 Front cover of Anarchy in Action by Colin Ward (1973 Allen & Unwin edition) | |
| Author | Colin Ward |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Subject | Anarchism |
| Genre | Political Science |
| Publisher | George Allen & Unwin and Freedom Press (UK), Harper & Row (US) |
Publication date | 1973 |
| Publication place | United Kingdom |
| Pages | 157 pp (first edition) |
| ISBN | 0043210163 |
| OCLC | 714957 |
| 335.83 | |
| LC Class | 73169626 |
Anarchy in Action is a book exploring anarchist thought and practice, written by Colin Ward and first published in 1973.[1]
The book is a seminal introduction to anarchism but differs considerably to others by concentrating on the possibility of an anarchism rooted in everyday experience, and not necessarily linked to industrial and political struggles. His ideas were heavily influenced by Peter Kropotkin and his concept of mutual aid. Ward bases his text on evidence from sociology, anthropology, cybernetics, industrial psychology, and from the experience of housing, town planning, education, work, play and social welfare. Ward argues for anarchist alternatives to the universal governmental and hierarchical systems of social organisation.[2] This bucks a number of conventional trends of the socialist left, because he is quite critical of the welfare state.
- ^ Worpole, Ken (2010-02-22). "Colin Ward obituary". The Guardian. Retrieved 2023-01-24.
- ^ Ward, Colin (1982). Anarchy in Action. London: Freedom Press. ISBN 9780900384202. Retrieved 2023-01-24.