1. Decide whether or not you want to be an anarchist. This means studying, researching, and learning about anarchism. Reading some basic introductions to anarchism is the first step. Familiarize yourself with the ideas of some of the other most important anarchist theorists and writers.
- Read 19th century anarchist writers like Pierre Joseph Proudhon, Peter Kropotkin[1], Daniel De Leon[2], Mikhail Bakunin[3] (God and the State), Alexander Berkman (The ABC of Communist-Anarchism), and Benjamin Tucker.
- Read 20th century writers such as Emma Goldman[4] (Anarchism and other Essays), Errico Malatesta (Anarchy), Alfredo Bonanno, Bob Black, (The Abolition of Work), Wolfi Landstreicher (Willful Disobedience), John Zerzan, Murray Bookchin, Crimethinc. Ex-Workers Collective (Recipes for Disaster), Daniel Guerin (Anarchism: From Theory to Practice, No Gods No Masters: An Anthology of Anarchism), Rudolf Rocker (Anarcho-Syndicalism: Theory and Practice), Colin Ward (Anarchism: A Very Short Introduction), Noam Chomsky (Chomsky on Anarchism).
2.
Read up on the different schools of thought. There are dozens of different anarchist schools like: libertarian socialism,[5] anarcho-communism, syndicalism, platformism, post-left anarchism, mutualism, indigenism, anarcha-feminism, green anarchism, and others.[6]
3.
Familiarize yourself with the history of anarchism. Read about anarchist movements during the Spanish Revolution of 1936,[7] the Mahknovist uprising in Ukraine, Paris in 1968, today's Black Blocs, and movement events such as WTO Seattle.
4. Understand and assess the negative connotations of anarchy. Take what you've learned about anarchism to reflect on those negative connotations. There are many negative stereotypes about anarchism. Many associate anarchism with violence, arson, and vandalism. Like with every system of thought, you will have to try to reconstruct how people think about anarchism.
5. Familiarize yourself with the anarchists' symbols and flags. Like all political movements or social organizations, anarchists use symbols to identify themselves and their principles. These symbols vary based on place and have changed over time.
- The original “black flag” symbol emerged in the 1880s. Over one hundred years later, the circle “A” symbol became the predominant anarchist symbol. Others exist as well.[8]
6. Learn about capitalism, Marxism, fascism, and other political ideologies.Know your “opponents”. Know what is important in other systems of thought so you can emphasize how your viewpoint is better.
- Understand the arguments for big governments. Know that statism is founded on the idea that human beings cannot effectively organize themselves on an egalitarian basis. They need a centralized state to police morality and the economy in order to avoid conflict.
7. Take your time. You are developing a world view. Don’t rush into it because it is faddish or because you’re lazy. Carefully consider each thinker and each principle. What makes sense to you?