Freedom News

A revolutionary heart: Kropotkin’s politics

Part Two of Iain McKay’s summary analysis looks at the thinker’s key works and impact as a political philosopher. For part one see here. Peter Kropotkin was above all else a revolutionary. While all-too-often remembered as the author of Mutual Aid, the gentle prince of co-operation, this picture of an anarcho-Santa is false. Kropotkin was

A polymath mind: Kropotkin’s contributions to science

While Peter Kropotkin is today best remembered as a leading anarchist thinker, one of the most persuasive advocates of anarchist communism, we should not forget that he was also a world-renown scientist, a geographer who revolutionised our understanding of the physical features of Asia. His stature was such that as well as his justly famous

Book review: Kropotkin — Reviewing the Classical Anarchist Tradition

“Kinna is right that Kropotkin has been misunderstood, that the common perspective of his politics is distinctly at odds with what he actually advocated, and her book helps put the record straight.” by Ruth KinnaEdinburgh University Press, 2016ISBN: 978-1474428378272pp Review by Iain McKay Anarchists from Proudhon onwards have met with misunderstanding and not a little

On anarchist economies

Anarchism is generally not associated with economics — and Iain McKay argues that perhaps it’s time the field got more attention. There is no “anarchist” school of economics as there are “Marxist,” “Keynesian” and so on. This does not mean there are no anarchist texts on economics. Proudhon springs to mind here, with his numerous

John Bull believers face a rude awakening

Iain McKay writes on the collapse of the Tory economic plan and its dire “solutions” to the looming troubles of Brexit On every level Thatcherism is recognised to have failed, from the broken housing market, to railways unfit for purpose, a dysfunctional labour market etc. Or more correctly, the reality is being admitted but the

Remembering London 1912

Rudolph Rocker’s autobiography recalls alternative events fit for commemoration in 2012, writes Iain McKay (from Freedom, July 2012) While much attention will be directed towards London for the expensive Olympic farce, 2012 should be marked for far more important events – the 100th anniversary of the two great strikes by tailors and dock workers. At