Social anarchism (sometimes referred to as socialist anarchism) is a non-state form of socialism and is considered to be the branch of anarchism which sees individual freedom as being dependent upon mutual aid. Social anarchist thought emphasizes community and social equality as complementary to autonomy and personal freedom.
Social anarchists advocate the conversion of present-day private property into social property or the commons, while retaining respect for personal property. The term is used to describe those who—contra anarchist individualism—place an emphasis on the communitarian and cooperative aspects of anarchist theory; while also opposing authoritarian forms of communitarianism associated with groupthink and collective conformity, instead favouring a reconciliation between individuality and sociality.
It is considered an umbrella term which includes (but is not limited to) the post-capitalist economic models of anarchist communism, collectivist anarchism, and (sometimes) mutualism; as well as the trade union approach of anarcho-syndicalism, the social struggle strategies of platformism and specifism, and the environmental philosophy of social ecology.
The term "social anarchism" is often used interchangeably with libertarian socialism,left-libertarianism, or left anarchism. It emerged in the late 19th century as a distinction from individualist anarchism.