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Property is Theft!: A Pierre-Joseph Proudhon Anthology

Property is Theft! is a collection of essays and treatises by the French philosopher Pierre-Joseph Proudhon. The book delves into Proudhon's ideas on property, labor, and the social order, offering a comprehensive look at his political philosophy. It includes seminal works such as 'What is Property?' and 'The Philosophy of Poverty', showcasing Proudhon's unique perspective on economic and social issues. more

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Pierre-Joseph Proudhon
Pierre-Joseph Proudhon

Pierre-Joseph Proudhon (1809-1865) was a French political philosopher, writer, and considered the father of modern anarchism. In 1840, he published "What is Property?" where he famously declared "property is theft," which profoundly influenced socialist and anarchist thought. Proudhon advocated mutualism, opposed capitalist exploitation and state authority, and significantly influenced thinkers like Karl Marx and Mikhail Bakunin. His works including "The Philosophy of Poverty" remain important texts in political philosophy and social theory. more

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“Tormented by conflicting feelings, I appealed to reason ; and it is reason which, amid so many dogmatic contradictions, now forces the hypothesis upon me. A priori dogmatism, applying itself to God, has proved fruitless: who knows whither the hypothesis, in its turn, will lead us? I will explain therefore how, studying in the silence of my heart, and far from every human consideration, the mystery of social revolutions, God, the great unknown, has become for me an hypothesis, I mean a necessary dialectical tool.”

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Book:System of Economical Contradictions: Or, The Philosophy of Misery
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“I have often sung to drown my sorrow, but seldom to express my happiness. Crying for joy, and singing for joy, were alike uncommon to me while in the jaws of slavery. The singing of a man cast away upon a desolate island might be as appropriately considered as evidence of contentment and happiness, as the singing of a slave; the songs of the one and of the other are prompted by the same emotion.”

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Book:Narrative of the life of Frederick Douglass, an American slave, written by himself
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“In one point of view, we, the abolitionists and colored people, should meet [the Dred Scott] decision, unlooked for and monstrous as it appears, in a cheerful spirit. This very attempt to blot out forever the hopes of an enslaved people may be one necessary link in the chain of events preparatory to the downfall and complete overthrow of the whole slave system.”

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Book:Frederick Douglass: Selected Speeches and Writings
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