Anarchism and Anarcho-Syndicalism

by Rudolf Rocker

Another version of Anarcho-Syndicalism, with a new introduction by Nicholas Walter.

Genres: Politics, Nonfiction, History, Philosophy, Theory, Classics, Labor

48 pages, Paperback

First published May 1, 1938

About the author

An anarcho-syndicalist writer and activist of some prominence, whose politics had a major influence in the Spanish Civil War and the jewish émigré community in London, England (see The London Years). His political ideas had emerged from the failings of late 19th century Marxism/Social Democracy under the Germany's SPD, having seen firsthand the erosive influence of electoralism.

Would maintain lifelong relationships with Emma Goldman and Errico Malatesta among others.

For more, including e-texts of his works:
http://libcom.org/tags/rudolf-rocker

Reviews

[Christopher (Donut) · Rating 3 out of 5]

First, I was surprised to see references to Hitler and WW II in a pamphlet explaining anarcho-syndicalism, also called libertarian socialism. Turns out this was written in 1949, long after Kropotkin and Bakunin, and even Georges Sorel.

As pamphlets go, this is all pap and no hatchet, alas. The only real energy here is when Rocker is denouncing the Bolsheviks. I am going back to another Rocker pamphlet, "Marx and Anarchism," which I recall as having more spunk.

[Colin Bruce Anthes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tremendously lucid account of Anarcho-Syndicalist thought, whether one agrees with it or not. Reading in the new age of the alternative right, the most interesting segment was Rocker's comparison between passive hierarchical societies vs organized trade unions when responding to adverse conditions. The former became fascists, devoid of creative solutions, raging behind charismatic authoritarian leaders, most notably Hitler. The latter set up the Anarcho-Syndicalist society in Spain--chronicled brilliantly in George Orwell's Homage to Catalonia--managed to fight off the fascists for over two years, and provided a plethora of valuable solutions along the way. A compelling argument for bottom-up organization.

[Bryan--The Bee’s Knees · Rating 4 out of 5]

This review was originally published in 2012.

There are several elements to Rudolph Rocker's energetic and highly readable biography of the Anarcho-Syndicalist movement that bear consideration by those who would might initially think the subject had no relevence for them. My own impression of anything associated with anarchy has, up to this point, been completely negative and that it is confined to radical fringe groups bent on destruction or hedonistic chaos. (a la The Sex Pistols or The Ayatollah of Rock-n-rolla).



I saw 'Anarcho-Syndicalism' and thought it synonymous with 'Crack-pot'.

There is, however, a structure behind Anarcho-Syndicalism--this was surprising to me; I had long believed that Anarchy implied no structure at all. One of the foundational supports of that structure is the belief that 'The State', in whatever form it takes, whether democratic or proletarian dictatorship, is simply an organism designed to support and further entrench the current ruling class. According to Anarcho-Syndicalist thought, this is the only thing that the State CAN do; revolutions will only change the faces of the elites. Yet when the anarchist proposes doing away with governing bodies, he does not advocate chaos in its place; rather, he looks toward small groups of economically linked 'syndicates' (such as trade unions) to direct the business of those associated with it, and to interact with other such groups in a sort of loose federation. This would be the true fulfillment of the socialist idea. An analogy that I think of, which is not exact but I think captures the basic idea, is a comparison to groups of Native Americans before the arrival of the Europeans. Small groups are free to direct their lives as they saw fit, and who form alliances or engage in trading with others as needed. (I am aware that this is a gross generalization--it is only meant for illustration purposes.)

This sort of structure demands self-reliance, which it is implied by Rocker that the true anarchist embraces. One of the schisms in the early days of socialism was the turning of certain elements toward parliamentary politics--syndicalists saw this as a lure that seemed to obviate the need for constructive activity and innoculated people "with the ruinous delusion that salvation always comes from above." According to them, seeking solace or relief in the arms of the state, or even trying to change it from within is like changing staterooms on the Titanic--the view might change but the ship's still going down.

In the late 1930's, during the Spanish Civil War, certain persons saw an opportunity to showcase the ideas at play between the fascists forces of Gen. Franco and the various groups that opposed him; these same persons convinced Rocker that he was the man to transcribe the beliefs of the anarchists, and ANARCHO-SYNDICALISM (and its now discarded subtitle: Theory and Practice) was published in 1938. In its six chapters, Rocker breaks down the movement's aims and purposes, traces the history of organized labor and the forerunners of syndicalism, and then successively outlines the objective, method, and evolution of anarcho-syndicalism.

Whether or not after reading Rocker's treatise one finds himself converted to the ideals of Anarcho-Syndicalism is, I think, beside the point. Although I recognize certain aspects of the ideology in different groups operating today, I'm not aware that there are any large-scale efforts (at least in America) to agitate toward a syndicalist society, at least in the way that Rocker envisioned it. And even though ANARCHO-SYNDICALISM is quite obviously meant as propaganda, and perhaps to win converts, I think too much time has passed for it to effectively perform that task. However, I did find it intellectually stimulating, both as a concept and as an example of a historical mindset. This is where I see the greatest value of Rocker's work - a concise, easily understandable breakdown of a line of reasoning that motivated a great number of people at one time. Orwell's Homage to Catalonia was an excellent look at the Spanish Civil War by an front-line observer, but when it came to the groups who were fighting against Franco, I always felt as though I had a rather loose grip on their beliefs. Yes, they were against fascism--in hindsight, it's easy to believe that it was axiomatic to stand against fascism, yet obviously it wasn't, or else their leaders would not have held the sway over their people as they did. So in Spain, there were groups who believed in something else--and for me, Rocker sums up nicely what it was they fought and died for.

Historical periods and events, such as the civil war in Spain, can too often be over-simplified in an effort to graft meaning and context onto them, or else make them agree with other narratives. In that respect, ANARCHO-SYNDICALISM, even with its highly biased content, is a document that adds depth and complexity to a particular era by illustrating the motivation of some of its participants.

Recommended for those interested in political science, the history of labor movements and students of the Spanish Civil War.

[Danis Desipris · Rating 3 out of 5]

The section on how anarchosyndicalism is organized is only about 2 pages long. So, if you want to learn more about that, this book is not for you.

[Justina · Rating 3 out of 5]

Maybe not the wisest choice of book/pamphlet for tapping into what Aanarcho-Syndicalism is for the first time, but an interesting read nonetheless. I've heard friends talking about Anarcho-Syndicalism "working" in some areas of the world, and this book gave me real life examples of where and when. Informative little collection of the basics, and the history of this theory.

[An nika · Rating 4 out of 5]

excellent introduction

[Anjoo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Exceptional, if overly brief, overview of the history and philosophy of anarchist thought, specifcaly the anarcho-syndicast movements and the impact of anarchist trade unions in Europe and Latin America. The text itself is sort of dry (being a political treastie and all) but very readable, and drives all of it's points home quite admirably considering the brief length.

Of course, at such a short length, it's hard to recommend this to anyone already familiar with anarchism. Still a great intro, and mentions many names, organizations, and writings which one can apply to make quite a reading list. Top tier for anarchist priming!

[Ostrava]

An abridged and more accesible version of "Anarcho-syndicalism: Theory and Practice", but more focused on the history than the ideology.