A number of terms, taken from different movements or theorists, are useful to mutualist practice. Dual power, counter-power, alternative social infrastructure, etc.

Evolution vs. revolution, etc.

Only in one sense--in the fact that it is an organized body of thought and that its proponents encourage others to get involved with mutualism. But it is not something thought up by some "great thinker" that should be imposed upon the masses. Mutualism is practical, grows out of, and is part of, real life experience. The creation of a mutualist society does not entail subscribing to a narrow doctrine or sect but merely generalizing what already exists. Mutualism is essentially pre-ideological.

It has to be so for the very good reason that mutualism, as a practice, predated mutualism as an ideology by several decades. The working class had been forming friendly societies, unions and other institutions for mutual aid and solidarity for more than a generation, before Owen and Proudhon came on the scene to explain to them what they had been doing.

Individual members of mutualist societies are free to belong to any political party or subscribe to any ideology they wish. Mutualist organizations, however, do not support parties not ideologies, for to do so would create division in the membership. Mutualism unites as broad a spectrum of the population as possible around the stated goals of the mutual aid society.

As with politics, individual members are free to belong to any church or belief system. The mutual aid society, unless one of a specifically religious nature, does not take a position on religion, once again attempting to unite as many people as possible around the organization's goals.

Many movements with a strong affinity for mutualist values are avowedly religious. These include Christian anarchist groups like the Tolstoyans, as well as Christian groups like the Catholic Worker movement and the Distributists (although not all distributists are religious). Gandhian economics resembles mutualism in many particulars.

ARE MUTUALISTS PACIFISTS?

Many mutualists are pacifists, but not all are. Generally speaking, mutualist movements are not ideologically pacifist. However, mutualism is non-violent in word and deed. By attempting to unite as many people as possible around common goals, by not espousing any violent revolutionary doctrines, mutualists avoid creating the climate of fear which gives rise to, and rationalizes the need for, violence.

In practice, it is unwise to initiate violent confrontation with the state. Much better to focus on education, building alternative forms of social org, defer question of rev. until exhausting possibilities for change within existing society. Quote Ed S. statement in The Match!. Need for overwhleming public support. Terror and guerrillaism are generally ineffective anyway unless the majority of the population is already united against a perceived common enemy (e.g., Intifada, Algerian Civil War). And the greater the level of public support obtained through education, the less violence will be involved in final revolutionary transition.

Bart de Ligt, The Conquest of Violence: "The greater the violence, the weaker the revolution, even where violence has deliberately been put at the service of the revolution."