Criticisms of anarchism

Allegation of utopianism

Anarchism is evaluated as unfeasible or utopian by its critics, often in general and formal debate. European history professor Carl Landauer, in his book European Socialism argued that social anarchism is unrealistic and that government is a "lesser evil" than a society without "repressive force." He also argued that "ill intentions will cease if repressive force disappears" is an "absurdity".

Anarchists often counter this assertion by arguing that it is merely a misconception. Mainstream anarchism does not expect such an outcome and instead offers other, decentralized mechanisms for crime prevention and adjudication. An Anarchist FAQ states the following: "Anarchy is not a utopia [...] anarchists make no claims about human perfection [...] disputes would be solved by reasonable methods, for example, the use of juries, mutual third parties, or community and workplace assemblies [...] some sort of "court" system would still be necessary to deal with the remaining crimes and to adjudicate disputes between citizens [...]"

Tacit authoritarianism

The anarchist tendency known as platformism has been criticized by Situationists, insurrectionaries, synthesis anarchists and others of preserving tacitly statist, authoritarian or bureaucratic tendencies. The anarcho-capitalist economist Bryan Caplan argues that the treatment of fascists and fascist sympathizers by Spanish anarchists in the Spanish Civil War was a form of illegitimate coercion, making the anarchists "ultimately just a third faction of totalitarians," alongside the communists and fascists. He also criticizes the willingness of the Confederación Nacional del Trabajo (CNT) to join the Republican government during the civil war, and references Stanley G. Payne's book on the Franco regime which claims that the CNT entered negotiations with the government of Spain six years after the war. Many anarcho-syndicalists, anarcho-communists, and other types of anarchists have criticized the CNT-FAI for entering the Spanish government during and since the events of the Civil War.

Anarchism and civilization

In his essay On authority, Friedrich Engels claimed that radical decentralization promoted by anarchists would destroy modern industrial civilization, citing an example of railways:

Here too the co-operation of an infinite number of individuals is absolutely necessary, and this co-operation must be practised during precisely fixed hours so that no accidents may happen. Here, too, the first condition of the job is a dominant will that settles all subordinate questions, whether this will is represented by a single delegate or a committee charged with the execution of the resolutions of the majority of persona interested. In either case there is a very pronounced authority. Moreover, what would happen to the first train dispatched if the authority of the railway employees over the Hon. passengers were abolished?