At the Café: Conversations on Anarchism

by Errico Malatesta, Paul Nursey-Bray (Translator), Piero Ammirato (Contributor)

While Malatesta was hiding from the police he regularly went to a café in Ancona, Italy. He had shaved off his usual beard but he was still taking a risk. Especially as this wasn't an anarchist café, but had a variety of customers including the local policeman. The conversations he had in this café became the basis for the dialogues that make up this book.

For the first time in English, Malatesta, in his usual commonsense and matter-of-fact style, sets out and critically analyses the arguments for and against anarchism. Translated by Paul Nursey-Bray, this is a classic defence of anarchism that anticipates the rise of nationalism, fascism and communism.

Genres: Politics, Nonfiction, Philosophy, Theory, Anarchism, Italy, History

157 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1922

About the author

Errico Malatesta (December 14, 1853 – July 22, 1932) was an Italian anarchist. He spent much of his life exiled from Italy and in total spent more than ten years in prison. Malatesta wrote and edited a number of radical newspapers and was also a friend of Mikhail Bakunin. He was an enormously popular figure in his time. According to Brian Doherty, writer for Reason magazine, "Malatesta could get tens of thousands, sometimes more than 100,000, fans to show up whenever [he] arrived in town." (Wikipedia)

Reviews

[Alex Khlopenko · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not my first rodeo, but I cried twice at the beauty of the simplicity of his argument and the fact that we have lost so much time while we could be living such beautiful, peaceful lives.

[Viral · Rating 5 out of 5]

I always struggle to respond to both good faith and bad faith criticisms of anarchism with a clear concise description of what we want from the world. Malatesta spent his whole life agitating for the liberation of the working class and was a strong believer in making revolutionary theory and practice approachable for all working people. At the Cafe is Malatesta's dramatization of his many cafe conversations with liberals and conservatives about anarchism in the form of a Socratic dialogue that very succinctly articulates the anarchist critiques of the state, private property, capitalism, organized religion, nationalism, and the police. He raises all the classic counters to anarchism and deftly deals with them, leaving messages that are still powerful and resonate today. Highly highly recommend.

[Andreas Breunig · Rating 4 out of 5]

Errico Malatesta (1853–1932) was an Italian anarcho-communist activist and writer who composed these Dialogues between the late 1890s and October 1920, when he was (once more) arrested. After multiple own revisions, interruptions by war and exile, they were published in 1922 by Luigi Fabbri.

I bought this short book while in Rome, because I am always interested in thinkers and authors of the respective countries I am visiting. Malatesta being the most famous Italian anarchist, I was expecting interesting ideas or an especially persuasive argumentation to gain from, especially since the introduction promised the Socratic-style Conversations to be free of straw men.

In the first dialogue I was then shocked and let down by the one-dimensional adversary, Prospero, the discussant representing the bourgeoise. If it weren’t for Trump, who was constantly talking about the Venezuelan oil on live television during my read, I would not have believed that any member of the ruling class could be so direct, blunt and shameless talking about their intentions. Fortunately dialogue two offered completely different discussants, with Giorgio henceforth defending and explaining anarchism very well, while Ambrogio, a public official, interjecting criticism.

Therefore, the short book ended up as a trenchant critique of capitalism with remarks on property, government and the revolution. I am however disappointed that while the critique of the then (and current) political and economic systems is very pointed, the unveiled Vision of anarcho-communism stays vague and broad, with little explanations on how tangible challenges to society could be overcome.

Here is a short summary of the dialogues and a list of my highlighted quotes:

Dialogue I: Introduction to the café.
Dialogue II: Critique of private property and its role in poverty.
Dialogue III: Further attack on private property and capitalism (including Malthusian and free-trade discussion).
Dialogue IV: Argument for radical change of the property regime and a stateless society.
Dialogue V: Analysis of the origin of property and the case for abolishing property rights.
Dialogue VI: Case for common ownership and the introduction of communism and mutual aid.
Dialogue VII: Defence of free communism and contrast with authoritarian communism.
Dialogue VIII: Examination and critique of government, the state, parliamentarianism, and representation.
Dialogue IX: Rebuttal of objections to statelessness and development of mutual-aid arguments.
Dialogue X: Sex, love, the family, and the refutation of inherent bases for gender inequality.
Dialogue XI: Approaches to criminality and communal responses without state institutions.
Dialogue XII: Division of labour, voluntary rotation of tasks, and justification for revolutionary violence.
Dialogue XIII: Critique of republicanism and its reliance on government and representation.
Dialogue XIV: Anarchism as a distinct, deeper revolutionary rupture than prior political revolutions.
Dialogue XV: Argument that policing institutionalises crime and that social defence is communal.
Dialogue XVI: Rejection of nationalism and patriotism as bourgeois devices; call for class solidarity.
Dialogue XVII: Distinction from parliamentary and authoritarian socialism and rejection of evolutionary reformism.

