Pierre-Joseph Proudhon formulated mutualist anarchism, attacking exploitative property and centralized state power while defending federated association and reciprocal exchange.
Intellectual setting
Proudhon wrote amid French industrialization, revolution, socialism, and struggles over republican government.
Key ideas
Property and exploitation
His famous critique targets property as a claim to income and power detached from labor.
Federalism
Voluntary contracts and federations should replace centralized political hierarchy.
Legacy
Mutualist and federalist strands of anarchism continue to draw on his critique of property and centralized authority.