Theocracy as anarchy: An experience of comparative analysis of Judaism and anarchism

Abstract

At the turn of the 20th century, a popular historiosophical theme was the hypothesis tracing the origins of the Marxist utopia to Jewish notions of the Messianic kingdom, but in parallel, both within and outside the Jewish intellectual community, there was a lesser-known attempt to identify structural similarities between anarchism and Judaism. This work is devoted to its analysis by referring to the works of authors who insisted on the anti-state nature of Jewish religious consciousness, which is marked by both the desacralization of human power and the desire to remain under divine sovereignty, understood as the direct rule of God. This theocratic idea, permeated by an anarchist sensibility, was substantiated by its researchers in two primary ways. The first approach simultaneously references the biblical critique of earthly power — such as the pronouncements of Gideon, the fable of Jotham, and the judgments of Samuel — and the historical experience of early Israel. This experience included its primitive federalism, charismatic leadership, and the egalitarian ideals of the Period of the Judges, which stood in contrast to the deified, powerful, hierarchical state of ancient Egypt. This line of reasoning is found in the works of Martin Buber, Norbert Lohfink, and Jan Assmann. The second approach to justifying this theocracy appeals to the messianic idea, associating it with the overthrow of the “powers that be,” a utopian impulse to create an entirely new world preceded by revolutionary catastrophism, and a universal liberation that dismantles the power of coercive law. This path is evident in the works of Gershom Scholem and Michael Löwy. The article concludes by identifying two significant obstacles to aligning Judaism and anarchism: their fundamental worldview divergence (theocentrism vs. anthropocentrism) and domineering nature of the theocracy.