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Evolution, by Pierre Kropotkin

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Title: The Place of Anarchism in Socialistic Evolution
An Address Delivered in Paris

Author: Pierre Kropotkin

Translator: Henry Glasse

Release Date: January 27, 2010 [EBook #31104]

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

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New Edition (enlarged) TWO PENCE

The Place of Anarchism
in Socialistic Evolution

An Address delivered in Paris
BY
PIERRE KROPOTKIN

Translated by HENRY GLASSE

AN APPEAL TO THE YOUNG
By Pierre Kropotkin
PRICE - - - 2d.

WILLIAM REEVES 83 CHARING CROSS ROAD,
BOOKSELLER LIMITED. --LONDON, W.C.2.--

THE PLACE OF ANARCHISM IN SOCIALISTIC EVOLUTION

PART I.

You must often have asked yourselves what is the cause of Anarchism, and
why, since there are already so many Socialist schools, it is necessary
to found an additional one--that of Anarchism. In order to answer this
question I will go back to the close of last century.

You all know the characteristics which marked that epoch: there was an
expansion of intelligence, a prodigious development of the natural
sciences, a pitiless examination of accepted prejudices, the formation
of a theory of Nature based on a truly scientific foundation,
observation and reasoning. In addition to these there was criticism of
the political institutions bequeathed to Humanity by preceding ages, and
a movement towards that ideal of Liberty, Equality, and Fraternity which
has in all times been the ideal of the popular masses. Fettered in its
free development by despotism and by the narrow selfishness of the
privileged classes, this movement, being at the same time favoured by an
explosion of popular indignation, engendered the Great Revolution which
had to force its way through the midst of a thousan