Although unintended, the internet is the quintessential example of a large scale anarchist organization. There is no hierarchical authority controlling the internet, the subunits participate voluntarily, information flows freely, individuals join and exit associations at will. Since the internet also contains abundant information about anarchism, it is the perfect medium for a course on the political history and theory of anarchism. Originally this course was designed following a "content based approach to internet literacy" and involved active learning. In previous offerings of this course you did not need to have any internet skills at the beginning of the course. Now, because the computing environment at Pitzer has proven to be so unstable, I have been forced to limit enrollments and require that students already know html in order to take the course. Consequently, the emphasis this semester will be more on anarchism, less on the internet.

Each week we will study a different anarchist theorist or movement and each week you will prepare material to be posted on the internet dealing with classical anarchism. Just as Pierre-Joseph Proudhon, the first theorist to call himself an anarchist, acquired much of his education as a by-product of working as a printer, you will learn what the classic anarchists had to say as you prepare their words for publication on the World Wide Web. Although there are two texts for the course, much of the reading will consist of material already on the WWW and material you will scan and mark-up for electronic publication in the "Anarchy Archives".

Class sessions will consist of lectures, workshops, discussions, and perhaps internet video conferencing with scholars who have written about the history and theory of anarchism.

Traditionally, teachers control students' behavior by establishing a hierarchy based on the power to grade. The result is that most students pursue grades rather than knowledge. Anarchists have approached education in an entirely different manner. Anarchists believe that in all spheres, including education, "more harm than good results from coercion, top-down direction, central authority...pre-ordained standardisation..., etc." (Goodman, 1987, "The Anarchist Principle", in A Decade of Anarchy, ed. Colin Ward, p. 38. Also see Godwin, Political Justice, Book IV, Chapter 5, appendix.) Anarchists still recognize the value of leadership and expertise, but leadership and expertise must be separated from the exercise of power in order to avoid the deleterious and corrosive effects of coercion. Accordingly, in this course, evaluation will not result in a grade. As elaborated upon below, all students enrolled in the course will receive an "A" on their transcript. In this course, evaluation will be solely for the purpose of edification, and will be reserved strictly for participating members of the course collective.

The practice of anarchy requires order and moral integrity. Although adherence to anarchism is by no means a requirement of the course, order and integrity are necessary values to maintain if the course is to be a success. To meet these requirements, by voluntarily enrolling in this course and thereby becoming a member of the course collective, you have agreed to attend class sessions, make weekly contributions to the "Anarchy Archives", do the weekly reading for the course on a regular basis, and by the end of the semester 1) produce one scholarly work on any topic in the history and theory of anarchism. If at any time during the semester you wish to leave the course collective, you may do so simply by dropping the class. If you choose to leave the course collective after the official add/drop period you will receive a "WP" (withdraw passing) grade on your transcript. If at any time during the semester you fail to meet the requirements of membership in the course collective, you may be asked to withdraw from the course. If you fail to withdraw from the course after being asked to withdraw, you will receive an "F" for the course on your transcript. Coming to the second class meeting constitutes agreement to these terms.

By eliminating traditional grading from the internal structure of the course I hope to create the possibility of a truly collective learning experience. Hopefully, this will create an environment in which we participate in the class activities for the intrinsic pleasure of learning, not the fear of a plummeting GPA. While grading has been eliminated, work has not. Perhaps by removing the drudgery of grades, room can be made to experience the joy of productive work. The class is designed in such a way that we will all be able to make real contributions to others' potential for learning, at the same time that we learn ourselves. How much we each learn will depend upon how much effort we each put into the course. On that note, I should make it clear that I have no interest in providing a refuge for those in need of a GPA fix. Therefore, you will be expected to make an effort to participate in the class. If you do not make that effort, you will be wasting not only your time, but other members' time as well and you will be asked to drop the course. Taking this class, therefore, should not be done lightly. The basic activities of the course are elaborated upon below, including descriptions of the "bare minimum" for meeting course expectations.

Readings

Marshall, Peter.  (1993), Demanding the Impossible: A History of
 	Anarchism.  London: Fontana Press. 
Bookchin, Murray (1977). The Spanish Anarchists. New York:
 	Harper and Row.
 

Archive Contributions

Scholarly Work

Useful Software

READINGS

The required readings are listed below in green type.

