Mutualism
Mutualism is an economically left-wing (but pro-market), Anarchist and culturally variable ideology primarily based upon the writings of Pierre-Joseph Proudhon.
He advocates for a socialist system based on a free market economy and usufructs, the introduction of a mutual credit bank, ownership of the means of production by either the workers collectively or by the individual(s) using them, and the representation of trade by equal amounts of labour in the free market.
Additionally, he is strongly in favour of individual liberty and can be seen as the unifying ideology between the social and individualist and the social and market schools of anarchist thought.
History
In a general sense, mutualism can be considered the original anarchy since the mutualist Pierre-Joseph Proudhon was the first person to identify himself as an anarchist.
According to A Mutualist FAQ, mutualism was "the original form taken by the labor movement, first in Great Britain and shortly thereafter in France and the rest of Western Europe. Both mutualist practice and theory arose as part of the broad current of working class radicalism in England, from around the time of the publication of Paine's Rights of Man and the organisation of the first Societies of Correspondence in the 1790s, to the Chartist movement. Mutualism existed for some time as a spontaneous working class practice before it was formalised in theory."
Personality and Behaviour
Mutualism is known to reject traditional currency, instead proposing an alternative system based upon "labour notes", which is sometimes used as a running joke. He often attempts to unify the left and right anarchists through his proposed mix of socialism and a market economy, to varying degrees of success. Sometimes, his relative obscurity is played upon in comics ("what actually is mutualism?").
While he does not have strong established cultural views and leans progressive like his fellow anarchists, he has had a history of occasionally making sexist or anti-Semitic remarks, much to the dismay of his friends (this being a reference to certain views espoused by Proudhon himself).
However, he seems somewhat ashamed of these past mistakes, having been heard saying "my ideal society would have sent me to the guillotine for being too conservative".
How to Draw
Drawing Mutualism is very easy:
- Draw a ball,
- Draw a black diagonal line,
- Fill the space below the line in black and the space above with an orange
- Add the eyes and you're done!
- (Optional) Draw, in the centre of the ball, two curved arrows which form a circle; an orange one in the black section and a black one in the orange section.
Relationships
Friends
- Anarchism - Love you daughter <3
- Agorism - My best friend and fellow lover of Anarchism and underground markets.
- Anarcho-Individualism - My dad and fellow lover of individual liberties.
- Anarcho-Syndicalism - Worker's unions are cool.
- Anarcho-Communism - I like you, even if we argue about economics all the time (markets produce innovation, my friend).
- Market Anarchism - Anarchism and market economics are both based.
- Libertarian Socialism - Close friend, both a protector of liberty and the working people.
- Libertarian Market Socialism - My dear but slightly misguided Grandson.
- File:Ego.png Egoism - My edgy wacky son who also agrees that individual liberty is the greatest value of all (stop hating on me though!)
- Anarcho-Frontierism - Weird yee-haw son.
- Social Libertarianism - Similiar, yet so far apart, let's talk ideas sometime!
- Ego-Mutualism - Ah my grandson.
- Anarcho-Collectivism - Why can't you see that markets are good?
Frenemies
- Market Socialism - No son, Anarchism doesn't just mean chaos. I'm glad we agree on economics at least.
- Titoism - You are like last guy, but more authoritarian. Why?
- Jacobinism - I am greatly thankful for the French revolution but your despotism? No thanks.
- National-Anarchism - Good economics, but can you calm down with the reactionary politics please?
- National Syndicalism - My weird statist, traditionalist and yet secular counterpart.
- Anarcho-Capitalism - I respect your admiration for the free market, but I'll only be your friend if you drop the whole capitalism thing.
Enemies
- Authoritarian Capitalism - Death to capitalism and the state!
- Conservatism - The idea of an anti-government and pro-market socialist must make his head explode.
- Propertarianism - YOU THEIF! DON'T YOU KNOW THAT PROPERTY IS THEFT?!
Further Information
Literature
- What is Property? by Pierre-Joseph Proudhon
- The Principle of Federation by Pierre-Joseph Proudhon
- The Theory of Property by Pierre-Joseph Proudhon
- Capitalist Nursery Fables by Kevin Carson
- Studies in Mutualist Political Economy by Kevin Carson
- The Economics of Anarchy by Iain McKay
- Mutual Banking: Showing the Radical Deficiency of the Present Circulating Medium and the Advantages of a Free Currency by William Batchelder Greene
- A Mutualist FAQ by mutualists.org
- Markets Not Capitalism by Charles W. Johnson and Gary Chartier
Online Communities
Wikipedia
Videos
- What is Mutualism? by Fizzy The Mutualist
- Various schools of Anarchism explained with Tacos. (1:16) by Srlsy Wrong