FIRST CHAPTER: THE BIRTH OF PIERRE-JOSEPH PROUDHON AND ANARCHISM Childhood, Poverty, and Years of Printing (1809-1838): Pierre-Joseph Proudhon was born on January 15, 1809, in the city of Besançon, France, as the son of a poor cooper and tavern owner. His family could barely make ends meet for him and his siblings. When he was just nine years old, he had to leave school due to his family's financial difficulties and work as a shepherd in the Jura Mountains. This early poverty and peasant origins shaped his understanding of an ideal society throughout his life: a world where small farmers and artisans could live in free and dignified poverty. Proudhon showed extraordinary intellectual ability at an early age and was accepted on a scholarship to a prestigious college in Besançon. However, his family's financial struggles forced him to abandon his education and learn printing. While working as a printing apprentice, he taught himself Latin, Greek, and Hebrew. During this period, he was influenced by the utopian socialist Charles Fourier, whom he met in the printing house. His attempt to establish his own printing press at a young age ended in failure, but this process further strengthened his interest in writing. In 1838, a scholarship from the Besançon Academy allowed 29-year-old Proudhon to go to Paris and systematize his ideas. "Property is Theft" and the Declaration of Anarchism (1840-1848): In his early years in Paris, Proudhon wrote his most famous work: Qu'est-ce que la propriété? (What is Property?, 1840). This book caused a great stir; because in it, Proudhon became the first person to define himself with the term “I am an anarchist,” and he also introduced the slogan “Property is theft!” ( La propriété, c'est le vol! ). However, Proudhon was referring not to property in an absolute sense, but to the form of property that is obtained by seizing the labor of others and is based on exploitation. According to him, it was legitimate for a person to own the product of their own labor; however, the form of property that derives rent from another's labor was not legitimate. This work attracted the attention of the French authorities and led to Proudhon's prosecution. In 1846, he published his work titled Système des contradictions économiques ou Philosophie de la misère (Philosophy of Poverty). The criticism of God in this work caused a great stir in public opinion, as such a radical critique had not been expected until that time. In the same years, he met Karl Marx, and an intense correspondence began between them. However, Marx later harshly criticized Proudhon's economic thoughts in his work Féminisme et Sefaletin Felsefesi (1847), which was written against Sefaletin Felsefesi . Marx referred to Proudhon as a "petty-bourgeois socialist." This debate became one of the sources of the division between the anarchist and Marxist factions within the First International. During this period, Proudhon joined a secret workers' society called Lyon Mutualists and developed the theory of mutualism there. According to this theory, small groups would work together, and access to credit would be possible through a People's Bank. 1848 Revolutions and Active Politics (1848-1849): With the outbreak of the 1848 Revolutions, Proudhon was elected to the French Constituent Assembly. In the Assembly, he made radical speeches opposing all forms of the state. During this period, he began to adopt the idea of federalism and defined himself as a "federalist." In 1849, he attempted to establish a "People's Bank" ( Banque du Peuple ) that would provide interest-free credit. However, this attempt failed, and Proudhon was sentenced to prison due to his criticisms of Louis-Napoléon Bonaparte. Proudhon believed that social revolution could be achieved peacefully. Maturity Period and Main Works (1850-1865): After being released from prison, Proudhon continued to live under surveillance in France. In 1851, he published his work Idée générale de la révolution au XIXe siècle (The General Idea of Revolution in the 19th Century). In 1858, he was tried again due to his new work De la justice dans la Révolution et dans l'Église (Justice in the Revolution and in the Church) and this time had to go into exile in Belgium. He continued to write during his years in exile; he authored significant works such as La Guerre et la Paix (War and Peace, 1861) and Du Principe fédératif (The Federative Principle, 1863). Proudhon's understanding of freedom can be defined as the "synthesis of communism and property." According to him, anarchy is "order without power" ( Anarchy is Order Without Power ). This phrase later inspired the A inside a circle, which became an anarchist symbol. Proudhon, whose health deteriorated, passed away at the age of 56 in the Passy district of Paris on January 19, 1865. After his death, his libertarian socialism branched into different forms such as individualist anarchism, collectivist anarchism, anarcho-communism, and anarcho-syndicalism. SECOND SECTION: MIKHAIL BAKUNIN AND COLLECTIVIST ANARCHISM Aristocratic Origins and Turn to Philosophy (1814-1840): Mikhail Alexandrovich Bakunin was born on May 30, 1814, in the Pryamukhino estate in the Tver region of Russia, as a child of a wealthy aristocratic family. At the age of 14, he received military training at the Artillery School in St. Petersburg and was appointed as an officer in the Imperial Guard of Russia in 1832. However, Bakunin found his military career unsatisfactory. In 1835, he left the army and civil service and went to Moscow, dedicating himself to philosophical studies. There, he befriended a group of former university students and focused particularly on Schelling, Fichte, and Hegel. In 1840, he went to Berlin to study Hegel's philosophy more deeply. Years in Europe: Meeting Young Hegelians, Proudhon, and Marx (1840-1848) Joining the Young Hegelians in Berlin, Bakunin was introduced to radical ideas here. After spending time in Germany, Switzerland, and Belgium, he