
in firms (blue or white collar) do not own what they produce, but rather must sell their
labor in the market as a commodity. Anarchists (and many Marxists) call this, none to
complimentary, wage slavery. Anarchists believe in self-determination, and the workermanagement
relationship is in direct conflict with this value. Incidentally, Marx was an
astute anti-feminist and rather sexist: “[Marx] ran an authoritarian, Victorian home,
regarded his wife as little more than housekeeper and mother of his children, and referred
to her ... as merely a harried, 'silly' creature” (Collins 1994, p. 119, note 2).
Once getting beyond Marx's class simplification of only bourgeoisie and proletariat, we
see he also used many other classes, including petite bourgeoisie, managers, and lumpen
proletariat. All the same, much of Marx's theory rest upon only the first two classes. In
fact, Marx claimed that the advance of capitalism would dither out these middle and
lower classes, pulling some into the bourgeoisie and pushing most into the proletariat.
Many bourgeoisie would be kicked out of the their high class during economic swings
(caused by crises of overproduction), as well. With the introduction of Weber into
sociology, the understanding of societal divisions becomes richer.
Weber
Marx, often referred to as a single-cause theorist, had his ideas built upon by Weber, who
11 Graham Purchase, an Australian academic, takes this approach, specifically as he combines anarchism
with an ecological understanding.
12 See Proudhon ?.
[ Williams 15 ] [ this is a draft. do not cite. ]