My opinion: Jón Gnarr - Anarchism

I was 13 when I discovered anarchism. It was through punk rock. At first it was probably Sex Pistols with “Anarchy in the UK”. I was fascinated by this word and wanted to know everything about it. I use the word anarchism because I find the Icelandic word “stjórnleysi” a bad word. Like so many Icelandic words fabricated by scholars, it is very loaded.

The word anarchism is derived from the Greek word “anarchos”, which means “without government”. But that doesn’t mean that everything that isn’t governed is consequently out of control. And that’s exactly the core of the philosophy of anarchism. Anarchism is not the same as chaos. It is based on the fundamental right of every person to seek and find happiness and fulfilment in life, as long as it is not at the expense of other people’s right to do the same. I think this is what every healthy society must strive for if it wants to become more civilized than it already is.

Responsibility is important in this context. It is best kept with the individual. The authorities should only in exceptional cases take responsibility from the individuals, or when the individuals try to avoid it. It is better if people are civilized enough not to throw trash on the streets than to have powerful authorities cleaning up after them. This reduces responsibility and increases irresponsibility. Authority and government is usually justified by saying that people are irresponsible and that they need to be controlled. This involves great power and private interest that men in power will not hand over even though the people have matured and become more responsible. A good example of this is the debate about the state’s monopoly on alcohol, which is inherently a primitive and lame approach.

If Democracy Is a Soup, Then Anarchism Is the Spice

 I think the ideology of anarchism has the potential to develop and evolve. It is one of the ingredients of democracy. If democracy is a soup, then anarchism is the spice. It makes the soup more flavorful. Anarchism is in so many ways the essence of what democracy is. The present and the future are exciting times for anarchists. The philosophy of anarchism has deep roots in oriental studies.

The Chinese philosopher Lao Tze is considered the founder of Taoism. Taoism is very similar to anarchism. Tao Te Ching is basically a textbook in management theory, how to manage without management and make things happen by themselves instead of pushing them forward. Another renowned founder of Taoism is the philosopher Zhuangzi. Many think of him as the first anarchist.

The threads of anarchism are widespread and not only in politics and activism, but also in literature, art and philosophy. Surrealism derives from anarchism. Surrealism is as political as it is artistic. The Russian writer and philosopher Leo Tolstoy was an anarchist and one of the main founders of Christian anarchism, which is probably the version of anarchism that has had the greatest sociological impact. Tolstoy wrote an open letter in an Indian newspaper about his ideas. Tolstoy had great influence on Gandhi. Gandhi was greatly influenced by anarchism in his work as a politician.

Creates Paradoxes and Complications

I am often asked about anarchism and whether I still consider myself an anarchist. It can often be tricky to be an anarchist and it creates all kinds of paradoxes and complications. Therefore, I am always ready to explain my ideas and attitudes. Many people have very firm ideas about anarchism and anarchists, and associate them with violence and stupidity. I do not accept violence as a method and I think that mankind needs to try and evolve out of it as soon as possible. And, undeniably, you can find many flaws in the ideology. But I cannot accept that anarchism is a naïve utopia.

I think, for example, that romantic love and belief in God is considerably more naïve. And, actually, politics and political parties too. That culture often reminds me of children playing grown-ups. I’m still an anarchist. Not because I think anarchism is the perfect social system, but because there is no such system. Frankly, I have never found anything that I thought was better than anarchism. I based much of my work as a politician on what I have learned from Taoism. I have never found a better management guide than Tao Te Ching. It works. And I think our society could be much better if more people paid attention to it and tried to follow it.