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A Living Spirit of Revolt: The Infrapolitics of Anarchism
Dissecting anarchist history from classic examples through contemporary occurrences, and even tying it to everyday life, this exploration collects many disparate movements into a cohesive whole to better understand anarchy in theory and praxis. The book posits modern anarchy as not only the most revolutionary, but as the only antisystem movement left—a seclusion that is occurring for the first time in history. Chronicling anarchy with a discerning eye, this study provides a greater understanding of anarchist thought, including how it applies in current tumultuous times, and reveals how many movements have been forgotten—contributing to a misconception of anarchy’s essence. Further insight into American philosophies, such as New England Transcendentalism, is also included.
231 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2010
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
June 22, 2016
I must admit that I probably started reading this book because of the blurbs. Super positive recommendations by Howard Zinn (who also wrote the introduction), Noam Chomsky and James C. Scott. Okay, this book by a (for me) unknown Slovenian professor should actually be pretty good then.
The thing that makes his book unique is that he makes the case that the American Transcendentalists (Emerson, Thoreau, Walt Whitman etc) firmly belong to the American tradition. It struck me as a strange thing for a Slovenian to become an expert in this field. I personally don't know anything about the Transcendentalists and I also don't have much of an interest. Sure, they could be interesting, but that those authors are so well-known to me and others outside the US, seems to be a reflection of American (and Anglo-Saxon) cultural dominance. I'm sure there are many equally interesting authors outside English speaking countries that are barely known, so why should I be so interested in the Transcendentalists as a European?
But the argument for Transcendentalism as the forgotten current of anarchism only starts more than half-way through the book and is only a third of the entire book. That part is interesting enough, but as I don't know anything about Transcendentalism it is hard for me to judge its merits.
At first I sort of disliked the book. It just goes from citation to citation, mostly from the sort of academic anarchists like Chomsky, James C. Scott, Howard Zinn, Bookchin and Graeber and to Hakim Bey, Starhawk and other sort well-known anarchists with sometimes a classic like Kropotkin or Bakunin entered here and there. I don't know, it just annoyed me, but then somewhere after the first few chapters when it starts with the genealogy of anarchism I really started to appreciate the book. It starts with Taoism and Buddhism, but then it connects Dadaism with anarchism and links it to Situationism. And then later on a brief but good discussion on what anarchism actually is (an ideology of methodology - small a or capital A)* and an outline of its different currents. And to be honest, I never really investigated anarchism like that, so I found it really interesting.
I guess this book would make a really good introduction to anarchism. It would've taught me a lot if I had read it 5 years earlier. It shows anarchism in all its diversity, while attempting to distill a sort of line (or infrapolitics**) through it all in a way that I at least didn't find upsetting. It quotes Peter Marshall in saying we should see it as a river with many currents, constantly changed and refreshed with new waves, but always moving towards the ocean of freedom. I do think you can argue that it sticks a little bit too much to the academy and the classics, there is no discussion of the more insurrectionary tendencies and more 'radical' critiques of democracy (see a recent crimethinc pamphlet). And the limits of consensus decision-making are nowhere described. But in general it's a good read with a really nice overview.
* Dave Neal 'Anarchism: Ideology or Methodology' - https://theanarchistlibrary.org/libra...
** The word infrapolitics is in the title, in the book it is defined as the seemingly nonpolitical that provides the structural and cultural underpinning of the more visible political action..
The thing that makes his book unique is that he makes the case that the American Transcendentalists (Emerson, Thoreau, Walt Whitman etc) firmly belong to the American tradition. It struck me as a strange thing for a Slovenian to become an expert in this field. I personally don't know anything about the Transcendentalists and I also don't have much of an interest. Sure, they could be interesting, but that those authors are so well-known to me and others outside the US, seems to be a reflection of American (and Anglo-Saxon) cultural dominance. I'm sure there are many equally interesting authors outside English speaking countries that are barely known, so why should I be so interested in the Transcendentalists as a European?
But the argument for Transcendentalism as the forgotten current of anarchism only starts more than half-way through the book and is only a third of the entire book. That part is interesting enough, but as I don't know anything about Transcendentalism it is hard for me to judge its merits.
