An Anarchist Critique of Bhagat Singh’s Marxist-Leninism and Theory of the State

From archit

Bhagat Singh was an anti-colonial revolutionary born in the Punjab region of modern-day Pakistan in 1907. He became a household name upon taking part in many pivotal events preceding the eventual independence, and separation, of the Indian and Pakistan states from British control. Singh, with others, assassinated a British officer named John Saunders in 1928, believing him to be senior ranking James Scott in Lahore who had played a hand in the death of another Indian revolutionary. After evading arrest, Singh and Hindustani Socialist Republican Association (HSRA) member Batukeshwar Dutt detonated two non-fatal bombs during a meeting of the central legislative assembly in New Delhi’s parliament in 1929. While imprisoned, he participated in a hunger strike protesting discrimination between the treatment of Indian prisoners compared to the British. After a long and dramatic trial that drew widespread public attention and debate, Singh and accomplices Shivaram Rajguru and Sukhdev Thapar were executed by hanging in 1931.

TOTW: Wither Theory?

Topic of the Week - In my local anarchist scene, anarchist theory and tendencies aren’t often discussed. There’s the obvious anarchist positions against capitalism, Marxism, and bigotries. But beyond that? Not much to say about theory of change, discussing the varieties of anarchist ideas, or even discussing the “big names” of anarchy: Bakunin, Kropotkin, Malatesta, Goldman, Bookchin, Aragorn!, or Zerzan. In fact, after a recent meeting, it was suggested to avoid centering particular anarchist beliefs, ie, anything beyond “capitalism, fascism, stalinism, and bigotry are bad.” This is because a statement such as “Fuck [person or idea]” may be interpreted by new folks as fact and not opinion. This is no shade on my people, I appreciate them deeply and some private context at least makes it somewhat understandable.

CONTROL: Call for Perspectives’ Submissions: 2025-2026

From The Institute for Anarchist Studies

We’re back! After a hiatus that allowed us to put together an anthology of essays for AK Press showcasing the first thirty years of our work (due out July, ’26!), Perspectives on Anarchist Theory is once again open for submissions!

The Anarchism of the Encounter: A Distillation

From Libertarian Labyrinth by Shawn P. Wilbur

Introduction: Distilling Anarchism

Some of the work I have done on anarchist history and theory has taken the form of synthesis, attempting to draw together elements from a variety of anarchist tendencies and milieus, or of a kind of reconciliation, as in the case of the “neo-Proudhonian synthesis,” based on the idea that the apparent discontinuities in anarchist ideas have been, in fact, more apparent than real.

Anarchism and Revolutionary Defeatism

From History is What's Happening by K. C. Sinclair

What is “revolutionary defeatism,” where does it come from, and what is its current relevance for anarchists and other social rebels? As a slogan and stance, revolutionary defeatism was devised by the Russian statist socialist Vladimir Lenin and, to a lesser extent, the Ukrainian statist socialist Grigory Zinoviev, in the context of the First World War.

PERSPECTIVES ON ANARCHIST THEORY Call for Submissions // Summer 2023

From The Institute for Anarchist Studies

We are interested in critical essays, book reviews, creative pieces (including fiction and poetry), as well as visual art and comics. Our annual print issue will follow a year of online publishing and will appear early in 2024. Rather than putting out a call around a specific theme, we instead invite open submissions on any topic you feel is important, but with a desire for focus in particular areas.

Rhizomes and Revolution: D&G's Impact on US Anarchism

From Empty Hands History

Full title: Rhizomes and Revolution: Deleuze & Guattari’s Impact on US Anarchism

I so badly want to write an article on Deleuze & Guattari’s influence on the US anarchist movement in the 1980s-90s. One path is obvious–Hakim Bey’s use of their idea of the Nomadic War Machine in his popular concept of Temporary Autonomous Zones. But there is more.

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