Errico Malatesta

The difficulty which Anarchists meet with in spreading their views does not depend upon the name they have given themselves, but upon the fact that their conceptions strike at all the inveterate prejudices that people have about the function of government, or the State, as it is called.

Suppose a doctor brings forward a complete theory, with a thousand ably invented illustrations, to persuade that man with the bound limb whom we were describing, that, if his limb were freed, he could not walk, could not even live. The man would defend his bands furiously, and consider any one his enemy who tried to tear them off.

constitution of a free and equal society, based upon harmony of interests, and the voluntary contribution of all to the satisfaction of social needs.

State is used also simply as a synonym for society.

the word State, meaning thereby that collection of institutions, political, legislative, judicial, military, financial, etc.,

In this case the word State means government

Thus the word State is often used to indicate any given society,

State again is meant only the supreme administration of a country, the central power, distinct from provincial or communal power

others think that Anarchists wish merely for a territorial decentralization, leaving the principle of government intact, and thus confounding Anarchy with cantonal or communal government.

would be better to use the expression abolition of the State as little as possible, and to substitute for it another clearer and more concrete--abolition of government.