Anarchism is a political philosophy or group of philosophies and attitudes centered on rejection of any form of (hierarchical) authority or (compulsory) government (cf. "state"), and supporting its elimination.. The term "anarchism" derives from the Greek αναρχία ("without archons" or "without rulers").
There are a variety of types and traditions of anarchism with various points of difference. However, the varieties are not particularly well characterized and not all of them are mutually exclusive. Other than the description above, "there is no single defining position that all anarchists hold, and those considered anarchists at best share a certain family resemblance." Different anarchists prefer several different economic systems, although nearly all favor a variation of socialism.