GRAND ENTRETIEN – The philosopher and the mayor of Cannes disagree on the issue of liberalism. While the former rejects an ideology that he equates with “laissez-faire,” the latter sees it as a political project based on freedom.
LE FIGARO MAGAZINE. – Michel Onfray, you recently published Positive Anarchy, tracing the intellectual journey of Proudhon, considered the father of anarchism. How do you define this “positive anarchy” of Proudhon?
Michel ONFRAY. – Look at the dictionary, the term “anarchy” has a double entry: on one hand, it defines chaos, disorder, one would say today: burning garbage cans, vandalized bus shelters, and broken store windows, which is the meaning given by Aristotle. It refers to the followers of a political movement that emerged in the 19th century and metastasized: there are grave robbers like Ravachol, bomb throwers like Bonnot, extreme egoists who defend incest and crime like Stirner, advocates of physical violence like Bakunin, this is the line of negative anarchy.
On the other hand, there are anarchists, mostly French, Sébastien Faure, Jean Grave, Pierre Joseph Proudhon…
[Context: The discussion revolves around differing views on liberalism as a political ideology.]
[Fact Check: The term “positive anarchy” is being discussed in relation to the ideas of the philosopher Proudhon.]
