Mutualism, also called Proudhonism or Anarcho-Mutualism (AnMut), is an economically left-wing (but pro-market), Anarchist and culturally variable ideology primarily based upon the writings of Pierre-Joseph Proudhon.
He advocates for a socialist system based on a free market economy and usufructs, the introduction of a mutual credit bank, ownership of the means of production by either the workers collectively or by the individual(s) using them, and the representation of trade by equal amounts of labour in the free market.
Additionally, he is strongly in favour of individual liberty and can be seen as the unifying ideology between the social, individualist, and market schools of anarchist thought, and was highly influential in the development of other anarchist ideologies that came after it.
History
In a general sense, mutualism can be considered the original anarchy since the mutualist Pierre-Joseph Proudhon was the first person to identify himself as an anarchist.
According to A Mutualist FAQ, mutualism was "the original form taken by the labor movement, first in Great Britain and shortly thereafter in France and the rest of Western Europe. Both mutualist practice and theory arose as part of the broad current of working class radicalism in England, from around the time of the publication of Paine's Rights of Man and the organisation of the first Societies of Correspondence in the 1790s, to the Chartist movement. Mutualism existed for some time as a spontaneous working class practice before it was formalised in theory."
Personality and Behaviour
Mutualism is known to reject traditional currency, instead proposing an alternative system based upon "labour notes", which is sometimes used as a running joke. He often attempts to unify the left and right anarchists through his proposed mix of socialism and a market economy, to varying degrees of success. Sometimes, his relative obscurity is played upon in comics ("what actually is mutualism?").
While he does not have strong established cultural views and leans progressive like his fellow anarchists, he has had a history of occasionally making sexist or anti-Semitic remarks, much to the dismay of his friends (this being a reference to certain views espoused by Proudhon himself).
However, he seems somewhat ashamed of these past mistakes, having been heard saying "my ideal society would have sent me to the guillotine for being too conservative".
How to Draw
Drawing Mutualism is very easy:
- Draw a ball,
- Draw a black diagonal line,
- Fill the space below the line in black and the space above with an orange
- Add the eyes and you're done!
- (Optional) Draw, in the centre of the ball, two curved arrows which form a circle; an orange one in the black section and a black one in the orange section.
Color Name | HEX | RGB | |
---|---|---|---|
Black | #141414 | 20, 20, 20 | |
Orange | #F7941E | 247, 148, 30 |
Relationships
Friends
- Anarchism - Love you daughter! <3
- Agorism - My best grandson and fellow lover of anarchism and underground markets.
- Anarcho-Individualism - The Boston Anarchists were Mutualists!
- Anarcho-Syndicalism - Worker's unions are cool.
- Anarcho-Communism - I like you, even if we argue about economics all the time.
- Left-Wing Market Anarchism - Anarchism and market economics are both based.
- Libertarian Socialism - Close friend, both a protector of liberty and the working people.
- Libertarian Market Socialism - My slightly misguided pal.
- Anarcho-Egoism - Loved your milk co-op! (Stop hating on me though!)
- Anarcho-Frontierism - Weird yee-haw son.
- Social Libertarianism - Similar, yet so far apart, let's talk ideas sometime!
- Anarcho-Collectivism - I really like you, just wish you understood that markets aren't actually that bad.
- Market Socialism - My economic system.
- Anarcho-Distributism - Damn, were really similar. You're basically just me, but more Catholic.
- Left-Rothbardianism - Genuinely not bad, and centenly much better than him. Just ditch the private property stuff and you'd be even better.
- Cosmopolitanism - "There will no longer be nationality, no longer fatherland, in the political sense of the words: they will mean only places of birth. Man, of whatever race or colour he may be, is an inhabitant of the universe; citizenship is everywhere an acquired right."
Frenemies
- Titoism - Based socialism and markets but cringe authoritarianism.
- Distributism - I wouldn't rely on the strong state to do it, but your goal is fine.
- Jacobinism - I am greatly thankful for the French revolution but your despotism? No thanks.
- National Anarchism - Good economics, but can you calm down with the reactionary politics please?
Plus we agree about racism and jews - National Syndicalism - Same as above, but also authoritarian and illiterate. Please stop citing me. It's true that Rousseau's ideology of social contract was flawed but I'm not a monarchist or a fascist!
- Anarcho-Capitalism - I respect your admiration for the free market, but I'd like you to drop the whole capitalism thing.
- Marxism - We used to be friends, but then he called me a "utopian" and said that markets were stupid.
- Anarcha-Feminism & Jewish Anarchism - I'VE CHANGED I PROMISE!
- Georgism - At least he understands that land property is theft.
- Social Georgism - Better version of the guy above, though I don't like how most of you like that glorified statist.
- Democratic Socialism - You're a socialist, but too moderate and tend to work with him. Anyway, I guess some of you are pretty cool.
- Illegalism - Maybe I should change argument that "property is theft" because it will make you capitalist...
Enemies
- Authoritarian Capitalism - Death to capitalism and the state!
- Marxism-Leninism - Despite our origins, I have nothing to do with you. Marx wasn't exactly perfect, but I'm pretty sure he would have a heart attack if he saw what you've become.
- Corporatocracy - Your existence makes good propaganda for our ideology.
- Conservative Liberalism - The idea of an anti-government and pro-market socialist must make his head explode.
- Manosphere - Fan of Proudhon for the wrong reasons!!!!
- Social Democracy - WE
- Dengism - ARE
- Capitalist Communism - NOT
- Yellow Socialism - THE SAME!
- Propertarianism - YOU THIEF! DON'T YOU KNOW THAT PROPERTY IS THEFT?!
- Fascism - STOP CITING ME YOU ILLITERATE, TOTALITARIAN, TRADITIONALIST FUCK! I HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH YOU!
- Alt-Right, Alt-Lite, Right-Wing Populism and Bosakism - ASSHATS! Trying to co-opt my colors into a disgusting bigoted, transphobic, homophobic movement. GET A DAMN HEART!
- Blanquism - It's you, not me who made the Paris Commune fail!
Gallery
Portraits
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Original portrait
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Ditto, Trade circle
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Old portrait
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Old portrait (Trade Circle)
Alternative designs
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Neo-Mutualism
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Neo-Mutualism 2
Comics and Artwork
Further Information
Literature
- What is Property? by Pierre-Joseph Proudhon
- The System of Economic Contradictions by Pierre-Joseph Proudhon
- The General Idea of the Revolution by Pierre-Joseph Proudhon
- The Principle of Federation by Pierre-Joseph Proudhon
- The Theory of Property by Pierre-Joseph Proudhon
- Equitable Commerce by Josiah Warren
- Mutual Banking: Showing the Radical Deficiency of the Present Circulating Medium and the Advantages of a Free Currency by William Batchelder Greene
- The Science of Society by Stephen Pearl Andrews
- Economic Equities: A Compend of the Natural Laws of Industrial Production and Exchange by J. K. Ingalls
- The Economics of Anarchy by Dyer Lum
- Liberty and Wealth, and Ethics Of The Homestead Strike: A Narrative By The Wayside by Sidney H. Morse
- What is Mutualism? by Clarence Lee Swartz
- A Mutualist FAQ by mutualists.org
Online Communities
Wikipedia
- Mutualism
- Pierre-Joseph Proudhon
- Josiah Warren
- Benjamin Tucker
- Francesc Pi i Margall
- Cercle Proudhon
Videos
- What is Mutualism? by Fizzy The Mutualist
- Various schools of Anarchism explained with Tacos. (1:16) by Srlsy Wrong
- IdeoLogs: Interview With an Mutualist by IdeoLogs
Notes
References