Agorism is a libertarian social philosophy and form of anarchy that advocates creating a society in which all relations between people are voluntary exchanges by means of counter-economics, thus engaging with aspects of peaceful revolution.
The concept of counter-economics is the most critical element of agorism. It can be described as the sum of all non-aggressive Human Action which is forbidden by the State. The Counter-Economy includes the free market, the Black Market, the “underground economy,” all acts of civil and social disobedience, all acts of forbidden association (sexual, racial, cross-religious), and anything else the State, at any place or time, chooses to prohibit, control, regulate, tax, or tariff. The Counter-Economy excludes all State-approved action (the “White Market”) and the Red Market (violence and theft not approved by the State).
The goal of agorism is the agora. A society of the open marketplace as close to being untainted by theft, assault, and fraud as can be humanly attained, and is as close to a free society as can be achieved. A free society is one in which each and every one of us can satisfy his or her subjective values without crushing others’ values by violence and/or coercion.
Agorism does not support political engagement in the form of a political party promotion as a means to transition to a free-market anarchism. The methods of political parties or governments are not compatible with Agorism. Instead Agorists claim that such a society could be freed more readily by employing methods such as education, direct action, alternative currencies, entrepreneurship, self sufficiency, civil disobedience and – most importantly – counter-economics.
Agorists prefer the term "free market" to the term "capitalism", mostly since they bear no ties with the latter term and its implications in history. The favoritism of the government towards specific corporations is seen by Agorists as the characteristic that renders illegitimate intervention of the state in various sectors. State-imposed restrictions in favor of certain companies distort the market, allowing governments to pick and choose winners of each sector.
Many agorists are also opposed the concept of intellectual property, although it is contested by some. In an article, entitled "Copywrongs" by libertarian philosopher Samuel Edward Konkin III wrote in support of such a thesis that: "The laws of the state in the cases of patents and copyright, are seen as creators of monopolies and distortion of markets, thus impeding the free market". In the case of private property, unlike other forms of anarchy, agorists defend that there is no need for a property to be continuously used for it to belong to its legitimate owner.
