General Idea of the Revolution in the Nineteenth Century

Pierre-Joseph Proudhon makes his case here of the necessity of revolution. His philosophy can be applied to any society, but in the atmosphere of great political upheaval in the mid 1800s, revolution seemed like destiny for France. Proudhon attacks past revolutionaries for failing to achieve a real transformation in society and offers a new path for future generations to follow: the dismantling of government. In its place, he envisions social contracts between all members of society in which they agree to exchanges that are entirely beneficial to both parties. No one need suffer. No one need be exploited by another. A true revolution, using Proudhon's principles, would bring about an anarchic utopia.

Students of political science and philosophy, activists working for social justice, and those fed up with government corruption will find his argument thought provoking and educational.


PIERRE-JOSEPH PROUDHON (1809-1865) was a French political philosopher who wrote extensively on anarchy and was the first person known to have referred to himself as an anarchist. He believed that the only property man could own was whatever he made himself and argued against the communist concept of mass ownership. His most famous writings include What Is Property? (1840) and System of Economic Contradictions; or The Philosophy of Poverty (1846).