A debunking of the common notion that Proudhon advocated “labour notes” as suggested by Marx in The Poverty of Philosophy. What Proudhon actually argued is explained and the key ideas of System of Economic Contradictions are discussed. It appeared in Anarchist Studies, Volume 25 No. 1
(more…)Category: Pierre-Joseph Proudhon
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Laying the foundations: Proudhon’s contribution to anarchist economics
This is an introduction to Proudhon’s economic ideas and their influence on revolutionary anarchism. It is a chapter from the new book The Accumulation of Freedom: Writings on Anarchist Economics (AK Press, 2012) and its blurb (in part) states: “The only crisis of capitalism is capitalism itself… The Accumulation of Freedom brings together economists, historians, theorists, and activists for a first-of-its-kind study of anarchist economics.” All quotes are from Property is Theft! A Pierre-Joseph Proudhon Anthology (AK Press, 2011) and the chapter covers all of Proudhon’s major works in chronological order.
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Proudhon, Property and Possession
An article summarising Proudhon’s ideas on property and possession, originally written for Anarchist Studies in reply to a flawed article on Proudhon it had published. It was rejected due to its length and appeared in Anarcho-Syndicalist Review No. 66 (Winter 2016).
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Proudhon: “start by being right”
This article discusses various claims made against Proudhon by the likes of Engels, Schapiro, Draper and others. Some are correct (if usually exaggerated), most are false. It argues that any critique Proudhon should start by being accurate, something which should go without saying but all-too-often is ignored. It first appeared in Black Flag Anarchist Review Vol. 5, No. 1 (Spring 2025).
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