An Anarchist FAQ, Vol. 1 (An Anarchist FAQ #1)

"An Anarchist FAQ" is a FAQ written by an international work group of social anarchists connected through the internet. It documents anarchist theory and ideas and argues in favor of social anarchism. It also explores other debates internal to the anarchist movement, and counters common arguments against anarchism. It has been in constant evolution since 1995. While it was started as a critique of anarcho-capitalism, by the time it was officially released it had become a general introduction to anarchism.

The FAQ is published under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License (copyleft) and it is dedicated "to the millions of anarchists, living and dead, who tried and are trying to create a better world." It was officially released online on July 19, 1996 "to celebrate the Spanish Revolution of 1936 and the heroism of the Spanish anarchist movement."
The FAQ was started in 1995 when a group of anarchists got together in order to write an FAQ arguing against capitalist claims of being anarchists. Those who were involved in the project had spent many hours in on-line debate with self-described anarcho-capitalists concerning whether or not capitalism and anarchism are compatible. Eventually, a group of net-activists decided an FAQ explaining their thoughts on why anarchism and capitalism are incompatible. While the FAQ was written by many collaborators, the main contributors are listed in the introduction as Iain McKay (primary contributor and editor), Gary Elkin, Dave Neal and Ed Boraas, who refer to themselves as "The Anarchist FAQ Editorial Collective." However, the editors eventually decided that an Anarchist FAQ which focused on anarchism itself would be a better idea than one solely devoted to refuting the notion of anarcho-capitalism, and so the Anarchist FAQ was born. The authors acknowledge that "it still bears some of the signs of its past-history. For example it gives the likes of Ayn Rand, Murray Rothbard, and so on, far too much space outside of Section F - they really are not that important."

The FAQ thanks the following people for their contributions: Andrew Flood, Mike Ballard, Francois Coquet, Jamal Hannah, Mike Huben, Greg Alt, Chuck Munson, Pauline McCormack, Nestor McNab, Kevin Carson, Shawn Wilbur, "and our comrades on the anarchy, oneunion and organise! mailing lists." A 2003 Critical Studies in Media Communication study declared the FAQ the most prominent core anarchist website, finding that it received incoming links from 20% of the anarchist websites studied.
The editors of the FAQ identify themselves as belonging to the social anarchist branch of anarchism (defined as anarchist-communism, anarcho-syndicalism, collectivist-anarchism and Proudhon's mutualism.)[8] Despite this, the FAQ presents and describes other anarchist schools of thought such as individualist anarchism, anarcha-feminism, and some lesser known theories like platformism and anarcho-primitivism. It cites references from a variety of authors from these schools, and its bibliography contains over five hundred sources. According to the FAQ, anarchism is synonymous with "libertarian socialism", "free socialism", "libertarian communism" and "free communism".

Given the wide range of anarchist ideas, the authors acknowledge that many anarchists will not agree with everything that the FAQ says. However, they express their belief that "most anarchists will agree with most of what we present and respect those parts with which they do disagree with as genuine expressions of anarchist ideas and ideals."

The FAQ also explains disputes within anarchist thought, such as where and why social anarchists and individualist anarchists disagree. As social anarchists, the writers also explain their own views on individualist anarchism, arguing that while individualist anarchism has importance it has contradictions and "many flaws", and stating that it would lead to a "hierarchical and non-anarchist" society.They also defend against individualist anarchists' criticisms of social anarchism, claiming that "much of this opposition was rooted in misunderstandings and, at times, outright distortion."

The FAQ does not accept anarcho-capitalism as part of individualist anarchism, nor of anarchism in general. The FAQ writers explain and criticise anarcho-capitalism in sections F and, to some extent, G of the FAQ. They assert that "outside the net [anarcho-capitalists] are irrelevant and on the net they are just annoying" and call the arguments of anarcho-capitalists "inane'". A critique of Bryan Caplan's "Anarchism Theory FAQ" is also presented in the first appendix, along with arguments that Caplan's FAQ distorts anarchism's relationship with anarcho-capitalism.
The editors of the FAQ identify themselves as belonging to the social anarchist branch of anarchism (defined as anarchist-communism, anarcho-syndicalism, collectivist-anarchism and Proudhon's mutualism.) Despite this, the FAQ presents and describes other anarchist schools of thought such as individualist anarchism, anarcha-feminism, and some lesser known theories like platformism and anarcho-primitivism. It cites references from a variety of authors from these schools, and its bibliography contains over five hundred sources. According to the FAQ, anarchism is synonymous with "libertarian socialism", "free socialism", "libertarian communism" and "free communism".

Given the wide range of anarchist ideas, the authors acknowledge that many anarchists will not agree with everything that the FAQ says. However, they express their belief that "most anarchists will agree with most of what we present and respect those parts with which they do disagree with as genuine expressions of anarchist ideas and ideals."

The FAQ also explains disputes within anarchist thought, such as where and why social anarchists and individualist anarchists disagree. As social anarchists, the writers also explain their own views on individualist anarchism, arguing that while individualist anarchism has importance it has contradictions and "many flaws", and stating that it would lead to a "hierarchical and non-anarchist" society. They also defend against individualist anarchists' criticisms of social anarchism, claiming that "much of this opposition was rooted in misunderstandings and, at times, outright distortion."

The FAQ does not accept anarcho-capitalism as part of individualist anarchism, nor of anarchism in general. The FAQ writers explain and criticise anarcho-capitalism in sections F and, to some extent, G of the FAQ. They assert that "outside the net [anarcho-capitalists] are irrelevant and on the net they are just annoying" and call the arguments of anarcho-capitalists "inane'". A critique of Bryan Caplan's "Anarchism Theory FAQ" is also presented in the first appendix, along with arguments that Caplan's FAQ distorts anarchism's relationship with anarcho-capitalism.

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