Who we are
Institute for Anarchist Theory and History (IATH)
The Institute for Anarchist Theory and History (IATH) aims to stimulate, gather and disseminate historical and theoretical research on anarchism. In addition to material on the history of anarchism and theory of anarchism, IATH also has content linked to anarchist memory, discussions of theoretical-methodological and conjunctural issues carried out from a libertarian perspective, as well as primary sources, produced by anarchists themselves.
The IATH adopts an interdisciplinary and not necessarily academic approach. We accept contributions from interested parties — academics, autonomous researchers and anarchist militants — for publications on our website, as long as the publication conditions are respected.
It publishes texts by classic and contemporary authors, unpublished or not, and uses the quality of the texts and the seriousness in dealing with the subject as its main publication criteria. It accepts material in different languages (Portuguese, English, Spanish and French). It is managed by an Editorial Board (Council and Researchers and associated editors), which evaluates and approves publications and is responsible for the production and dissemination of the institute. It constitutes an independent initiative, with no links to companies, governments or political parties.
Anarchism constitutes an ideology/doctrine based on thought and action, on historically developed anarchist praxis. Since its emergence, in the second half of the 19th century, it has constituted a decisive ideological-doctrinal tool of unquestionable relevance for the struggles of the oppressed classes on the five continents, albeit between ebbs and flows. However, despite its broad impact, in historical and geographical terms, anarchism has been little studied and continues to be little known, inside and outside universities.
Since the beginning of the 20th century, basically two types of studies have been produced: a more militant and autonomous production, which has aimed, at the same time, to study anarchism and promote it; an academic production that, although scarce, has addressed some relevant topics. Anarchism has often been erased from history. In other cases, when treated by its adversaries and/or enemies, it has been completely misrepresented and/or ridiculed, by productions that reinforce common sense and/or approach the topic from an ideological perspective that, far from explaining it, only tends to reinforcing mistaken positions.
The increase in research on anarchism between the 1960s and 1980s was important and allowed for greater dissemination and significant advances. However, there are also relevant problems. There remain, mainly due to the influence of reference studies, methodological, theoretical and historical elements that complicate and limit the continuity of investigations. The process of globalization, strengthened in the late 1990s with the development and wider access to the internet, and the reorganization of anarchists in the last period have contributed to a change in context that offers immense possibilities for investigations in general, and of anarchism in particular.
Within this context, which presents difficulties and good perspectives, IATH intends to constitute another tool for serious studies of anarchism and its dissemination.