settled in Paris. In Paris, he met both Pierre-Joseph Proudhon and Karl Marx and engaged in discussions with them. Bakunin's increasingly radical views ended his hopes for an academic career. He was expelled from France for opposing the Russian Empire's invasion of Poland. With the outbreak of the 1848 Revolutions, Bakunin actively participated in revolutionary activities. He led uprisings in Prague (1848) and Dresden (1849). After the failure of the Dresden uprising, he was captured, tried first in Saxony and then in Austria, and was returned to Russia in 1851. Imprisonment, Exile, and Legendary Escape (1849-1861): Imprisoned in the Peter and Paul Fortress in Russia, Bakunin was exiled to Siberia in 1857. However, in 1861, he managed to escape to the United States via Japan and from there to Europe. This escape further solidified his legendary revolutionary identity. In London, he worked with Alexander Herzen in the magazine Kolokol (Bell). First International and Split with Marx (1864-1872): Joining the International Workingmen's Association (First International) established in London in 1864, Bakunin quickly became one of the most influential figures in the organization. However, he entered into a fierce struggle with Karl Marx here. While Marx advocated for the establishment of a "proletarian state" after the revolution, Bakunin opposed all forms of state and argued that the goal of the revolution was to completely abolish the state. Bakunin foresaw that Marxist regimes would be a dictatorship of a single party, not a dictatorship of the proletariat. Bakunin became a leading representative of the "collectivist" wing of anarchism. According to him, the means of production should be collectively owned and the product of labor should be distributed not according to the principle of "from each according to his ability, to each according to his needs," but according to "to each according to his labor." This was an approach that advocated for receiving the equivalent of labor, rather than the complete communal consumption of the product, unlike later anarchist communism. Final Period: Struggle and Death in Switzerland (1872-1876): After being expelled from the International, Bakunin continued his activities in Switzerland. Here, he established his own international organization (Jura Federation) and continued his anarchist propaganda efforts. In 1876, he died at the age of 62 in the city of Bern, Switzerland. CHAPTER THREE: PROUDHON AND BAKUNIN'S ANARCHISM: KEY DIFFERENCES AND COMMON POINTS Although Proudhon and Bakunin are considered the two founding fathers of anarchism, there are significant differences between their thoughts. However, both have waged an unyielding struggle against the state and authority, challenged the "illusion" of the ballot, and rejected political power. Proudhon's Anarchism (Mutualism): Proudhon advocated for a more individualistic and federalist understanding of anarchism. According to him, the ideal society is a federation organized through voluntary contracts among small producers (farmers, artisans), based on the principles of mutual service and exchange. He emphasized gradual reforms and mutual aid rather than revolution. He supported workers' councils and cooperatives, preferring individual worker/peasant ownership over private ownership or nationalization of land and workplaces. Bakunin's Anarchism (Collectivism): Bakunin represents a more collectivist, revolutionary, and action-oriented understanding of anarchism. According to him, freedom is only possible through the violent overthrow of the state and all forms of authority. His famous saying, "The passion for destruction is also a creative passion," summarizes this radical approach. Bakunin criticized Proudhon's system as being too "metaphysical, idealistic, and theoretical." Common Points: Both thinkers viewed the state as the greatest enemy of human freedom, rejected all forms of hierarchy and domination, argued that society should be based on voluntary associations rather than compulsory ones, and asserted that decisions should be made by the individuals and communities directly affected. Bakunin was largely influenced by Proudhon. He read Proudhon's works in prison, and his ideas played an important role in shaping his own anarchist theory. Shortly before Proudhon's death, Bakunin visited him in 1863 and 1864. FOURTH CHAPTER: FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLES OF ANARCHISM The fundamental principles agreed upon by both thinkers are as follows: Statelessness: The state is the greatest enemy of human freedom. In Proudhon's words, "to be governed is to be watched, monitored, controlled, prohibited, corrected, and punished." Opposition to Authority: All forms of hierarchy and domination are rejected. Anarchism expresses the rejection of authority as being opposed to all forms of domination. Voluntary Cooperation: Society should be based on voluntary associations, not compulsory ones. Self-Management: Decisions should be made by the individuals and communities directly affected. FIFTH CHAPTER: THE LEGACY OF ANARCHISM Proudhon and Bakunin are two great figures who laid the theoretical and practical foundations of anarchism. Proudhon systematized anarchism as a philosophy and questioned property relations with his famous saying, "property is theft." Bakunin, on the other hand, transformed this thought into revolutionary practice and waged an unrelenting struggle against all forms of the state. Proudhon's ideas had a profound impact on Russian writers such as Alexander Herzen, Peter Lavrov, and Peter Kropotkin. Bakunin is considered one of the most influential figures of the anarchist movement and holds an important place in the traditions of revolutionary socialism, social anarchism, and collectivist anarchism. Despite their differences, both agree that human freedom is only possible through the abolition of all forms of authority. Their legacy remains one of the most important reference points for con