Ideology · Anarchism

Mutualism

The Free Artisan

«Fair exchange between free people.»

A market anarchism: free producers, cooperatives and mutual credit banks, with no state and no income from capital.

In short

On the traditional scale, this ideology sits in the libertarian center-left camp. The clearest positions are on devolution: strongly towards “federalism”; state: strongly towards “liberty”; democracy: strongly towards “direct democracy”; sovereignty: strongly towards “integration”. On technology it stays balanced. Among the other ideologies, the closest is libertarian municipalism (95%).

Principles

Exchange among free producers
Interest-free mutual credit
Bottom-up federalism

Small producers and cooperatives trading goods at a fair price, with free credit.

Common criticisms

A world of artisansThe model imagines an economy of small producers, far from today's.

Utopian creditThe idea of a bank lending without interest has never worked at scale.

Little knownToday it survives mainly in mutual societies and cooperatives.

Where it comes from

It began with Pierre-Joseph Proudhon in mid-1800s France, the first person to call himself an anarchist.

Key figures: Pierre-Joseph Proudhon

Further reading: What Is Property? — Pierre-Joseph Proudhon; General Idea of the Revolution in the Nineteenth Century — Pierre-Joseph Proudhon

Position on the 13 axes

Similar ideologies

Libertarian municipalismThe Confederalist95%Digital libertarianismThe Net Pirate94%Libertarian socialismThe Self-Manager94%

Closest parties in Europe

PodemosSpain90%

Plefsi EleftheriasGreece90%

SumarSpain90%

Green PartyIreland89%

Closest figures

Carlo RosselliAnti-fascist theorist95%

Noam ChomskyLinguist and intellectual94%

Murray BookchinPhilosopher93%

Yanis VaroufakisEconomist92%

José MujicaPresident of Uruguay92%

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Positions are estimates based on documented ideas, platforms and actions, updated to October 2026.