Ive been thinking about and reading/listening to a number of anarchist perspectives recently, especially perspectives on mutual aid and collective freedom.

It was a fun exercise chatting to GPT about anarchist criticisms and sympathies to the three options you offered.

Going back to my university where the Phil. department had a deep Ethics focus, I was struck then as I am now that the exercise of weighing up these approaches against eachother with the goal of choosing the best is at most a fun intellectual game. Life is too messy for a rigid dogmatic ethical preference system.

More importantly for me, Im deeply skeptical of how each of Deontology, Consequentialism & Utilirarianism, and Virtue Ethics allow space for political and social power structures to manipulate the rules, valued outcomes, and what counts as virtue in our society.

Through the lense of anarchism, this was fun to think about (with GPT as a socratic aid)

### 1. Deontology

- **Critique**: Anarchists typically critique deontology for its emphasis on absolute moral rules and potential to justify authoritarian structures.

- **Alignment**: However, certain aspects of deontological ethics, like the emphasis on principles and the intrinsic value of human beings (as seen in Kant's idea of treating individuals as ends in themselves, not merely as means), can resonate with anarchist values. Anarchists might appreciate the deontological stance against using people merely as tools for an end, aligning with their respect for individual autonomy and dignity.

### 2. Consequentialism

- **Critique**: Anarchists often criticize consequentialism for its potential to overlook individual rights in pursuit of a greater good, leading to authoritarian outcomes.

- **Alignment**: There is, however, potential sympathy in the idea that the outcomes of actions matter, especially in terms of promoting overall freedom and reducing suffering. Some anarchists might align with a form of consequentialism that prioritizes the dismantling of oppressive structures and the enhancement of collective well-being, provided it doesn't infringe on individual autonomy.

### 3. Virtue Ethics

- **Critique**: While anarchists are wary of how virtues are socially constructed and potentially reflective of hierarchical values, they are not entirely dismissive of virtue ethics.

- **Alignment**: Anarchists might find significant alignment with virtue ethics, particularly in its focus on personal moral development and integrity. They may advocate for virtues that foster individual autonomy, mutual aid, empathy, and resistance to unjust authority. This synergy is seen in the anarchist emphasis on building a new society within the shell of the old, through the cultivation of personal and communal virtues that challenge existing power structures.

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So while each approach has a valuable perspective to offer, my primary concern would be ensuring that adopting any of these theories does not lead to frameworks for justifying authoritarianism and that the choice genuinely promotes mutual-aid as well as individual and collective freedom.