The work critiques the capitalist system and its moral implications regarding theft and property. It begins with an incident involving thieves who, upon being confronted by police, resort to violence. The author argues that the capitalist press exploits such events to vilify anarchists, conflating their ideology with criminality. The text asserts that anarchism fundamentally opposes the monopoly of land and production means, viewing the appropriation of labor as theft. It posits that capitalists, through historical violence and fraud, have stolen resources from the people, thus perpetuating a cycle of exploitation. The author distinguishes between professional thieves, who seek to exploit others without contributing, and those who steal out of necessity due to societal injustices. The narrative emphasizes that while professional thieves may be products of their environment, they are not morally superior to capitalists. Both groups are seen as part of a system that perpetuates inequality. Anarchism, according to the text, does not encourage theft but rather seeks to inspire a collective struggle for justice and equality, steering individuals away from both criminality and capitalism. The author concludes that any theft committed by anarchists is not a reflection of their beliefs but rather a deviation from them, reinforcing the idea that true anarchist principles advocate for communal ownership and the dismantling of oppressive structures rather than individual acts of theft.
By Errico Malatesta · First published 1891 · Genre: Political Philosophy, Social Critique, Anarchism