Aug 31: Orientation

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OVERVIEW Bibliographic Resources

Sept 2: Marshall, P. (1993), Demanding the Impossible: A History

of Anarchism, pp. ix-xv, 3-50.

ANARCHIST ROOTS

Sept 7: Marshall, P., pp. 53-139.

Lecture Notes

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GODWIN AND HIS TIME Bibliographic Resources

Sept 9: Marshall, P., pp. 191-219.

GODWIN'S PHILOSOPHY

Sept 14: Godwin, Political Justice, Book III, Chapter 6, "Of Obedience.

Godwin, Political Justice, Book VIII, "Of Property", Chapter 1,
Godwin, Political Justice, Book VIII, Chapter 2, Principles of Property.

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PROUDHON AND HIS TIME Bibliographic Resources

Sept 16: Marshall, P., pp. 234-262.

PROUDHON'S PHILOSOPHY

Sept 21: Proudhon, What Is Property?, Chapter 2

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BAKUNIN AND HIS TIME Bibliographic Resources

Sept 23: Marshall, P., pp. 263-308.

BAKUNIN'S PHILOSOPHY

Sept 28: Bakunin, M., The Immorality of the State

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THE PARIS COMMUNE, SOCIALISM AND ANARCHISM Bibliographic Resources

Sept 30: Kropotkin, P., "The Commune of Paris."

Edwards, S., The Communards of Paris, 1871, "Introduction," pp. 9-42 (on reserve)

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THE FIRST INTERNATIONAL Bibliographic Resources

Oct 5: Rocker, R. "The Forerunners of Syndicalism", chapter 3 of

Anarcho-Syndicalism

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KROPOTKIN AND HIS TIME Bibliographic Resources

Oct 7: Marshall, P., pp. 309-338.

KROPOTKIN'S PHILOSOPHY

Oct 12: Kropotkin, Mutual Aid, Introduction

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EMMA GOLDMAN'S LIFE & TIMES Bibliographic Resources

Oct 14: Marshall, P., pp. 396-409.

EMMA GOLDMAN'S PHILOSOPHY

Oct 21: Emma Goldman, Marriage and Love, in Anarchism and

Other Essays  (1911), pp. 233-245.

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STIRNER, MALATESTA, TOLSTOY,AND OTHERS Bibliographic Resources

Oct 26: Marshall, P., pp. 220-233, 339-344, 345-361, 362-383,

410-421.

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THE IMPACT OF NINETEENTH CENTURY ANARCHISM

Oct 28: Kropotkin, P., "Anarchism", from the 1910 Encyclopaedia

Britannica.

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ANARCHISM AND THE RUSSIAN REVOLUTION Bibliographic Resources

Nov 2: Marshall, P., pp. 469-478.

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ANARCHISM IN THE CHINESE REVOLUTIONS Bibliographic Resources

Nov 4: Dirlik, A. "The Anarchist Alternative in Chinese Socialism",

in Anarchism in the Chinese Revolution, pp. 197-247 (on reserve).

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US ANARCHISM Bibliographic Resources

Nov 9: Marshall, P., pp. 384-395. 496-503.

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EUROPEAN ANARCHISM

Nov 11: Marshall, P., pp. 431-452, 479-495.

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THE SPANISH CIVIL WAR Bibliographic Resources

Nov 16: Marshall, P., pp. 453-468.

Murray Bookchin, The Spanish Anarchists, pp. 1-109.

THE SPANISH CIVIL WAR

Nov 18: Murray Bookchin, pp. 111-251.

THE SPANISH CIVIL WAR

Nov 23: Murray Bookchin, pp. 254-313.

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LATIN AMERICAN ANARCHISM ASIAN ANARCHISM

Nov 30: Marshall, P., pp. 505-518, 519-535.

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ANARCHIST POLITICS AND ECONOMICS

Dec 2: DeLeon, D. "For democracy where we work:

a rationale for social self-management",
Malina, J., "Anarchists and the pro-hierarchical left", both in Reinventing Anarchy, Ehrlich, H.J., Ehrlich, C., DeLeon, D., and Morris, G. (eds.). (on reserve)

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ANARCHIST SOCIETY AND CULTURE

Dec 7: Marshall, P., pp. 539-558, 587-601, 602-622.

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THE CONTINUING CHALLENGE:
CONTEMPORARY ANARCHISM

Dec 9: Marshall, P., pp. 625-665.