At first I sort of disliked the book. It just goes from citation to citation, mostly from the sort of academic anarchists like Chomsky, James C. Scott, Howard Zinn, Bookchin and Graeber and to Hakim Bey, Starhawk and other sort well-known anarchists with sometimes a classic like Kropotkin or Bakunin entered here and there. I don't know, it just annoyed me, but then somewhere after the first few chapters when it starts with the genealogy of anarchism I really started to appreciate the book. It starts with Taoism and Buddhism, but then it connects Dadaism with anarchism and links it to Situationism. And then later on a brief but good discussion on what anarchism actually is (an ideology of methodology - small a or capital A)* and an outline of its different currents. And to be honest, I never really investigated anarchism like that, so I found it really interesting.
I guess this book would make a really good introduction to anarchism. It would've taught me a lot if I had read it 5 years earlier. It shows anarchism in all its diversity, while attempting to distill a sort of line (or infrapolitics**) through it all in a way that I at least didn't find upsetting. It quotes Peter Marshall in saying we should see it as a river with many currents, constantly changed and refreshed with new waves, but always moving towards the ocean of freedom. I do think you can argue that it sticks a little bit too much to the academy and the classics, there is no discussion of the more insurrectionary tendencies and more 'radical' critiques of democracy (see a recent crimethinc pamphlet). And the limits of consensus decision-making are nowhere described. But in general it's a good read with a really nice overview.
* Dave Neal 'Anarchism: Ideology or Methodology' - https://theanarchistlibrary.org/libra...
** The word infrapolitics is in the title, in the book it is defined as the seemingly nonpolitical that provides the structural and cultural underpinning of the more visible political action..
May 27, 2019
i may be stubborn, and rightfully hesitant to doubt the validity of three entire chapters devoted to the intersection Transcendentalism and Anarchy. Transcendentalism speaks in favor of “primitivism” and going back to the earth. okay, yeah it’s remarkable for identifying the basic types of hierarchy and exploitation but what does it look like for landless people plucked from inner cities to go out and connect with whatever this mysterious natural thing is they’ve been alienated from? we can love nature and want to live in it without being apolitical, naive, isolationists. even an interest in nature that begins on the path of romanticism/Transcendentalism may lead to an authentic relationship with environmentalism and social justice, which are intrinsically linked. it is vitally important to become aware of land as more than its aesthetic beauty: we need to awaken to its political history. so fuck those three middle chapters, they serve no purpose but to elevate an already elevated man. you know his name..
this book felt colorless, the naming of bald organizations made me feel. dead, not enough elaboration of what these made the protoanarchist tradition protoanything at all.
the writing is dull dull dull, and separate chapters only serve to repeat whatever was said in the introduction.
still, i got a couple decent quotes and highlights out of this. the experience was like dropping a biscuit in a puddle in front of your crush. it makes your heart rate soar for an instant but is ultimately remembered as an small inconvenience.
this book felt colorless, the naming of bald organizations made me feel. dead, not enough elaboration of what these made the protoanarchist tradition protoanything at all.
the writing is dull dull dull, and separate chapters only serve to repeat whatever was said in the introduction.
still, i got a couple decent quotes and highlights out of this. the experience was like dropping a biscuit in a puddle in front of your crush. it makes your heart rate soar for an instant but is ultimately remembered as an small inconvenience.
July 5, 2021
A good selection of thinking on anarchism and what it means to be one. If you are an anarchist or are interested in anarchist thought this is a good place to start.
Read
July 16, 2015The book was great. At times, it was over my head, but I now have the urge to read more of Zinn’s work because I did not realize how much he has contributed to radical theory, as I thought he just a happy guy who had done some good work. The transcendentalists were intoxicating to read, but one must remain grounded in the modern world. This was a positive book, and it ends strongly.
Want to read
September 15, 2012I want to find this book translated in English....
Read
August 23, 2018This book poses uncomfortable questions, especially to a middle-age somebody with somewhat firm political perspectives. An instructive read on anarchism, especially for those who strive to change the world for the better.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews