Gustav Landauer

The 12 Articles of the Socialist Federation

1908

First edition, June 14, 1908

Article 1

The basic form of socialist culture is the federation of independently managed economic communities trading together in justice.

Article 2

This Socialist Federation, following the path shown by history, replaces governments and the capitalist economy.

Article 3

The Socialist Federation accepts as the goal of its efforts the word republic in its original meaning: the cause of the common good.

Article 4

The Socialist Federation declares the goal of its efforts to be anarchy in its original meaning: order through voluntary associations.

Article 5

The Socialist Federation includes all working men who want the social order of the Socialist Federation. Its task is neither proletarian politics nor class war, which are both necessary accessories of capitalism and the power-state, but struggle and organization for socialism.

Article 6

The real effectiveness of the Socialist Federation can begin only when greater portions of the masses have joined it. Until then its task is propaganda and composure.

Article 7

The members of the Socialist Federation want to put their work in the service of their consumption.

Article 8

They combine their power of consumption to exchange the products of their work with the help of their exchange bank.

Article 9

They send ahead pioneers to inland settlements of the Socialist Federation to produce everything themselves as far as possible, including the products of the earth.

Article 10

Culture is not based on any particular forms of technology or of satisfying needs, but on the spirit of justice.

Article 11

These settlements are to be only models of justice and joyous work: not means to attain the goal. The goal can be attained only when the land comes into the hands of the socialists by means other than purchase.

Article 12

The Socialist Federation aims for the right and hence the power to abolish private ownership of the land at the time of transition by great fundamental measures, and to give all citizens the possibility to live in culture and happiness by combining industry and agriculture in independently operated trading communities on the basis of justice.