“The confused mass of rules of conduct called law, which has been bequeathed to us by slavery, serfdom, feudalism, and royalty, has taken the place of those stone monsters, before whom human victims used to be immolated, and whom slavish savages dared not even touch lest they should be slain by the thunderbolts of heaven.” ShouldHumansHas BeensLawUsedHeavenTakenMassStonesVictimSlaveryMonstersUsed To BeConfusedSavagesRoyaltyFeudalismThunderbolts Book:Anarchism: A Collection of Revolutionary Writings Source: Anarchism: A Collection of Revolutionary Writings
“In order that the revolution should be something more than a word, in order that the reaction should not lead us back tomorrow to the situation of yesterday, the conquest of today must be worth the trouble of defending; the poor of yesterday must be worth the trouble of defending; the poor of yesterday must not be poor tomorrow.” ShouldTodayOrderPoorSituationTroubleRevolutionTomorrowYesterdayReactionsConquest Author:Peter Kropotkin
“But what right had I to these highest joys, when all around me was nothing but misery and struggle for a moldy bit of bread; when whatsoever I should spend to enable me to live in that world of higher emotions must needs be taken from the very mouths of those who grew the wheat and had not bread enough for their children?” WorldNeedsShouldChildrenEnoughJoyBitsEmotionStruggleTakenGrewHigherHighestMouthsMiseryBreadWheat Author:Peter Kropotkin
“When we ask for the abolition of the State and its organs we are always told that we dream of a society composed of men better than they are in reality. But no; a thousand times, no. All we ask is that men should not be made worse than they are, by such institutions!” MenShouldMadeStatesDreamRealityAsksThousandInstitutionsOrgansAbolition Book:Anarchism: A Collection of Revolutionary Writings Source: Anarchism: A Collection of Revolutionary Writings
“But how do European railways manage without them? How do they continue to convey millions of travellers and mountains of luggage across a continent? If companies owning railways have been able to agree, why should railway workers, who would take possession of railways, not agree likewise? And if the Petersburg-Warsaw Company and that of Paris-Belfort can act in harmony, without giving themselves the luxury of a common commander, why, in the midst of our societies, consisting of groups of free workers, should we need a Government?” IfsNeedsGivingShouldHas BeensGovernmentAbleCommonCompanyMillionsGroupsMountainHarmonyAgreeWorkersPossessionManageLuxuryParisOur SocietyMidstContinentsCommandersTravellerRailwayLuggageWarsaw Author:Peter Kropotkin
“Anarchy, when it works to destroy authority in all its aspects, when it demands the abrogation of laws and the abolition of the mechanism that serves to impose them, when it refuses all hierarchical organization and preaches free agreement - at the same time strives to maintain and enlarge the precious kernel of social customs without which no human or animal society can exist. Only, instead of demanding that those social customs should be maintained through the authority of a few, it demands it from the continued action of all.” ShouldHumansActionLawPoliticalSocialAnimalSocietyDemandAuthorityAspectOrganizationStriveRefuseAgreementCustomsAnarchyMechanismStrifeHierarchyAnarchistAbolitionKernelCollective Action Author:Peter Kropotkin