Proudhon

Pierre-Joseph Proudhon (1809–1865) was a French philosopher, journalist, and social theorist whose work helped shape 19th-century socialist and anarchist thought. While he rejected the label “anarchist” for much of his life, he is commonly regarded as a founding figure of anarchist philosophy and of libertarian socialist ideas.

Proudhon is best known for his critique of property. In Qu’est-ce que la propriété? he argued that property as a legal privilege is a social construct that enables exploitation, distinguishing it from mere possession and use. He contended that property should be judged by its social function rather than its mere existence and proposed that individuals should control what they produce and use, while speculation and rent should be curbed. He further developed a mutualist vision of the economy, based on reciprocal exchange and cooperative credit, envisioning a society organized around voluntary associations and a Bank of the People that would provide affordable credit without usury.

Politically, Proudhon advocated federalism, decentralization, and the organization of society through free, autonomous communities and associations. He favored gradual reform and nonviolent means to transform political and economic life, opposing both centralized state power and unregulated capitalism. His program aimed to replace coercive institutions with voluntary federation and cooperative relations.

Proudhon influenced a range of later movements, contributing to anarchist theory and methods, as well as to libertarian socialist and cooperative currents. He engaged in debates with Karl Marx and with Bakunin, with differing views on revolution and authority. His writings, including La philosophie de la misère and De la justice dans la révolution et dans l’Église, remain foundational to studies of anarchist and socialist thought.