What is the difference between anti-politics and nihilism?

Answer 1

Well, one thing's for sure and that is it's anyone's guess what really comprises them as bodies of thought. As well as it being debatable whether they can even be considered bodies of thought in the first place. [I'm sticking by this.]

Among some people anti-politics in conjunction with nihilism have been fleshed out as ideas to some extent, but it's only really a handful of people. This isn't to say that anti-politics is an impenetrable concept that requires years of study or some shite like that, it's just that it never was a formally coined phrase to describe anything in particular. It was just an intuitive description from the start. This is in contrast to “nihilism” which has a formal meaning and was very likely applied in retrospect by some scholar or other. It's in the dictionary for all to see. But for me it basically boils down to an extreme attachment to thinking for yourself, even if that thought comes at the cost of effectiveness, relevance, organization and other priorities of the movement. Having no belief. In the big picture, this basically translates into the idea of social revolution. (See dot's answer for an implicit explanation of that.)

I now realize that anti-politics, for most anarchists, has replaced the phrase “post-left” in that it is used as a broad description of anti-Left anarchism. But for me, it takes on a more specific meaning: that, generally speaking, revolutionary agency isn't grounded in people's opinions, their political beliefs, their culture, their God, or their democratic participation. The opposition to leftism is really a given for me at this point, and I've encountered scrutiny and opposition to the Left among people who have never considered their ideas as being anti-political. I lost perspective I suppose.

Yes, there is a difference.

Answer 2

in "From Politics to Life:ridding anarchy of the the leftist millstone", as part of defining what a break from the Left would entail (the Left being political) Wolfi Landstreicher says:
"The rejection of a political perception of social struggle; a recognition that revolutionary struggle is not a program, but is rather the struggle for the individual and social reappropriation of the totality of life. As such it is inherently anti-political. In other words,it is opposed to any form of social organization — and any method of struggle — in which the decisions about how to live and struggle are separated from the execution of those decisions regardless of how democratic and participatory this separated decision-making process may be."

Guerre au Paradis says this about a nihilism that would be embraced by today's nihilists:"When the nihilists of the 19th century threw their bombs into crowds, they were acting from the expression of a pure negativity, from a radical and global refusal of society, anxiously awaiting the end times, the end of the world, of making a definite end to a life devoid of sense. There was something to destroy. More precisely: everything was to be destroyed. "

and Voline says:"But the true basis of “nihilism” was a sort of characteristic individualism. Risen, first, as a normal reaction against all that, especially in Russia, crush free and individual thought, its bearer, this individualism ended by renouncing, in the name of an absolute individual liberty, all the constraints, all the shackles, obligations and traditions imposed on individuals by the family, society, customs, mores, beliefs, etc... Complete emancipation of the individual, man or woman, from all that could attack its independence or the liberty of its thought: such was the fundamental idea of “nihilism.” It defended the sacred right of the individual to complete liberty, and the inviolable privacy of existence."

i see anti-political as a large category that includes nihilism as a sub-category.

Comments

So for other anarchists is anti-politics simply the departure from the Left? That makes sense. I didn't consider that. I may have lost some perspective.

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post-left and anti-political are related sure, but i wouldn't say they're synonymous. post-left is a a label for a specific argument taken up by a smallish group of people. anti-political is a name that is perhaps only used by a small group of people, but a name that refers to a huge raft of behaviors and ideas. but maybe i just think of them that way because of how i have been exposed to them. as both terms get further away from their origins, i guess they do start to seem like the same thing.

Answer 3

to me nihilism is a perspective with overemphasizes negativity and it is related to pessimism. anti-politics is a concept that implies a negation or criticism of mainstream politics but anarchists can be creative and positive people in the sense of Nietzsche who talked about "creating new values". A self-managed social centre is an example of anti-politics in practice but at the same time it is an alternative social and political space and so is something positive and creative.

It seems to me that an emphasis in a relationship of anarchism with "nihilism" is something that helps the system in pepetuating a stereotype of anarchists as merely destructive negative people without an alternative vision to offer to the current system.  It might be my personal anarchist perspective but if someone asks me to give them an actual reality that could give one a good idea of what anarchism is about it is clear that i will not show that person pictures of black blocs smashing store windows but a Self managed social centre or a workers cooperative.