History - 2100

https://lucasvance.github.io/2100/history/

History - 2100

This article explores the intellectual history of achieving "socialist ends through market means," tracing its evolution from Adam Smith's moral markets, through Karl Marx's critique of capitalism, and Pierre-Joseph Proudhon's mutualism. It highlights 19th-century American individualist anarchists like Benjamin R. Tucker, who advocated for genuinely free markets devoid of state-backed privileges and monopolies to foster economic justice and worker empowerment. The article discusses how this tradition was marginalized by the rise of neoclassical economics and 20th-century ideological polarization, but notes its 21st-century revival by left-libertarians and market anarchists such as Kevin Carson. It argues that this philosophy offers a viable, decentralized alternative to both state socialism and corporate capitalism, aligning with core American values of liberty and voluntary cooperation.

lucasvance.github.io · 21 min · 5.9.2026

Note

wait. does this mean we have to wait till 2100? (note: i did not read the other chapters, just this section on the history of this line of thinking...)

i do feel that a lot of history is incorrectly taught as (a) a time line of events (b) a timeline only of forward progress (c) a timeline of inevitables

all of this culminates in a misunderstanding of why we have what we have today, a disconnect from who we were as a society previously and a lacking a strong motive to revisit past ideas that may not have worked out previously.

i'm not so sure mutualism and socialism through market means would work out. but there are edges to any theory of economy and gaurdrails have their values.

with that said, it would be helpful for those that are in power today to have to answer the question: could we do something better. and then for us to collectively try it.

Link

https://lucasvance.github.io/2100/history/

Published

2026

Summary

This article explores the intellectual history of achieving "socialist ends through market means," tracing its evolution from Adam Smith's moral markets, through Karl Marx's critique of capitalism, and Pierre-Joseph Proudhon's mutualism. It highlights 19th-century American individualist anarchists like Benjamin R. Tucker, who advocated for genuinely free markets devoid of state-backed privileges and monopolies to foster economic justice and worker empowerment. The article discusses how this tradition was marginalized by the rise of neoclassical economics and 20th-century ideological polarization, but notes its 21st-century revival by left-libertarians and market anarchists such as Kevin Carson. It argues that this philosophy offers a viable, decentralized alternative to both state socialism and corporate capitalism, aligning with core American values of liberty and voluntary cooperation.
#socialism#market means#anarchism#mutualism#libertarianism#adam smith#karl marx#proudhon#benjamin tucker#kevin carson#free markets#capitalism#economic justice#worker empowerment#decentralization#anti-capitalism#history of economic thought