Anarchy Alive!
Encyclopedia
Anarchy Alive!: Anti-Authoritarian Politics from Practice to Theory is a book by Uri Gordon
that investigates anarchist theory and practice. An expanded reworking of the author's PhD thesis at the University of Oxford
, the book was released by Pluto Press
, a London
-based radical publisher, in November 2007. It is presented as "an anarchist book about anarchism", and assumes some background knowledge and sympathy for anarchism on the part of the reader. Gordon considers his approach in the book to have many commonalities with that of anthropologist David Graeber
, author of Fragments of an Anarchist Anthropology
.
, but rather to serve as a tool for activists trying to engage with theory—leading reviewer Alex Pritchard to characterise it as "a user’s manual for anarchist activism". It is divided into six chapters, addressing anarchism as a political culture
, anarchism as an ideology
, anarchist forms of organisation and power
, anarchism and violence
, anarchism and technology, and anarchism and nationalism (through the case study of the Israeli–Palestinian conflict
).
, New International and Anarchist Studies
. Reviewing the book in Anarchist Studies, Alex Pritchard predicted that "not only will Anarchy Alive! become required reading in the anarchist movement, but it will have a sizeable impact on the academy … this will be a defining text in anarchist circles for the next few years at the very least". Richard Swift, in a review for New International, called the book "a short and thoughtful account", and granted it a four-out-out-of-four star rating. The CrimethInc.
collective recommended the work for its analysis of power and authority
in an anarchist context. Freedom reviewer Tom Jennings dissented, calling into question the theoretical coherence of the book. Another critical view came from the Socialist Standard
, which although conceding that the book was "well-written and can be read on a know-your-opponent basis", denounced the book for its anarchist critique of democracy
.
Uri Gordon
Uri Gordon is an Israeli anarchist theorist and activist.He is a lecturer at the Arava Institute for Environmental Studies in Ketura, Israel...
that investigates anarchist theory and practice. An expanded reworking of the author's PhD thesis at the University of Oxford
University of Oxford
The University of Oxford is a university located in Oxford, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest surviving university in the world and the oldest in the English-speaking world. Although its exact date of foundation is unclear, there is evidence of teaching as far back as 1096...
, the book was released by Pluto Press
Pluto Press
Pluto Press is a radical, progressive, independent publisher based in London. Pluto Press specialises in "progressive, critical perspectives in politics and the social sciences", and describes itself as "one of the world’s leading radical publishers". It has published authors such as Noam Chomsky,...
, a London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
-based radical publisher, in November 2007. It is presented as "an anarchist book about anarchism", and assumes some background knowledge and sympathy for anarchism on the part of the reader. Gordon considers his approach in the book to have many commonalities with that of anthropologist David Graeber
David Graeber
David Rolfe Graeber is an American anthropologist and anarchist who currently holds the position of Reader in Social Anthropology at Goldsmiths, University of London. He was an associate professor of anthropology at Yale University, although Yale controversially declined to rehire him, and his...
, author of Fragments of an Anarchist Anthropology
Fragments of an Anarchist Anthropology
Fragments of an Anarchist Anthropology is one of a series of pamphlets published by Prickly Paradigm Press in Chicago. With the essay, anthropologist David Graeber attempts to outline areas of research that intellectuals might explore in creating a body of anarchist social theory.Graeber posits...
.
Contents
Anarchy Alive! was not designed to further debates about the finer points of anarchist theory within academia, nor as a history of ideasHistory of ideas
The history of ideas is a field of research in history that deals with the expression, preservation, and change of human ideas over time. The history of ideas is a sister-discipline to, or a particular approach within, intellectual history...
, but rather to serve as a tool for activists trying to engage with theory—leading reviewer Alex Pritchard to characterise it as "a user’s manual for anarchist activism". It is divided into six chapters, addressing anarchism as a political culture
Political culture
Political culture is the traditional orientation of the citizens of a nation toward politics, affecting their perceptions of political legitimacy.Conceptions...
