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Kropotkin

Pyotr Alexeyevich Kropotkin, commonly anglicized as Peter Kropotkin, was a Russian geographer, zoologist, ethnologist, and one of the most influential anarchist theorists. Born in Moscow in 1842 into an aristocratic family, he pursued scientific work and participated in expeditions in Siberia. Frustrated by autocratic rule and inspired by questions of social justice, he became active in revolutionary circles and spent many years in exile in Western Europe before returning to Russia after the 1917 revolutions. He died in 1921 near Moscow.

Kropotkin authored a line of writings that linked scientific observation with political philosophy. He argued that

His ideas influenced libertarian socialist currents in Europe and the Americas and contributed to debates within

cooperation
and
mutual
aid
are
natural
and
widespread
in
both
human
societies
and
the
animal
kingdom,
challenging
narrow
interpretations
of
evolution
that
emphasize
competition
alone.
His
advocacy
centered
on
decentralized,
voluntary
associations,
mutual
aid
networks,
and
federations
of
self-governing
communities
as
alternatives
to
centralized
state
power.
Notable
works
include
Mutual
Aid:
A
Factor
of
Evolution,
The
Conquest
of
Bread,
and
Fields,
Factories
and
Workshops,
which
together
articulate
a
vision
of
anarchist
communism
grounded
in
empirical
reasoning.
both
anarchist
and
socialist
movements.
While
his
proposals
were
subjects
of
debate
regarding
feasibility
and
strategy,
Kropotkin’s
emphasis
on
cooperation,
social
solidarity,
and
the
role
of
science
in
social
critique
left
a
lasting
imprint
on
19th
and
early
20th
century
political
thought.
His
legacy
endures
in
discussions
of
decentralization,
voluntary
association,
and
nonstate
approaches
to
social
organization.