Define the Following Terms: Michael Bakunin

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The Answer is Michael Bakunin (1814–1876) was a Russian revolutionary anarchist, socialist, and founder of collectivist anarchism. He is considered one of the most influential figures of anarchism and one of the principal founders of the social anarchist tradition. Bakunin's ideas were based on the belief that the freedom of the individual was the most important aspect of society, and he strongly opposed authoritarianism, the state, and organized religion.

Born into a noble family, Bakunin quickly became disillusioned with the aristocratic lifestyle. He spent much of his life in exile, traveling through Europe and engaging with various revolutionary movements. His extensive writings on anarchism and revolution were often published posthumously and have inspired numerous anarchist movements.

Bakunin's philosophy was centered on the concept of collectivism, where the means of production and property would be collectively owned, as opposed to being owned by the state (as in state socialism) or by private individuals (as in capitalism). He believed that the state should be abolished and that society should be organized from the bottom up through voluntary associations of free individuals and workers' collectives.

He famously clashed with Karl Marx and the followers of Marx within the First International (the International Workingmen's Association), arguing that Marx's ideas would lead to a dictatorship of the proletariat and not to a stateless, free society as he envisioned. This dispute eventually led to the split of the International into two factions: the Marxists and the anarchists.

Bakunin's legacy is his contribution to the development of anarchist theory and his tireless advocacy for a society based on freedom, equality, and mutual aid, free from the constraints of centralized authority.

Define the Following Terms: Michael Bakunin

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