Toward a more unified libertarian left

William T. Armaline, San Jose State University
Deric Shannon, University of Connecticut

Copyright © 2008 Transformative Studies Institute.

Abstract

In this introduction we briefly sketch out some of the similarities between Marxism and anarchism, particularly around the nexus often called “libertarian socialism”. We argue that two contemporary trends make this a particularly good time for these kinds of bridge-building projects. First, with the economy in crisis and Leninism largely discredited, people are looking for alternatives to capitalism and state socialism and libertarian socialism provides examples of visions that are socialist, but not statist. Secondly, with the recent surge in anarchist studies—academic work rooted in anarchism—it makes sense to show some of the connections between Marxist (an already accepted perspective in academe) and anarchist theory. Finally, we map out the specific contributions in this collection of essays.