POLITICS

What is Veganarchy

and why is it the only true form of anarchism?

Image by Author via Canva

Somebody recently asked me “What is Veganarchy?” The question was raised in relation to the ‘veganarchy’ symbol, which you can see an example of in the image above. I explained that it’s a melding of two symbols — the anarchists’ Ⓐ symbol combined with the Ⓥ symbol of veganism. As such, it represents a logical extension of the fundamental values of anarchism — freedom from oppression, non-domination, self-management and radical egalitarianism.

There is a commonly-held misconception — a myth sown in the public consciousness by propaganda — that anarchists believe in chaos and mindless violence. In fact, anarchism is neither of those things. The word ‘anarchy’ comes from the Greek ‘anarchos’ meaning ‘without a ruler’. It is, in essence, a doctrine of anti-authoritarianism, a social justice movement active since the seventeenth century which seeks to abolish domination and replace it with a radical egalitarianism.

The irony is that while many self-proclaimed ‘anarchists’ pay lip service to these values, they don’t extend their circle of egalitarianism beyond their own species. Like most ordinary people, while they may condemn racism, sexism, religious persecution and so on, they continue to oppress and exploit individuals of other species based on…