The Tree of "Bitter Fruit": Why Anarchism Failed in Transylvania

Authors

Richard Bruner, Brigham Young University

Keywords

Transylvania, Anarchism, History

Abstract

Today, the word "anarchy" conjures images of bombs, anti-government protests, and chaos. Achough that may be the modern perception of anarchy, the image did not begin like that. The term has existed for ages, only evolving toward its modern connotation during the nineteenth century. The Greek meaning of the term is "contrary to authority or without a ruler." Anarchy existed as a loose term for the lack of government, or to describe chose who opposed government-often with a derogatory meaning attached to it. Then, in the 1840s Jean-Pierre Proudhon adopted the term to describe his political and social philosophies. Simply put, anarchism according to Proudhon was less government control and involvement. He advocated a step in the direction of a federation with a weaker central government through peaceful means. Unfortunately, the political philosophy of anarchism did not remain consistent with Proudhon's beliefs for very long. Others, such as Michael Bakunin and Peter Kropotkin in Russia, significantly modified the definition and political objectives of the anarchist movement.

Recommended Citation

Bruner, Richard (2015) "The Tree of "Bitter Fruit": Why Anarchism Failed in Transylvania," The Thetean: A Student Journal for Scholarly Historical Writing: Vol. 44: Iss. 1, Article 8.
Available at: https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/thetean/vol44/iss1/8