Anarchism as emancipatory theory and praxis. Implications for critical Marxist research

Abstract

Whereas Marxist literatures are almost automatically considered ‘critical’ in canonical overviews on critical approaches, anarchism is often sidelined. Scholarly engagements between Marxists and anarchists, moreover, can be overshadowed by orthodox platitudes. This article explores ‘the critical’ in anarchism and identifies the anarchist transformative praxis of prefiguration, propaganda by the deed and direct action as the crux of what it means to be critical. Rather than seeking to reconcile what may or may not be reconciled, the article suggests that a joint commitment to being critical allows for the exploitation of productive tensions, and hence possibilities for a future left-wing convergence.