When we do not know the causes of an evil and we don't have solutions, well, there is not much we can do about it; but as soon as the solution is found, it becomes everybody's concern and duty to put it into practice. (III, p. 27)

Capitalism is the same everywhere. In order to survive and prosper it needs a permanent situation of partial scarcity: it needs it to maintain its prices and to create hungry masses to work under any conditions. (III, p. 30)

[W]hen one eats well work is no longer threatening. (III, p. 33)

Imagine, and this is something that has been witnessed many times, that an earthquake destroys a city ruining an entire district. In a little time the city is reconstructed in a form more beautiful than before and not a trace of the disaster remains. Because in such a case it is in the interests of proprietors and capitalists to employ people, the means are quickly found, and in the blink of an eye an entire city is reconstructed, where before they had continually asserted that they lacked the means to build a few "workers' houses" (IV, p. 38)

The truth is that for land, even more than for the rest, the origin of private property, is violence. (V, p. 50)

Laws are made and unmade to please the strongest. Those who are a little stronger than the average violate them; those who are very much stronger repeal them, and make others to suit their interests. (VI, p. 58)

I am by no means saying that we should maintain idlers, when they are in such numbers as to cause damage: I am very afraid that idleness and the habit of living off others may lead to a desire to command. Communism is a free agreement: who doesn't accept it or maintain it, remains outside of it. (VII, p. 69)

How could there be liberty without a possible alternative? (VII, p. 70)

In fact, the major damage caused by crime is not so much the single and transitory instance of the violation of the rights of a few individuals, but the danger that it will serve as an opportunity and pretext for the constitution of an authority that, with the outward appearance of defending society will subdue and oppress it. (XI, p. 101)

It is we, the proletariat, the oppressed class, who are the electricians and gas-fitters, we who drive the locomotives, it is we who make the explosives and shape the mines, it is we who drive automobiles and aeroplanes, it is we who are the soldiers... it is we, unfortunately, that defend you against our-selves. You only survive because of the unwitting agreement of your victims. Be careful of awakening their consciousness... (XII, p. 108)

I don't believe that moral transformation will come suddenly, out of the blue. Of course, a large, an immense change will take place through the simple fact that bread is assured and liberty gained; but all the bad passions, which have become embodied in us through the age-old influence of slavery and of the struggle between people, will not disappear at a stroke. There will still be for a long time those who will feel tempted to impose their will on others with violence, who will wish to exploit favourable circumstances to create privileges for themselves, who will retain an aversion for work inspired by the conditions of slavery in which today they are forced to labour, and so on. (XV, p. 131)

As far as the "laws of history", they are formulated after history is made. Let us first of all make history. (XVII, p. 152)

[Δημήτρης · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ο Errico Malatesta υπήρξε μια τεράστια μορφή του ελεύθερου Κομμουνισμού και του Αναρχικού κινήματος στην Ιταλία, και όχι μόνο. Την περίοδο στην οποία των έψαχναν οι αρχές και εκείνος είχε ξυρίσει το γνωστό μουστάκι και γένι του, είχε στέκι ένα καφενείο κάθε άλλο παρά κακόφημο ή στέκι περιθωριακών και προλετάριων. Αντιθέτως, εκεί γνώρισε πολύ κόσμο διαφορετικών τάξεων και απόψεων. Ένας μεγαλοαστός δικαστής υπέρμαχος του ήδη υπαρκτού συστήματος, ένας βετεράνος πολέμου, ένας σοσιαλιστής υπέρμαχος της αστικής δημοκρατίας και το πώς μπορούν να αλλάξουν τα πράγματα εκ των έσω κ.α. Τις συζητήσεις αυτές αποτύπωσε στο βιβλίο του, εξηγώντας με πολύ απλό τρόπο την αναρχική ιδεολογία και ηθική, απαντώντας σε ερωτήσεις που σκοπό είχαν να κολλήσουν στον τοίχο τον Αναρχισμό. Πολλές από τις απόψεις αυτές φαντάζουν ουτοπικές αλλά όπως μου είχε πει και ένας σοφός συγγενής μου "Ουτοπία είναι αυτό που όταν το πλησιάζεις ένα βήμα, αυτό απομακρύνεται δέκα. Αλλά μας κάνει να περπατάμε".
Σίγουρα πρόκειται για ένα βιβλίο που αν ήθελα να εξηγήσω σε κάποιον τι σημαίνει αναρχική ιδεολογία, αυτό θα πρότεινα.

