The first libertarian

Hi everyone,

Hope you’re all enjoying the summer as we kick off August. I have a new piece for CounterPunch, published today, on the extraordinary, if short, life of Joseph Déjacque, the first person to call himself a libertarian. Déjacque is a truly unique and fascinating figure, even in an anarchist movement filled with colorful and eccentric characters. I first became aware of him about 15 years ago, but it took me awhile to dive deeply into his work—it didn’t disappoint, and I recommend it highly for anti-authoritarians of all kinds and anyone interested in the history of radical ideas and movements. My piece is presented as a short primer and an introduction to this revolutionary herald of the new world we’re building now, all the time, in the shell of the old one. Here’s an excerpt:

In one of the most interesting episodes of his life for students of anarchist history, Déjacque criticized Pierre-Joseph Proudhon for his sexism and misogyny. In an 1857 letter, he attacks Proudhon for adopting “the privileged man’s point of view of social progress,” arguing that men and women are fundamentally equal and that Proudhon’s acceptance of patriarchy was incompatible with libertarianism. Déjacque dismisses Proudhon as a liberal, not a true libertarian. He writes, “You cry against the great barons of capital, and you would rebuild a proud barony of man on vassal-woman.” Déjacque urges Proudhon, “Do not describe yourself as an anarchist” until you are prepared to “speak out against man’s exploitation of woman.”

One of the most interesting things about Déjacque is just how far ahead of his time was, how often he anticipated the arguments and language that would become standards of the anarchist movement decades after his death. I hope you enjoy his story as much as I have.

Thanks very much, as always, for your time.

Dave