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. He attacks past revolutionaries for failing to achieve a real transformation in society & 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 his principles, would bring about an anarchic utopia. Students of political science & philosophy, activists working for social justice, & those fed up with government corruption will find his argument thought provoking & educational.
Proudhon (1809-65) was a French political philosopher who wrote extensively on anarchy & was the first known to have referred to himself as an anarchist. He believed that the only property man could own was whatever he made himself & argued against the communist concept of mass ownership. His most famous writings include What Is Property? (1840) & System of Economic Contradictions; or The Philosophy of Poverty (1846).