Who's Afraid of Anarchy? Part 1: From Proudhon to The Brink of War with Ruth Kinna

In this conversation, I sit down with Ruth Kinna, historian of anarchism and professor of political theory, to explore the roots of anarchist thought—from Proudhon’s challenge to property to Bakunin’s clash with Marx to Kropotkin’s vision of anarchist communism. But first, we confront the towering figure of Thomas Hobbes, whose vision of human nature still shapes how we justify power today.What if anarchism isn’t chaos but a creative, practical response to domination? We track how anarchists challenged the state, capitalism, and even socialism itself, revealing a tradition that’s far more nuanced—and necessary—than its reputation suggests. This is Part 1, setting the stage for a deeper dive into how anarchism lives and breathes in today’s world.whatjaythinks.com00:00:00 Intro: A Renewed Interest in Anarchy and Libertarianism00:04:22 Intro: The Dark Shadow of Thomas Hobbes00:07:30 “Greed Is Good” and Human Nature00:15:18 Where Proudhon Begins and What Anarchy Isn’t00:20:00 Hobbes Builds the Sovereign Beast00:25:23 Proudhon Tries To Intellectually Slay the Dragon00:29:44 “Property Is Theft”00:33:17 The Enclosure Movements and The End of Free Shared Open Land00:38:14 Leo Tolstoy, “War and Peace”, and International Workers00:40:22 The Socialism Split, Marx vs. Bakunin00:46:04 The Paris Commune, Demise and Legacy00:50:25 How Should We Think About Marx00:55:56 Kropotkin Pushes “Anarchist Communism”01:01:45 What Is “Mine” Without Private Property?01:05:55 The American Interest in Anarchy01:10:55 Anti-Slavery Anarchy, Lucy Parsons and Emma Goldman