, anarchism as an ideology
Ideology
An ideology is a set of ideas that constitutes one's goals, expectations, and actions. An ideology can be thought of as a comprehensive vision, as a way of looking at things , as in common sense and several philosophical tendencies , or a set of ideas proposed by the dominant class of a society to...
, anarchist forms of organisation and power
Power (sociology)
Power is a measurement of an entity's ability to control its environment, including the behavior of other entities. The term authority is often used for power perceived as legitimate by the social structure. Power can be seen as evil or unjust, but the exercise of power is accepted as endemic to...
, anarchism and violence
Anarchism and violence
Anarchism and violence have become closely connected in popular thought, in part because of a concept of "propaganda of the deed". Propaganda of the deed, or attentát, was espoused by a number of leading anarchists in the late nineteenth century, and was associated with a number of incidents of...
, anarchism and technology, and anarchism and nationalism (through the case study of the Israeli–Palestinian conflict
Israeli–Palestinian conflict
The Israeli–Palestinian conflict is the ongoing conflict between Israelis and Palestinians. The conflict is wide-ranging, and the term is also used in reference to the earlier phases of the same conflict, between Jewish and Zionist yishuv and the Arab population living in Palestine under Ottoman or...
).
Reception
Anarchy Alive! was favourably reviewed in journals including Anarchy: A Journal of Desire ArmedAnarchy: A Journal of Desire Armed
Anarchy: A Journal of Desire Armed is a North American anarchist magazine, and is one of the most popular anarchist publications in North America. It could be described as a general interest and critical, non-ideological anarchist journal...
, New International and Anarchist Studies
Anarchist Studies
Anarchist Studies is a biannual academic journal on anarchism. It takes an interdisciplinary approach, examining the history, culture, and theory of anarchism...
. Reviewing the book in Anarchist Studies, Alex Pritchard predicted that "not only will Anarchy Alive! become required reading in the anarchist movement, but it will have a sizeable impact on the academy … this will be a defining text in anarchist circles for the next few years at the very least". Richard Swift, in a review for New International, called the book "a short and thoughtful account", and granted it a four-out-out-of-four star rating. The CrimethInc.
CrimethInc.
CrimethInc., also known as CWC , is a decentralized anarchist collective of autonomous cells. CrimethInc. emerged in the mid-1990s, initially as the hardcore zine Inside Front, and began operating as a collective in 1996...
collective recommended the work for its analysis of power and authority
Authority
The word Authority is derived mainly from the Latin word auctoritas, meaning invention, advice, opinion, influence, or command. In English, the word 'authority' can be used to mean power given by the state or by academic knowledge of an area .-Authority in Philosophy:In...
in an anarchist context. Freedom reviewer Tom Jennings dissented, calling into question the theoretical coherence of the book. Another critical view came from the Socialist Standard
Socialist Standard
The Socialist Standard is a monthly socialist magazine published without interruption since 1904 by the Socialist Party of Great Britain. The magazine is written in a simple, direct style and focuses mainly on socialist advocacy and Marxian analysis of current events, particularly those affecting...
, which although conceding that the book was "well-written and can be read on a know-your-opponent basis", denounced the book for its anarchist critique of democracy
Democracy
Democracy is generally defined as a form of government in which all adult citizens have an equal say in the decisions that affect their lives. Ideally, this includes equal participation in the proposal, development and passage of legislation into law...
.
See also
- List of anarchist books
- Issues in anarchismIssues in anarchismAnarchism is a heterogeneous philosophy with many different tendencies and schools of thought; differences on questions of ideology, values and tactics are common. Ideas about how an anarchist society might work vary considerably, especially with respect to economics...
- Prefigurative politicsPrefigurative politicsThe term prefigurative politics is widespread within various activist movements, and it describes modes of organization and social relationships that strive to reflect the future society being sought by the group...