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Revision as of 09:36, 11 December 2024 by Aristoxène (talk | contribs) (→History)(diff) ← Previous revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff)Between Peasants: A Dialogue on Anarchy (Fra Contadini: Dialogo sull'anarchia in Italian) is an anarchist dialogue written in 1884 by Errico Malatesta. The work, the most famous of Malatesta's literary productions, presents a conversation between two peasants, Berto and Giorgio, on the topic of anarchy.
In this text, Malatesta develops several aspects of his thought, including his staunch opposition to reformism and his preference for propagandists and anarchists to use simple and comprehensible formulas rather than grand theoretical ideas. The author also defends the concept of use property in place of private property. It has been translated into at least twelve languages.
History
Malatesta wrote his essay in 1883–1884 during a severe economic crisis affecting the Italian rural economy, caused by the importation of American and Russian cereals into the Italian market. The text was also written in response to the development of the "legalitarian" path, promoted by the government and Italian social democrats. The revolutionary thus reacted to reformism.
The essay was translated into a dozen languages following its publication.