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To understand the world, you have to understand power, who has it, who doesn’t, and why.
States and corporations concentrate power in the hands of a few, issuing orders the rest of us are expected to obey. If we resist, they have the police, the courts, and the lawmakers, all cozy with CEOs and stockbrokers, to force us back in line.
But ordinary people make society run. We build, create, care, deliver, teach, imagine, and maintain. If it were not for the masses, there would be no cushioned chair on which the powerful could sit. So why do those who do the least wield authority over those who do the most?
This book is about how to change that. It introduces anarchism, not the “chaos” you were taught to fear, but rather a clear-eyed analysis of hierarchy, a method for transforming society, and a vision of collective freedom. You’ll explore where power comes from, how it can be rebalanced, and what a world without domination could look like. By the end, you may not only understand anarchism but perhaps also call yourself an anarchist.
“Daniel Baryon’s debut book, A Modern Anarchism, blazes its own path through the wilderness armed with serious philosophy in one hand and strident poetry in the other. Gleaning from sources outside the typical anarchist cannon, he assails our global crisis with the urgency and energy it deserves, guiding his readers along a journey that covers ground from complex system theory and Christian feminism to Sun Tzu. It is a valuable guide for anyone trying to navigate the uneven terrain of contemporary anarchist theory and strategy.”
—Dr. Eleanor Finley, author of Practicing Social Ecology
“What makes this book exceptional is the unity of thought and action behind it. Baryon is not simply writing about revolutionary change; through his work with Cooperation Tulsa, he has dedicated himself to building the institutions and relationships that prefigure a different society. His ideas are shaped as much by organizing as by scholarship, lending this book a rare authority. At a time when many have lost faith that another world is possible, A Modern Anarchism is a vital guide, offering both a direction and the practical tools to begin building it.”
—Clara Mattei, author of Escape from Capitalism and cofounder of Forum for Real Economic Emancipation
“Bringing together a century of anarchist thought, from Kropotkin and Malatesta to Bookchin and Graeber, and the science of complex systems and cybernetics, Daniel Baryon explains how free people actually coordinate, decide, and build power together. A Modern Anarchism is a hopeful and useful book that gives us both theoretical and practical tools to build horizontal institutions that are resilient, accountable, and genuinely leaderful rather than leaderless. Baryon makes clear that organization, far from being the enemy of horizontalism, is its pre-condition.”
—Camila Vergara, author of Systemic Corruption
Part 1: Anarchist Analysis
IntroFirst Principles
Kyriarchal Power
Mega-Mechanical Colonization
A Revolutionary Light
Part 2: Anarchy
IntroLegacy
A Fecund Existence
Bridging the Unbridgeable Chasm
Complex Systems Anarchism
The Emergent Anarchy
Part 3: Revolution
IntroComplexes and Restructuring
Breaking the Machine
A Revolutionary Roadmap
A New Hegemony
Part 4: Organization
IntroRemoval, Comparison, and Viability
The Horizontal Alternative
The Four Fields
Administration
Power Mapping
Steering and Tactical Execution
Assessment
Planning and Implementation
Conclusion