Political beliefs Voltairine de Cleyre

voltairine de cleyre s political perspective shifted throughout life, leading become outspoken proponent of anarchism without adjectives, doctrine, according historian george richard esenwein, without qualifying labels such communist, collectivist, mutualist, or individualist. others, … [it] understood attitude tolerated coexistence of different anarchist schools.

for several years de cleyre associated american individualist anarchism. differentiating herself emma goldman , expanding on support individualist anarchism, de cleyre wrote, miss goldman communist; individualist. wishes destroy right of property, wish assert it. make war upon privilege , authority, whereby right of property, true right in proper individual, annihilated. believes co-operation entirely supplant competition; hold competition in 1 form or exist, , highly desirable should.

despite dislike 1 another, goldman , de cleyre came respect each other intellectually. in 1894 essay in defense of emma goldman , right of expropriation , de cleyre wrote in support of right of expropriation while remaining neutral on advocacy: not think 1 little bit of sensitive human flesh worth property rights in n. y. city … business decide whether starve , freeze in sight of food , clothing, outside of jail, or commit overt act against institution of property , take place beside timmermann , goldmann.

eventually, however, de cleyre moved embrace social anarchism on individualism. in 1908 argued best thing ordinary workingmen or women organise industry rid of money altogether , produce together, co-operatively rather employer , employed. in 1912 argued paris commune s failure due having respected [private] property. in essay, commune risen , states in short, though there other reasons why commune fell, chief 1 in hour of necessity, communards not communists. attempted break political chains without breaking economic ones… . became advocate of anarchism without adjectives, writing, no longer label myself otherwise anarchist , in making of anarchist.

some disagreement exists whether or not de cleyre s rejection of individualism constituted embrace of pure communism. rudolf rocker , emma goldman made such assertion, others, including biographer paul avrich, have taken exception. cleyre, herself, in response claims had been anarchist communist, asserted in 1907 not now, , have never been @ time, communist. anarchist scholar iain mckay argues de cleyre s subsequent 1908 advocacy of moneyless economy technically form of (libertarian) communism, if rejected word communist describe it.

in 1901 essay titled anarchism, de cleyre wrote ideal condition in natural resources forever free all, , worker individually able produce himself sufficient vital needs, if chose, needs not govern working or not working times , seasons of fellows. think time may come; through development of modes of production , taste of people. meanwhile cry 1 voice freedom try .

direct action , 1912 essay in defense of direct action, cited today. in essay, de cleyre points examples such boston tea party, noting direct action has been used, , has historical sanction of people reprobating it.

in 1895 lecture entitled sex slavery, de cleyre condemns ideals of beauty encourage women distort bodies , child socialization practices create unnatural gender roles. title of essay refers not traffic in women purposes of prostitution, although mentioned, rather marriage laws allow men rape wives without consequences. such laws make every married woman is, bonded slave, takes master s name, master s bread, master s commands, , serves master s passions.

she adamantly opposed standing army, arguing existence made wars more likely. in 1909 essay, anarchism , american traditions, argued in order achieve peace, peaceful persons should withdraw support army, , require wish make war @ own cost , risk; neither pay nor pensions provided choose make man-killing trade.