God and the State

God and the State is a collection of essays and letters written by the Russian anarchist and revolutionary, Mikhail Bakunin. The book explores Bakunin’s ideas on the role of religion and the state in society, and argues that both institutions are oppressive and should be abolished. Bakunin argues that religion is a tool used by the ruling class to control the masses, and that the state is a violent institution that serves the interests of the wealthy and powerful. He advocates for a society based on voluntary association and mutual aid, in which individuals are free to pursue their own interests without interference from the state or religious authorities. Bakunin’s ideas have had a profound impact on anarchist and socialist thought, and his work remains relevant today as a critique of the role of religion and the state in modern society.Who are right, the idealists or the materialists? The question once stated in this way hesitation becomes impossible. Undoubtedly the idealists are wrong and the materialists right. Yes, facts are before ideas; yes, the ideal, as Proudhon said, is but a flower, whose root lies in the material conditions of existence. Yes, the whole history of humanity, intellectual and moral, political and social, is but a reflection of its economic history.This scarce antiquarian book is a facsimile reprint of the old original and may contain some imperfections such as library marks and notations. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment for protecting, preserving, and promoting the world’s literature in affordable, high quality, modern editions, that are true to their original work.