Anarchism has quickly evolved from being an extreme ideology, which was at best a interesting thought experiment, to a political vision whose merits are being given increasingly serious consideration. Even those who believe in the power of collectivism are questioning the effectiveness of our current institutions.

But with power comes responsibility. Do anarchists truly believe that tearing down the state and its associated power structures will result in a better world? Or is there a more nuanced and pragmatic approach? Is retention of some collective organisation desirable? Would decreased centralization and dominance of the state be a sufficient victory for anarchists?

Whatever the end state envisioned by advocates of scholars such as Bakunin, Goldman, Berkman and Rothbard, there are plenty of power structures that anarchists believe require radical reconstruction. Mainstream media, universities, schools, and rent seeking businesses: they are all targets.

Even if some anarchists are changing to think that a better and fairer world does not mean starting again from the ground up, don’t think that their objective is anything short of an extensive reordering of society.