In a new translation. Classics of Social Revolt Vol. 20. This volume is the first fundamental work on Proudhon's philosophy of anarchism; it was first published in 1840. The text, which contains Proudhon's most provocative postulates - Property is Theft! - God is the root of all evil! - Anarchy is the best government! - gained its most significant importance during the 1848 Revolution and is one of the foundational texts of anarchism, particularly referenced by the syndicalist labor movement in France and the communist anarchists around Kropotkin. Kropotkin stated: 'After proving that property is merely a form of robbery, plunder, and theft, Proudhon showed that a main consequence of property is despotism.' Karl Marx, who was still very friendly with Proudhon in the early 40s, praised the publication: 'Challenging.'.