Anarchism comes from a Greek word meaning without government.
Anarchism dates back to ancient times. Anarchism also appeared among early Christian groups. Later anarchism proposed a social organization that was based on common ownership and free agreements, but its disciples differed among themselves in methods and forms. Pierre Joseph Proudhon of France, often called the father of anarchism, became the first to make anarchism a mass movement. Proudhon's philosophical, or individualistic, anarchism urged the willing cooperation of free individuals without any regulation or government.