ABSTRACT
Anarchism refers both to a doctrine and a series of activist groups and individuals. The term, of Greek origin, literally means without a chief or head, and this accurately reflects the doctrine, which is based on the idea that justice requires the abolition of the state and of all other authoritarian institutions not based on some form of cooperative agreement among autonomous individuals. Central to the doctrine is the belief that human beings possess a moral sentiment powerful enough to hold society together; institutions like the state are viewed as artificial, unnatural, and oppressive.
