Existence # 2/2024

The autumn issue of Existence magazine was dedicated to the topic of anarchist pedagogy. After 20 years, we are once again trying to stir up a discussion about the relationship between anarchism and education. We consider this topic to be somewhat neglected, so we decided to look at it from the ground up.

First of all, therefore, we discuss its philosophical perspective: we confront the topic of education with the anarchist view of human nature, apply basic anarchist principles to it, and wonder how the classics of anarchist theory approached it. We expose the purpose of institutionalised state-run education and the false myths surrounding it, such as its supposed progress, equal opportunities and emancipatory potential. We do not begin by asking how to make the school system better, but ask the fundamental question of whether school as we know it is even necessary.

This leads us to an anarchist perspective – we look for the fundamental pillars of an anarchist pedagogy and the tools that might assist it. We are not trying to give clear answers, rather we are asking questions and learning by discussing the topic ourselves. At the same time, we seek practical inspiration from (not only) anarchist experiments in education, both past and present. These experiences support our thinking as much as theory. When we talk about theory, we turn to those who have more or less addressed the question of education: to Godwin, Proudhon, Bakunin, Kropotkin, Ferrer, Goodman and Ward. In the pages of Existence we present books that we found stimulating in our discussion of education: Anarchism and Education: a Philosophical Perspective by Judith Suissa, Free Women of Spain by Martha A. Ackelsberg, Pedagogy of the Oppressed by Paulo Freire and Deschooling Society by Ivan Illich. We were also inspired by these works and had fun discussing the pedagogical challenges within our movement.

In addition to the main theme, the magazine provides other interesting reading. We recall how 32 years ago in Prague, anarchists first beat up nazi-skinheads during a demonstration against fascism. Yavor Tarinski introduces his idea of democratic and ecological cities. With Peter Gelderloos we will reflect on real solutions to the climate crisis. For the 100th birthday of anarchist Colin Ward’s we bring a critical article by Wayne Price.

In the obituaries section, we introduce anarchists who have recently left us, including Tsvetana Djermanova, Alain Pecunia, Alexandre Sant’Ana, Thodoras Meriziotis, Julien Terzics, Roman Legar, Ruslan Tereshchenko, Alexander Pustovitov, James C. Scott and Vladislav Yurchenko. The texts of the A3 wall newspapers raise themes of clerofascism, wage labor, anti-social government and incompetent unions, Javier Milei’s visit to Prague, rainbow capitalism and race riots. We lay out activities of the domestic anti-authoritarian movement, including the May Day demonstration and the anarchist bookfair. The Anarchist Federation introduces its activities and concludes this issue, as always, with reviews – this time focused on 11 publications.

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