Abolitionism emerged from movements in the 18th and 19th centuries advocating for the abolition of slavery. Today it is debated what relationship moral convictions and economic interests had as motives of historical abolitionism.
At the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th centuries, the term was also used in relation to the demand for the abolition of state regulation and control of prostitution.
Since 1970, a broader abolitionist movement has developed, especially in the USA, Scandinavia, and Germany. It opposes forms of state authority and institutional violence, particularly against racist violence, as well as assaults and sanctions by police, judiciary, and the penal system. The focus is on criticizing social conditions where social problems are addressed through control, punishment, and exclusion. Instead, forms of coexistence based on social security, participation, support, and equal access to societal resources are sought. Today abolitionism is particularly discussed in the context of criticism of police, prisons, penal systems, and other institutions of social control. It's not just about abolishing individual institutions but also about questioning what societal functions these institutions serve and what alternatives can replace them. Abolitionist approaches ask, for example, how to respond to violence, conflicts, poverty, or mental crises without primarily relying on surveillance, punishment, or deprivation of liberty.
Abolitionist action describes a political and social practice that critically examines existing forms of control and exclusion while simultaneously developing concrete alternatives. These can include supportive community structures, community-oriented conflict resolution, social provision, or approaches to transformative and restorative justice. Abolitionist action thus combines criticism of existing power and authority relationships with the development of other forms of dealing with conflicts and social problems. The goal is to change the conditions under which violence, exclusion, and social inequality arise, instead of leaving these exclusively to state sanctions.
