Anarchism vs. Agorism: Similarities and Differences

Similarities

𑁋Anti-state: both reject central authority and view the state as a source of coercion.

𑁋Direct action: neither expects reforms from above; both seek change in daily practice.

𑁋Voluntarism: both insist that human relations should be based on free agreements rather than impositions.

Differences

𑁋Economic axis: anarchism is fragmented (collectivist, communal, mutualist, individualist), while agorism is clearly rooted in the tradition of radical free market economics.

𑁋Method of struggle: historical anarchism often resorts to unions, self-managed communities, or even insurrections. Agorism bets on “economic guerrilla warfare”: using exchange outside of state control as a political weapon.

𑁋Vision of the future: many anarchists dream of abolishing market logic in favor of community cooperation. Agorism, on the other hand, envisions a society of free exchange, where the market—without the state—is the natural order.

Tension

𑁋To a communal anarchist, agorism may sound too “capitalist.”

𑁋To an agorist, classical anarchism may sound naive in its disregard for the organizing power of the market.

Leading Anarchists

‣William Godwin (1756–1836): precursor of modern anarchist thought, even before Proudhon. Pierre-

‣Joseph Proudhon (1809–1865): the first to call himself an “anarchist”; his famous slogan: “Property is theft.”

Leading Agorists

‣Samuel Edward Konkin III (1947-2004): creator of the term agorism and the New Libertarian Manifesto. His central idea was “counter-economics” as a method of revolution.