The Possibility of Anarchy with Sophie Scott-Brown

Dilemma Podcast

In this conversation, Sophie Scott-Brown, historian and political philosopher, joins me to explore how anarchism isn’t just a theory, but a way of seeing, organizing, and acting in the world. We unpack the illusion of democracy, the dangers of temporary power, and what freedom actually means through an anarchist lens. When disaster strikes or institutions crumble, does anarchy step in as chaos—or as a natural form of human cooperation?More than just rebellion, anarchism is about rethinking power, human connection, and the structures we assume are necessary. We dig into direct action, mutual aid, the role of creativity, and even cryptocurrency—examining whether anarchism is best understood as a philosophy, an adjective, or a verb. If today’s systems are failing, what comes next? And could the answer have been here all along?00:00:00 Intro00:02:02 The Modern Collapse of Order and the Anarchist Lens00:05:45 Do We Have Democracy? Have We Ever?00:12:11 The Danger of Temporary Power00:24:23 The Structure And the Solutions00:32:19 Anarchy in a Disaster00:34:31 The Existential Purpose of Civilizations00:46:18 What Is Freedom To an Anarchist00:50:25 Anarchy And Human Connection00:58:59 Anarchy as Chaos and Anarchy as Possibility01:03:53 Nihilism Versus Anarchism01:10:24 The Radical Fifties and The First Cold War01:14:23 Cryptocurrency and Anarchy at Scale01:22:02 Is Anarchy a Philosophy or Adjective or Verb?01:24:03 Protest Versus Direct Action and When We Join The Conversation01:30:44 When Nihilism Burns Itself Out and The Necessary Anarchist Creativity