Why I am an anarchist: insights into British anarchist thought and politics
Hosted by the Ralph Miliband Programme
In-person and online public event (LSE campus, venue tbc to ticketholders)
Tuesday 02 Dec 2025 6.30pm - 8pm
Anarchism has had a more powerful impact on political life than most people realise. What are the roots of this radical tradition? How has it had this impact? And what is the contemporary case for embracing it?
Meet our speaker and chair
Sophie Scott-Brown is a historian of activists and anarchists, rebels and radicals, critics and heretics. Her research explores the histories of political experimentation and their significance today. This is the focus of her new book, The Radical Fifties: Activist Politics in Cold War Britain. She is currently working on Anarchy in Mind, an exploration of contemporary anarchic thinkers in the arts, sciences, and social sciences.
Robin Archer teaches political sociology at LSE, and is the director of the postgraduate programme in that subject. His first degree was in physics, mathematics and philosophy at Sydney University where he received the University Medal. A Commonwealth Scholarship enabled him to come to England to do a DPhil in politics at Balliol College, Oxford.
More about this event
The Ralph Miliband (@RMilibandLSE) programme is one of the LSE's most prestigious public lecture series, receiving attention not only at the LSE but across London, the UK, and globally. The programme was set up in 1996 thanks to a generous anonymous benefaction from a former PhD student inspired by 'Ralph Miliband's contribution to social thought'. He specified that the funds be used in memory of his friend and mentor 'to advance his spirit of free social inquiry' and the diversity of thought that has always been the hallmark of LSE.
Join us on campus or register to watch the event online at LSE Live. LSE Live is the home for our live streams, allowing you to tune in and join the global debate at LSE, wherever you are in the world. If you can't attend live, a video will be made available shortly afterwards on LSE's YouTube channel.
Automated live captions are available at this live event. Please note that this feature uses Automatic Speech Recognition (ASR) technology, or machine generated transcription and is not 100% accurate.
Photographs are regularly taken at LSE events both by LSE staff and members of the media. Photographs from events taken by LSE staff are often used on LSE's social media accounts.
Please contact the Press Office if you would like to request a press seat or have a media query about this event, email LSE.Press.Events@lse.ac.uk. Please note that press seats are usually allocated at least 24 hours before each event.
We aim to make all LSE events available as a podcast subject to receiving permission from the speaker/s to do this, and subject to no technical problems with the recording of the event. Podcasts are normally available 1 week after the event. Podcasts and videos of past events can be found online.
Follow LSE public events on X for the latest updates on all our events and ticket releases.
Livestreams and archive videos of past lectures are shared on our YouTube channel while event podcasts can be found on the LSE Player.
Event updates and other information about what’s happening at LSE can be found on our Facebook page and for live photos from events and around campus, follow us on Instagram.
Attending our events in-person or online? Join the conversation using #LSEEvents.
If you are planning to attend this event and would like details on how to get here and what time to arrive, as well as on accessibility and special requirements, please refer to LSE Events FAQ. LSE aims to ensure that people have equal access to these public events, but please contact the events organiser as far as possible in advance if you have any access requirements so that arrangements, where possible, can be made. If the event is ticketed, please ensure you get in touch in advance of the ticket release date. Access Guides to all our venues can be viewed online.
LSE has now introduced wireless for guests and visitors in association with 'The Cloud', also in use at many other locations across the UK. If you are on campus visiting for the day or attending a conference or event, you can connect your device to wireless. See more information and create an account at Join the Cloud. Visitors from other participating institutions are encouraged to use eduroam. If you are having trouble connecting to eduroam, please contact your home institution for assistance. The Cloud is only intended for guest and visitor access to wifi. Existing LSE staff and students are encouraged to use eduroam instead.
From time to time there are changes to event details so we strongly recommend that if you plan to attend this event you check back on this listing on the day of the event.
LSE holds a wide range of events, covering many of the most controversial issues of the day, and speakers at our events may express views that cause offence. The views expressed by speakers at LSE events do not reflect the position or views of the London School of Economics and Political Science.
Join the LSE Events mailing list
Sign up to receive newsletters about upcoming public events and exhibitions at LSE.
