Graham R (Ed.) - Anarchism - A Documentary History of Libertarian Ideas Volume One - From Anarchy to Anarchism (300 CE to 1939)

The Russian Revolution /309
Immediately after the spontaneous impetus, the principle of organization has to intervene
in a revolution as in all other human activity. And it is then that the grave
question arises: What should be the manner and basis of this organization
One school maintains that a central directing group-an "elite" group-ought
to be formed to take in hand the whole work, lead it according to its conception, impose
the latter on the whole collectivity, establish a government and organize a
State, dictate its will to the populace, impose its "laws" by force and violence, combat,
suppress, and even eliminate, those who are not in agreement with it.
Their opponents [the Anarchists) consider that such a conception is absurd,
contrary to the fundamental principles of human evolution, and, in the last analysis,
more than sterile-and harmful to the work undertaken. Naturally, the Anarchists
say, it is necessary that society be organized. But this new organization should be
done freely, socially, and, certainly, from the bottom. The principle of organization
should arise, not from a centre created in advance to monopolize the whole and impose
itself on it, but-what is exactly the opposite-from all quarters, to lead to
points of co-ordination, natural centers designed to serve all these quarters ...
The basic idea of Anarchism is simple: no party, political or ideological group,
placed above or outside the labouring masses to "govern" or "guide" them ever succeeds
in emancipating them, even ifit sincerely desires to do so. Effective emancipation
can be achieved only by the direct, widespread, and independent action of those
concerned, of the workers themselves, grouped, not under the banner of a political party
or of an ideological formation, but in their own class organizations (productive workers'
unions, factory committees, co-operatives, etc.) on the basis of concrete action
and self-government, helped, but not governed, by revolutionaries working in the very
midst of, and not above the mass, in the professional, technical, defence, and other
branches.
All political or ideological groupings which seek to "guide" the masses toward
their emancipation by the political or governmental route, are taking a false trail,
leading to failure and ending inevitably by installing a new system of economic and
social privileges, thus giving rise, under another aspect, to a regime of oppression
and exploitation for the workers-therefore another variety of capitalism-instead
of helping the Revolution to direct them to their emancipation.
This thesis necessarily leads to another: The Anarchist idea and the true emancipating
revolution cannot be achieved by the Anarchists as such, but only by the vast
masses concerned-the Anarchists, or rather, the revolutionaries in general, being
called in only to enlighten and aid them under certain circumstances. If the Anar-