* LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, presumably the honor you have done me in inviting me to address you today on "The relationship with the individual State" is primarily due to a combination of circumstances that made me so in aulche a leading exponent of modern anarchist theory - a theory that is becoming increasingly seen as one of the few that offer a solid foundation for political and social life. In his name, so I'll talk to discuss this subject that underlies and touches clearly almost all practical problems with which this generation is facing. The future of the duties, taxation, finance, property, women, marriage, family, suffrage, education, invention, literature, science, the arts, personal habits, the private nature , ethics, religion will be determined by which humanity will come to the conclusion as to whether and to what extent the individual must obey the state.
Anarchism, dealing with this subject, has found it necessary, first of all define its terms. Popular conceptions of political terminology as incompatible with strict accuracy required by scientific research. you can be sure that a deviation from the use of popular speech is accompanied by the risk of an erroneous understanding of the multitude, who persistently ignore the new definitions, but on the other hand, compliance with it can meet all ' deporevole even more confusion in the eyes of alternative specialist, who would be justified in attributing inaccuracy of thought where there is inaccuracy of expression. Take the term "State", for example, that particularly concerns us today. And 'the word on everyone's lips. But how many of those who use it have some idea of \u200b\u200bwhat they mean by it? And among the few who have it, that varieties concepts! Designamo the term "state" institutions representing absolutism in its extreme form and isituzioni temper that with more or less liberal. We apply the word in the same way isituzioni that do nothing but attack and institutions that, in addition to assault, to some extent protect and defend. But what is the function of the state, aggression or defense, few seem to know or care.
* Speech delivered at the annual session dell'Umanitarian Ministers' Institute, held in Salem Massachusetts October 14, 1890. p. 164
