Reading Political Justice

William Godwin is often recognized as the godfather of modern anarchism, and his 1793 work, Enquiry Concerning Political Justice, is an acknowledged classic of anarchist literature despite its age. In this essay, Art Efron attempts to re-evaluate Godwin’s work with a contemporary eye. He finds that, while not without some short-sighted flaws, Godwin’s work still provides “an extensive terrain” in which we can retrace the fundamental tenets of radical political philosophy.

Originally published in issue 24.