William Godwin developed an early philosophical anarchism that criticized government, coercion, property, and inherited authority in the name of impartial reason and human perfectibility.
Intellectual setting
Godwin wrote during the French Revolution controversies and amid British radical debates about reform, rights, and public order.
Key ideas
Political justice
Social institutions should be judged by whether they foster independent rational judgment rather than obedience.
Anti-government
Government is a harmful and temporary expedient, not an ultimate source of moral authority.
Legacy
His critique of political authority is a major starting point for later anarchist thought despite important differences over organization and economics.