[Clau Roty · Rating 4 out of 5]

apurando el 2024 para empezar el año con el pie izquierdo

[Jade · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wish Malatesta was my intro to anarchist theory. I’d take this over Kropotkin any day.

[snailsnail]

Real good. I really enjoyed reading this. Simple, without being simplistic, I think it serves as a good introduction to the majority of anarchist principals.
It consists of a series of short discussions on fundamentals of anarchist thought, the discussions are only nominally conversations though, because the anarchist's interlocutors rarely get a chance to answer back, and thus it never overstays its welcome, and invites deeper exploration.
I think there are some gaps, particularly in the area of building support, and I think some will find its meek opponents frustrating—the anarchist is never really challenged on any point. Still, as I said, I think it's a good introduction and an enjoyable read.

[Claudia Mason · Rating 5 out of 5]

This should be mandatory reading

[Diamantis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Πέντε αστέρια για τον απλούστατο και κατανοητό τρόπο με τον οποίο παρουσιάζει ο συγγραφέας κάποιες βασικές ιδέες του αναρχισμού.Το πιο ενδιαφέρον είναι ότι παρατίθενται επιπλέον με εξαιρετικό τρόπο τα επιχειρήματα και όσων διαφωνούν με τους αναρχικούς, δίνοντας ελεύθερο πεδίο στον αναγνώστη να προβληματιστεί και να συμμετέχει κατά κάποιο τρόπο στο διάλογο για που γίνεται σε κάποιο καφενείο της Ιταλίας ανάμεσα σε αναρχικούς, δημοκρατικούς και σοσιαλιστές.

[Bjarni Ágústsson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mjög góð bók Malatesta nær að útskýra anarkisma mjög vel og á mjög einfaldan hátt. Það einfaldan að hver sem gæti skilið hann. Hún er líka sett upp á mjög skemmtilegan hátt, þetta er meira eins og að lesa handrit en bók. Ég er sammála honum um næstum allt nema hann missir mig í endann þegar hann segir að sósíalísk ríkisstjórn myndi ekki gera neitt gagn nema að kæfa byltinguna

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5. Han passat cent anys i encara està vigent, salvant les distàncies generacionals i els canvis en alguns aspectes polítics, una obra universal.

[Kai Lin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Me when I win made-up arguments in the shower.

[Garret Giblin · Rating 3 out of 5]

enjoyed the format of a series of dialogues dealing with different issues

[Matias Heino · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tää on loistava kirja anarkismista, suosittelisin tätä johdatukseksi aatteeseen ennemmin kuin esim. Leivän valloitusta.

[Andrea · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is quite a good exposition of what could be, and how we could get there...it is rather theoretical of course but in simple language. And I liked the format of question and answer, although I do doubt that anyone sitting in an Italian cafe would have such a courteous and expository dialog. It certainly makes it easier to read and highlights the common questions that come up in any discussion of a better future. The fundamental one being human nature of course, but surrounding that the need for a government (or not), the need for police and soldiers, the meaning of patriotism, the nature of private property and its role in producing inequality, the meaning of freedom...and there is a wee bit in there about how we can get to the world we want, the role of organizers in preparing the way to a better future. And it touches on the role of violence as well, but only a little which is not surprising given when and where Malatesta was writing and publishing this. It's a quick and very clear read that is thought provoking and which I found incredibly interesting and useful in thinking about social change.

[Pieter-Jan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Naturally it's a bit outdated, but its literary form (100% dialogue) is an incredibly entertaining way to bring across and argue for the main theses of the book.

[Tim · Rating 1 out of 5]

Assuming this book conveys mainstream anarchism well, this book did a very good job of clarifying to me how nonsensical and fantasy-like anarchism is as an ideology.

[Laurens · Rating 4 out of 5]

These are entertaining dialogues inspired by real conversations between Malatesta and other visitors at the café in the city of Ancona he was living (and hiding) in 1897.

I find him one of the most clear and enjoyable authors on libertarian socialist/anarchist ideas, means and ends.

The dialogues are with a varied group of conversation partners (eg. magistrate, authoritarian socialist, small business owner, republican, etc.) and cover many important topics like socialist revolution, capitalism, hierarchical power structures, anarcho-communism, scientific and technological development, laws and human rights, liberty, (representative) democracy, nationalism, and so on.

