Mutual Aid

Written as a direct answer to the ‘nature red in tooth and claw’ reading of Darwin, this collection of essays argues that cooperation, not only competition, drives evolution. Drawing on his years watching wildlife in Siberia and on wide historical reading, Kropotkin traces mutual aid through the animal kingdom, tribal societies, medieval guilds and free towns, and the everyday solidarity of ordinary working people. He contends that species and communities which support one another are the ones that tend to survive and flourish. Part natural history and part political argument, the book became a cornerstone of anarchist thought and still informs debates in biology and ethics. Free PDF and EPUB editions are available here.