Propagating Sex Radicalism in the Progressive Era: Emma Goldman’s Anarchist Solution

Abstract

This article charts the discourse, propagation, and reception of Goldman`s anarchist-oriented sex radicalism to reveal the influence and the limits of anarchism as a political philosophy in the early twentieth century. My study reveals three important but underexplored points: first, Goldman radicalized sexological ideas by demonstrating the role that liberated and equal intimacies could play in creating anarchist revolution; second, her version of sex radicalism created a native-born intellectual audience for anarchism; and third, among other European thinkers, she was a pioneer in exporting the idea of free love to East Asia. These points shed light on the interplay between various radical and progressive ideas in and beyond America. By explicating Goldman`s anarchistic ideas and influence as a sex radical in a cross-cultural context, this article clarifies the strength, the limits, and the historical significance of her project to popularize anarchism.