Family Anarchology and Anarchopathology: (3/3)

 Family Anarchology and Anarchopathology: (3/3)

From Dictator-Making Families to Dictator-Accepting Societies

Mahmoud Sadeghi Janebahan

Translated by Maryam Sadeghi 

The Cycle of Despotism Reproduction in Family and Socio-Political Culture

Within the theoretical framework of Family Anarchology, despotism is not merely an individual or purely psychological phenomenon. It is a cultural/moral virus transmitted from generation to generation through the dynamics of power within the family. This cycle generally unfolds in three stages:

First, the child experiences domination—either as a victim or as a participant in it.

Second, they internalize this role, accepting ruling or obeying as a natural condition.

Third, they replicate the same pattern in broader contexts—school, workplace, marital relationships, and public politics.

This reproduction becomes so deeply embedded in the cultural layers that breaking it is often perceived not as a moral or conscious act, but as an act of betrayal against the family or disrespect toward tradition. This is why Family Anarchology asserts that the home is the first “school of politics”:

If power is held accountable within it, the child becomes a questioning, critical citizen; if power appears sacred and unquestionable, the child becomes a loyal subject to obedience.

From this perspective, a democratic society cannot be built upon authoritarian families, just as a despotic system cannot survive in the presence of free and dignity-centered families. In other words, both freedom and tyranny are born at home.

In the anarchological view, despotism is not merely a psychological disorder—it is an ethical/political/social pathology in the organization of family power. It targets the intrinsic dignity of the human being, destroys autonomy, and transforms emotional relationships into relations of domination. Therefore, its remedy is not achievable through individual psychological interventions alone but requires a moral and political reconstruction of family culture.

A family can become a fortress of resistance against despotism—if the child is granted the right to say “no,” if dialogue replaces commands, if moral responsibility replaces blind obedience, and if love is experienced as liberating rather than possessive. In such a family, the child learns the art of living without domination before even stepping into society.

Yet a grave danger lies in families that appear free on the surface but remain authoritarian at their core. These families speak the language of freedom but practice domination. Such duplicity raises children who are verbally pro-freedom but behaviorally despotic—citizens who demand liberty yet, upon attaining power, reproduce the same mechanisms of control.

The anarchological conclusion is clear: Political despotism has its roots in familial despotism. Struggling against dictatorship without transforming family structures is doomed to fail. Every family is either a cell of domination’s disease or a nucleus of emancipatory resistance. And, as Political Anarchology warns:

“A revolution in the streets, without a revolution at home, is merely a change of thrones.”

Dignity as the Antidote to Domination

In Family Anarchology, breaking the vicious cycle of domination and despotism in family relationships cannot be achieved through individual techniques alone. This is a deep-rooted structural problem that requires the fundamental moral reconstruction of families, based on several core principles:

• Inherent Human Dignity: Every person, from birth, possesses an intrinsic and inviolable dignity that must be recognized. This dignity is the cornerstone of all human rights and individual freedoms.
• Autonomy and the Right to Dissent: Human beings have the right to resist and object to any form of domination and coercion. Child-rearing must allow and respect freedom of choice, questioning, and even disagreement.
• Justice in Power Relations: The parent–child relationship must not be one-sided and domineering, but grounded in justice, mutual respect, and shared moral responsibility.
• Avoiding the Ownership Mentality toward Children: A child does not belong to the parents but is an independent individual who needs a free and autonomous space for growth and self-realization.

Within this framework, Family Anarchology emphasizes:

“Every family is either a nucleus of resistance against domination or a factory for its reproduction.”

If the family fails to become a space where dignity, autonomy, and justice are central to relationships, it will inevitably continue reproducing authoritarian systems and dysfunctional social relations, thereby reconstructing despotic political structures in society.

Indeed, human dignity functions as a powerful anti-virus against domination—one that can break the cycle of repeated oppression and blind obedience, paving the way toward liberation and self-awareness. Rebuilding the family on this foundation is not only a step toward individual psychological well-being but also a political and moral act for the emancipation of society.

Reference (APA style):

Sadeghi Janebahan, M. (2025). Family Anarchology and Anarchopathology: From Dictator-Making Families to Dictator-Accepting Societies (Part 3 of 3). Retrieved from https://anarchology.blogfa.com