Work · Socialism, Anarchism, Marxism & Critical Theory
The Conquest of Bread
A programme of anarchist communism: houses, food and goods belong to all and are shared according to need, not according to hours worked.
Introduction
La Conquête du pain was published in Paris in 1892 with a preface by Élisée Reclus; most chapters had appeared earlier as articles in the anarchist papers Le Révolté and La Révolte. Kropotkin argues that the wealth of modern societies is the joint product of past and present generations, so no one can claim a fair share by measuring individual labour; for this reason he rejects the wage system, including the collectivist version proposed by other socialists. He sketches how a revolutionary commune would expropriate housing, food and clothing and organise their free distribution, and claims that a few hours of work a day would be enough. The book was widely translated and became a standard text of anarchist communism.
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