Theories of post-anarchism: Post-structuralism in political philosophy

The purpose of the study was to examine post-anarchism as a critique of standard ideologies of power and to assess its potential for social transformation. The study was conducted from September 2024 to February 2025, employing a post-structuralist analysis of power, political identity, and social structures. The findings indicated that post-anarchism conceptualises power not as a fixed hierarchical structure, but as a flexible process shaped through multiple social interactions. Post-anarchist theories demonstrate that the rejection of centralised mechanisms of authority becomes conceivable when alternative forms of social coordination are developed, based on principles of autonomy, mutual aid, and direct democracy. The analysis of contemporary initiatives, including horizontal networks and digital communities, demonstrated that post-anarchist approaches may contribute to the emergence of new models of civic engagement, although they remain vulnerable to latent forms of power arising from cultural and economic dependencies. Several paradoxes within post-anarchist models are identified, particularly the impossibility of completely eliminating power, even within highly decentralised structures. The results confirmed that post-anarchism simultaneously critiques conventional forms of authority while recognising the necessity of certain regulatory mechanisms to maintain social cohesion. The study further showed that in response to the challenges of globalisation and digitalisation, post-anarchism places emphasis on flexible, contextually adaptive forms of political subjectivity that may shift according to situational demands. Limitations of the post-anarchist perspective in addressing social equality were observed, since the absence of universal standards poses risks of newly emerging inequalities, which arise naturally from asymmetries in resources and access to information. Nevertheless, post-anarchism offers valuable opportunities for critical reflection on political freedom and autonomy within contemporary post-structural realities. The conclusions may inform further analysis of the transformative potential of post-structuralist theories of power, the rethinking of political identity models, and the development of strategies aimed at fostering more flexible and open social structures