Selected Writings of P.-J. Proudhon

by Pierre-Joseph Proudhon, Stewart Edwards

This is the first selection in English of the work of a volatile 19th-century French writer whose social views, idiosyncratic in his own time, have added color to both ends of the political spectrum since Proudhon (1809-65) was indeed a "founding father of anarchism," as ?Paul Goodman has called him, and the dominant spokesman of the emerging labor movement in the time of Napoleon III. But he also defended the values of the small holder and small businessman. First and foremost, perhaps, Proudhon was a French nationalist. Yet, acquainted with Mark, Proudhon also influenced Tolstoy, whose War and Peace was named after Proudhon's [philosophical book of the same title. Today, the left finds this complex man congenial; many of Proudhon's aphorisms on property and the state are echoed by today's radicals.

First published January 1, 1969

About the author

Pierre-Joseph Proudhon (15 January 1809 – 19 January 1865) was a French socialist, politician, philosopher, economist, and the founder of mutualist philosophy. He was the first person to declare himself an anarchist, using that term and is widely regarded as one of anarchism's most influential theorists. Proudhon is considered by many to be the "father of anarchism". Proudhon became a member of the French Parliament after the Revolution of 1848, whereafter he referred to himself as a federalist. Proudhon described the liberty he pursued as "the synthesis of communism and property". Some consider his mutualism to be part of individualist anarchism while others regard it to be part of social anarchism.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pierre-...

Reviews

[Steven Peterson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a useful collection of works by Pierre Joseph Proudhon. He is often reputed to be one of the earliest anarchist thinkers, an advocate of mutualism.

The first part of the book has excerpts from his works on social order. The second part explores his views on revolution and progress. Part three considers philosophy and morality.

As with all edited volumes, one can quibble about what is here and what is not. However, if interested in a quick introduction to various aspects of Proudhon's work, this suffices nicely.