Really useful as a primer to understanding what social anarchism is all about, and it also answered some of the big questions I still had. Since it was written in the late 19th and early 20th century it feels a bit outdated concerning some topics, and in a way some issues have become even more insidious since. For example the recent global (neoliberal) capitalist order, the influence of transnational corporations and tech companies, new forms of colonialism, etc. Or the failings of the authoritarian left and the horrors of the USSR and the Chinese "Communist" Party, which many anarchists perfectly analysed, described, and predicted long before it even took place. We should definitely take their analysis of the mechanisms of hierarchical power structures very seriously.

Also a more ecological perspective is lacking in this work, but we can't really blame him for this. After all, the ecological perspective and a dynamical, complex systems analysis is part of more modern forms of anarchist thought (and science as a whole). The defenders of other perspectives in the dialogues were not that great, although I'm sure the refutations and criticisms of anarchism would still be valid with better advocates. I've seen many examples of this in more recent discussions between anarchists and capitalists or authoritarian socialists. The dialogues and conflicts are still evolving to this day, though anarchism has been misrepresented by both of the other (relatively large) parties.

I love Malatesta for his spirit, love for humanity, balance between idealism and pragmatism, and willingness to live according to his principles, and actively trying to build dual power structures as an alternative to capitalism and authoritarian statism.

I'm excited to dive deeper into his and other anarchists' body of work.

[Ερωφίλη · Rating 5 out of 5]

Τους τελευταίους μήνες λόγω κοινωνικοπολιτικών γεγονότων που έχουν συμβεί και ερεθισμάτων με τα οποία έχω έρθει σε επαφή συνειδητοποίησα ότι το κράτος δεν μπορεί να μου προσφέρει ασφάλεια και δικαιοσύνη - ακόμη και αν το κάνει, θα είναι μια προστασία οφειλόμενη στην κοινωνικό - οικονομική μου τάξη. Ένα άτομο που ανήκει σε μια μειονότητα θα είχε δυσμενέστερη από εμένα διαχείρηση και αυτό μου προκαλεί ένα άβολο συναίσθημα. Σημαντικό βήμα στην ανεξαρτητοποίησή μου αυτό. Παρακολούθησα την ταινία «εκεί που τραγουδούν οι καραβίδες» της οποίας το θέμα εξετάζει την νομιμότητα των πράξεων μας και τις συνθήκες υπό τις οποίες ένα άτομο διαπράττει ένα έγκλημα: μια κοπέλα σκοτώνει έναν άντρα που προσπαθεί να την βιάσει. Αυτή η ταινία ήρθε και έδεσε με την προηγούμενη συνειδητοποίησή μου σχετικά με την δικαιοσύνη: η κοινωνία είναι ζούγκλα, πρέπει να προστατεύουμε τα εαυτά μας. Το βιβλίο του Μαλατέστα επιβεβαίωσε τη πρώτη συνειδητοποίηση αλλά κατά κάποιο τρόπο αιτιολόγησε τη δεύτερη: όντως η κοινωνία είναι ζούγκλα και οι πιο αδύναμοι είναι έρμαια στα χέρια των δυνατών οι οποίοι δυστυχώς έχουν τη δυνατότητα να νομοθετούν. Οι διάφορες μεταξύ των ανθρώπων, όμως, δεν είναι έμφυτες επειδή δεν υπάρχει κάποια έμφυτη ηθική ή δίκαιο. Επομένως, υπάρχει ελπίδα. Πανέμορφα επιχειρήματα, η πιο απλή και «αλέγκρα» πολιτική οπτική. Η αντιπρόταση που προτείνει (αντιπρόταση στην σημερινή κοινωνική διάρθρωση) είναι κάτι για το οποίο αξίζει να ζεις (ένας κολεκτιβιστικός τρόπος ζωής). Σε αυτό το βιβλίο γίνονται κατανοητές έννοιες όπως προστατευτισμός, ελεύθερο εμπόριο κτλ. Το βιβλίο είναι εντυπωσιακά επίκαιρο, ιδιαίτερα στα κοινωνικά ζητήματα: θίγει την ενδοοικογενειακή βία και το έμφυλο με τον τρόπο που θα το έθιγε κανείς σήμερα (χρησιμοποιεί, φυσικά διαφορετικούς όρους - δεν ξεχνάμε ότι συγγράφηκε 1 αιώνα πριν). Η αντίληψη περί εξουσίας στα παιδιά, ελευθερίας στον έρωτα και τον γάμο με βρίσκει απόλυτα σύμφωνη: θεωρώ ότι αυτή η αναδιοργάνωση της οικογένειας είναι ότι πιο κοντινό έχουμε στην «φύση» του ανθρώπου. Βιβλίο διαφωτιστικό όσον αφορά την έννοια της ελευθερίας. Στους δύο τελευταίους διαλόγους εξετάζεται η στάση της αναρχίας του Μαλατέστα απέναντι στην αστυνομία καθώς και κάποιες βασικές διάφορες της αναρχίας και του σοσιαλισμού. Βιβλίο - ιδανική εισαγωγή στην αναρχική φιλοσοφία.

