Dominik Kulcsár

The present study deals with the notion of revolt, as present in the thought of Albert Camus and Peter Kropotkin. Although coming from different social, political and philosophical backgrounds, the two thinkers share a deep commitment to the values of freedom, solidarity, justice, and the necessity of revolt against oppression. Camus sees revolt as appealing to a shared human nature, uniting the person in revolt in a metaphysical solidarity with the rest of humanity. Kropotkin emphasizes the collective power of natural solidarity, grounded in mutual aid, as the key principle of organization that can spark a revolt against authority and lead to revolutionary societal emancipation. Despite the differences between Camus’ person in revolt and Kropotkin’s anarchist, both are committed to a resistance against the world of masters and slaves.

Jon Stewart’s revisitation of Bakunin in Hegel’s Century offers an opportunity to reflect on contemporary libertarian expressions of individual freedom. The most alarming support of such freedom found its expression in revolts against COVID-19 public health measures. The goal of this paper is to reflect on Bakunin’s concept of freedom and revolt, in order to answer the question whether this form of rebellion is a rational expression of human freedom. I proceed by explaining Bakunin’s theory of freedom in community and the concept of revolt. Then I move on to the critique of authority and science. In the concluding section, I present his critique of the State and point at the economic inequalities to show how they exacerbate the effects of COVID-19 pandemic. Lastly, I answer the question if revolt against pandemic measures can find justification in Bakunin’s premises.