Left anarchist

The terms left anarchism and left-wing anarchism distinguish collectivist anarchism from laissez-faire anarchism and right-libertarian philosophies. They refer to philosophies which posit a future society in which private property is replaced by reciprocity and non-hierarchical society. The term left anarchism is sometimes used synonymously with libertarian socialism,left-libertarianism, or socialist anarchism. More traditional anarchists typically discourage the concept of "left-wing" theories of anarchism on grounds of redundancy, that it lends legitimacy to the notion that anarchism is compatible with capitalism or nationalism.

Ulrike Heider, a syndicalist, categorized anarchism into left anarchism, right anarchism (anarcho-capitalism), and green anarchism. Her work has been strongly criticised by anarchist academics including Bryan Caplan and Murray Bookchin for what they see as the poor quality of its research and presentation.