[Pedro Jesus · Rating 3 out of 5]

Este libro viene a resumir de manera sencilla el anarquismo, explicado de forma clara y concisa, y abarcando gran parte de su esencia. La capacidad filosófica de Malatesta, su espíritu soñador y su capacidad de reflexión quedan reflejados sobremanera. Por contra, también se manifiesta la incapacidad humana para llevar a cabo un proyecto común entre otras cuestiones. Además, a mi juicio convendría aportar un punto de vista filosófico y psicológico, ya que sería interesante abordar la dualidad humana sobre el bien y el mal. Quizás eso daría pie a profundizar en el problema que se plantearía en una supuesta sociedad que pudiese llevar a cabo el ideal anarquista con los individuos que no quisieran participar de ella o bien quisieran establecer formas de dominio/gobierno.

[Leiki Fae · Rating 5 out of 5]

A small but dense book. Each chapter is a dialogue about one subject (police, violence, representative government, etc). Disenheartening to read about the same issues or the same rhetoric that we encounter today, but that also serves to support the basic logic of the anarchist orientation. If nothing else, at least the further left you explore, the more creative and optimistic people are about human potential. If you think humans are inherently wildly creative and capable on a large-scale of much more than we have achieved today, then you would find this book exciting.

[Gurpreet V · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great introduction to anarchist ideas. It contains discussions explaining most of the broad views that anarchists hold while also countering arguments against the views from various perspectives. The language used is simple and direct making it easy to visualize and understand each argument.

The views and examples still hold after over a century. He makes important points against hierarchies. I really liked the dialogue on feminism and his utter rejection of anti-feminist views, while still maintaining absolutely reasonable arguments.

[Wolfhat · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an excellent deep dive into anarchism without being overly long or too verbose. This book helped to answer some of my internal questions about anarchy and it also raised some new ones.
Cafe culture and intellectualism is not really a thing in the U.S so it is difficult to find third spaces to sit and talk about politics in the real world. This book is a good substitute and very well written as almost all of its points are still very relevant today.

I don't often re-read books but I think I want to with this one so that I can really internalize some of the topics brought up. I read this via e-book but now I want a physical copy to go back to.

[Cyrill · Rating 4 out of 5]

Malatesta makes a convincing argument for anarchism. I can vividly imagine Malatesta, coming and going about the city, pipe in mouth, discussing what needs to discussed. I would have loved to see some of the conversations in action, in real life.
It's a good book, could very vell function as an introduction to anarchism. It's quite short, 159 pages. The language is simple, clear and accessible, even though the book is one hundred years old. Great stuff.

[FlauFly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very enjoyable little book. Introduction to anarchism in the form of socratean dialogues is really amazing and I enjoyed it very much. Although I clearly can here some of the same arguments in my mind, even phrased in the same manner repeated by political opponents of anarchism to this day, dialogues have little bit of artificiality, but I guess it can't be helped in this form. Some threads are not resolved and some things could be more elaborated, but otherwise recommended lecture.

[Tom Booker · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very good way to introduce someone to the headline arguments for anarchism. The author actually provides his opponents with realistic and good arguments, which the anarchisy deftly responds. It is succinct and covers lots of ground. The main weakness is the advocacy of violent revolution. The author keeps stating that those that use force will not give up their power unless violence is used against them. Yet history shows this is not the case.

[Kevin · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very solid book to check out for those curious about anarchism. I'm already pretty familiar with the basics of anarchism so I already knew what most of Malatesta was putting out here, but I really like how it's written in dialogue form and there are conversations with different characters with different backgrounds and beliefs.

[Michael Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Although this is a translation from the original, Malatesta succeeds in laying out and explaining anarchist ideas, as well as providing answers to most arguments against them.

This is all done through a series of common language dialogues with people representing all corners of society from judges to war veterans.

[Saurabh Mathur · Rating 5 out of 5]

This short book is a highly accessible introduction to anarchist philosophy. The clarity of thought in Malatesta's arguments is remarkable. He explains ideas like freedom, violence, and internationalism so eloquently that it is hard to believe he wrote this >100 years ago.

[Philip · Rating 5 out of 5]

Clear, concise, and poignant arguments against monarchism, democratic republicanism, and reformist and authoritarian socialism. Anarchist, free communism is freedom for all, but no freedom to exploit or subjugate!