Marxism and Anarchism: The Philosophical Roots of the Marx-Bakunin Conflict
Many superficial explanations have been given for the conflict between Marx and Bakunin, between Marxism and Anarchism. Some commentators have resorted to personality flaws to account for the conflict. A more promising line of explanation of their intractable differences, however, lies in an investigation into the profoundly divergent philosophical frameworks that served as the points of departure for their respective political analyses. As will be shown below, their foundational concepts are so incompatible that even their points of agreement are rendered more illusory than substantive.