Henry Appleton was a 19th-century

American individualist anarchist Individualist anarchism in the United States was strongly influenced by Benjamin Tucker, Josiah Warren, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Lysander Spooner, Pierre-Joseph Proudhon, Max Stirner, Herbert Spencer and Henry David Thoreau. Other important individu ...

. He was an editorial assistant to

Benjamin Tucker Benjamin Ricketson Tucker (; April 17, 1854 – June 22, 1939) was an American individualist anarchist and self-identified socialist. Tucker was the editor and publisher of the American individualist anarchist periodical ''Liberty'' (1881–19 ...

and a significant contributor to ''

Liberty Liberty is the state of being free within society from oppressive restrictions imposed by authority on one's way of life, behavior, or political views. The concept of liberty can vary depending on perspective and context. In the Constitutional ...

'' during which he gained a reputation as an exceptional writer. Appleton was a graduate of

Brown University Brown University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in Providence, Rhode Island, United States. It is the List of colonial colleges, seventh-oldest institution of higher education in the US, founded in 1764 as the ' ...

and resided in Providence, Rhode Island. He is remembered as "the most forceful critic of anarchist communism in the early 1880s".

Anarchism and communism

Appleton believed that anarchism was the philosophical basis of a method in

sociology Sociology is the scientific study of human society that focuses on society, human social behavior, patterns of Interpersonal ties, social relationships, social interaction, and aspects of culture associated with everyday life. The term sociol ...

and should be considered as such. Anarchism as according to Appleton was neither theory nor institute but the logical outcome of the

Progressive movement Progressivism is a left-leaning political philosophy and reform movement that seeks to advance the human condition through social reform. Adherents hold that progressivism has universal application and endeavor to spread this idea to huma ...

. Appleton also believed that the

state State most commonly refers to: * State (polity), a centralized political organization that regulates law and society within a territory **Sovereign state, a sovereign polity in international law, commonly referred to as a country **Nation state, a ...

and the church was intertwined and that the church, in particular, was essential for upholding the state. Appleton was a staunch critic of

anarcho-communism Anarchist communism is a far-left political ideology and anarchist school of thought that advocates communism. It calls for the abolition of private real property but retention of personal property and collectively-owned items, goods, and se ...

believing it to be just communism, masquerading as anarchism and viewed those aligned with anarcho-communism to be at war with liberty. Writing under the pseudonym ‘X,’ he would attack the communist anarchist leader

Johann Most Johann Joseph "Hans" Most (February 5, 1846 – March 17, 1906) was a German-American Social Democratic and then anarchist politician, newspaper editor, and orator. He is credited with popularizing the concept of "propaganda of the deed" in the Un ...

, decrying him to be a "State Socialist", posed a question to him of how someone who is of a peaceful stance would be treated if they were to disagree with his economic ideas and claimed that he and his followers wished to destroy all existing institutions and then build their own

utopia A utopia ( ) typically describes an imagined community or society that possesses highly desirable or near-perfect qualities for its members. It was coined by Sir Thomas More for his 1516 book ''Utopia (book), Utopia'', which describes a fictiona ...

. Appleton believed if he did not comply with Most's ideas all he had created would be "declared the property of the Commune."

Career

In 1885, English anarchist Henry Seymour published works by Appleton in ''The Anarchist'', a four-page monthly periodical. In 1886, Appleton became editor of The Newsman, published by the Mutual News Company of

Boston Boston is the capital and most populous city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. The city serves as the cultural and Financial centre, financial center of New England, a region of the Northeas ...

. While his friend and fellow writer of liberty Benjamin Tucker congratulated Appleton he disagreed with the acceptance and use of the political means of achieving social goals. This led to a conflict of interests within Liberty which would ultimately cause Appleton to withdraw.

Anarchism and communism

Career

References

External links