Anti-statism

Opposition to state intervention Anti-statism is an approach to social, economic or political philosophy that opposes the influence of the state over society. It emerged in reaction to the formation of modern sovereign states, which anti-statists consider to work against the interests of the people. During the 19th century, anarchists formulated a critique of the state that upheld the inherently cooperative and decentralised aspects of human society. In the 20th century, anti-state neoliberals sought to cut state investment in the public sector and expand investment in the private sector. Other anti-state social movements sought to overthrow states through guerrilla warfare or limit states by establishing autonomous local institutions. Background The modern conception of the sovereign state emerged in the wake of the Peace of Westphalia, which defined the rights, obligations and boundaries of states, replacing the old system of feudalism. The consolidation of these new European states was supported by the concurrent rise of colonialism and mercantile capitalism, which built an economic base for sovereign states to establish a monopoly on violence and organise a bureaucracy. Anti-st