Mutual Aid: A Factor of Evolution

Although born into an aristocratic family who put heavy stock in class rank, Peter Kropotkin is now known as one of the first well-known advocates for anarchist communism. At thirteen, Kropotkin, the son of a prince, became disillusioned with the world of rank and status in which he lived and began exploring alternative realms of thought. His vocal dissention landed him in a Russian prison in 1874. In 1876, he was transferred to a military hospital from which he escaped and fled to western Europ