When contrasting any two words one must first investigate the meaning and origin of each, and secondly how they apply to our everyday use and concept of them. Many words don't only contrast in their meaning, but also in their origins and actions they entail in modern and past societies. The words anarchism and authoritarianism are two words that have been at war with each other since the beginning civilization, words that are the walls in which our civilization and society exists. Every form of government, lifestyle, parenting method, style of thought, etc. is somewhere between the boundaries of anarchism and authoritarianism. These words are the boundaries by which we choose live our lives on this Earth, from birth till death. Somewhere in between these two words exists society as we know it today.
Anarchism is defined by The American Heritage College Dictionary as "The theory or doctrine that all forms of government are unnecessary, oppressive, and undesirable and should be abolished" and The American Heritage Dictionary even goes as far as to include in the definition "terrorism against the state." To put it simply, anarchism is the theory that all forms of government are oppressive and should be abolished resulting in a society within which individuals freely co-operate together as equals. There are many branches within Anarchism just as there are to any political theory or religion, a few of them being mutualism, collectivist anarchism, individualist anarchism, anarchist communism, anarcho-syndicalism, green anarchism, and although many don't consider in a form of anarchism, anarcho-capitalism. Although anarchism has only existed as a political theory (or as some might say lack of one) since the enlightenment movement, it has in effect been ar ...