MUTUAL AID

A Factor of Evolution” is a 1902 work by Russian anarchist philosopher Peter Kropotkin. Kropotkin explores the role of mutually-beneficial cooperation and reciprocity (or mutual aid ) in the animal kingdom and human societies both past and present.  It is an argument against the competition-centered theories of so-called social Darwinism, as well as the romantic depictions of cooperation presented by writers such as Jean-Jacques Rousseau, who argued it was motivated by universal love rather than self-interest.  “Mutual Aid” is considered a fundamental text in anarchist communism, presenting a scientific basis for communism alternative to the historical materialism of the Marxists.  Many biologists also consider it an important catalyst in the scientific study of cooperation.