‘The liberty of man consists solely in this: that he obeys natural laws because he has himself recognized them as such, and not because they have been externally imposed upon him by any extrinsic will whatever, divine or human, collective or individual.’
‘If God really existed, it would be necessary to abolish him.’
God and the State is one of Bakunin's most important works and a classic in anarchist thought. Originally an unfinished manuscript, the work was discovered and published by two prominent anarchists after Bakunin’s death. Despite its brevity, the book offers a powerful critique of the dangers of authority and religion. Fundamentally concerned with self-determination and freedom, Bakunin feared any authority that can infringe on the freedom of the individual. For Bakunin, religion is a weapon of the state used for the enslavement of humanity. In order to achieve true self-determination, all authority, including religion, must be removed. God and the State is a good introduction to anarchist philosophy and a mind-opening experience that will challenge readers even if they are unconvinced by anarchism as a whole.
Mikhail Bakunin was a Russian revolutionary agitator and a major figure in 19th century anarchism. His ideological dispute with Karl Marx caused a split between the anarchists and the Marxists in the revolutionary socialist movement.