Anationalism
Encyclopedia
Anationalism is a term originating from the community of Esperanto
speakers. It denotes a range of cosmopolitan
political concepts that combine some or all of the following tendencies and ideas:
Although conceived within the World Anational Association (SAT, Sennacieca Asocio Tutmonda
) and promoted by its founder Eugène Lanti
, anationalism is not espoused by that organization as its official ideology.
's work For la Neŭtralismon! ("Away with Neutralism!"), which first appeared under the pseudonym "Sennaciulo" ("Nationless Man").
The first members of SAT often regarded anationalism as a kind of all-embracing overall ideology of SAT, and liked to call themselves "sennaciuloj" ("nationless people"). Nevertheless, prior to the publication of Lanti's Manifesto de la Sennaciistoj ("Manifesto of the Anationalists") "anationalism" was a term that was applied to several rather diverse ideas. For many members of SAT who espoused anationalism at that time, it simply meant "(proletarian) internationalism plus Esperanto" or it signified a workers' version of L.L. Zamenhof's homaranismo
.
A comparison of ABC de Sennaciismo written by Elsudo (Kolchinski) and published by SAT, with the Manifesto de la Sennaciistoj ("Manifesto of the Anationalists") shows how large a gap existed between various concepts of anationalism. Elsudo clearly defines SAT in his work as a "movement for anationalism". Ernst Drezen at the time of the schism in the workers' Esperanto movement of the 1930's, reproached SAT not so much for its "anationalism", something the communists within SAT had previously advocated as they understood it, but for its "Lanti-brand anationalism".
Little by little, a concept of anationalism was formulated in articles by Lanti in the organs of SAT.
That opposition claimed that anationalism was pro-imperialist
and, as such, "counterrevolutionary
". The sudden and unexpected attack moved Lanti to publish anonymously in 1931 a brochure in 3000 copies: Manifesto de la Sennaciistoj, which was later translated into several languages, including a French version that appeared in 2000 copies.
Anationalism was defined as follows in that manifesto: "What characterizes anationalism is not primarily its acknowledgement of the huge role played by production of artifacts in the world. It is that capability that has made man the king of other living beings. Human beings adapt nature to their own needs, while animals must adapt to nature
. Anationalists therefore do not deny the great strength that lies in the human will. They do not doubt that humans cannot shed their own weight or jump away from their own shadow. Nevertheless, the limited space in which man is free to act is relatively large. His will can thus engender great works. We therefore believe that the fateful laws of history
are only relative."
The following quotation from the same work, which provides for a more precise understanding of the new doctrine, was denounced in its time by Stalinist
internationalists for clearly contradicting the then prevailing theory of "construction of socialism in one country
": "The anationalists combat all that is national: national languages and cultures, national customs and traditions. For them, Esperanto is their primary language and they consider national languages to be merely auxiliary. They refuse to participate in any national struggle and they acknowledge as necessary and advantageous to the exploited class
only class struggle
that seeks to eliminate classes, nationalities and all forms of exploitation." (ibid.)
As the heretical doctrine that was so expressed met up with opposition in SAT, the anationalists coalesced to form a faction independent of the organization, which they continued to support fervently. They began to publish the Sennaciista Bulteno ("Anationalist Bulletin") on a fairly regular basis.
In 1978, the SAT congress in Lectoure passed a resolution over the objections of the anationalists, which declared, among other things: "The preservation of ethnic language and culture is linked to the struggle for a new social order, and, as such, is part of the general efforts on the part of SAT's members to achieve justice and individual liberty."
During the 80's, while T. Burnell was the secretary of the Anationalist Faction, a Declaration on Anationalism was passed, which emphasized the struggle of the anationalists against nationalism and in favor of a general individual right to self-determination including the individual right to define one's own identity as an exercise of free will. The faction remained active, with the exception of periods of inactivity during the 80's and 90's, during which the debate over anationalism continued unabated in Sennaciulo, the monthly organ of SAT.
The presently active anationalists in the Anationalist Faction cultivate and develop the universalistic and (radical) antinationalist currents of thought that were characteristic of previous formulations of anationalism. Their orientation is less strictly Lantian than that of previous generations of anationalists, and they do not seek to achieve doctrinal uniformity. Some members of the Faction work to oppose ideologies that have become very influential within the general Esperanto movement in the past decades: ethnism, the instrumentalization of Esperanto in favor of various sorts of identity politics
, differentialism (ethnopluralism
) and language nationalism and purism (so-called "language defence").
Outside of SAT and the Anationalist Faction there are also a number of Esperantists that adhere in various degrees to anationalist ideas. Anationalism has generally not been propagated outside the Esperanto-speaking community. Lanti justified this in Chapter 5 of La Laborista Esperantismo with the statement that "disseminating anationalism among those who differ by language would be as foolish as teaching literature to illiterates". This view, however, has been modified at times, as national language translations of the Manifesto de la Sennaciistoj were published out of the conviction that this would help to popularize Esperanto. The Manifesto, moreover, concludes with a direct appeal to non-speakers of Esperanto: "The anationalists call upon the workers of the whole world: Learn Esperanto! Esperantists denationalize yourselves!"
Esperanto
is the most widely spoken constructed international auxiliary language. Its name derives from Doktoro Esperanto , the pseudonym under which L. L. Zamenhof published the first book detailing Esperanto, the Unua Libro, in 1887...
speakers. It denotes a range of cosmopolitan
Cosmopolitanism
Cosmopolitanism is the ideology that all human ethnic groups belong to a single community based on a shared morality. This is contrasted with communitarian and particularistic theories, especially the ideas of patriotism and nationalism...
political concepts that combine some or all of the following tendencies and ideas:
- radical antinationalismAnti-nationalismAnti-nationalism denotes the sentiments associated with the opposition to nationalism, arguing that it is undesirable or dangerous. Some anti-nationalists are humanitarians or humanists who pursue an idealist form of world community, and self-identify as world citizens. They reject chauvinism,...
, - universalismMoral universalismMoral universalism is the meta-ethical position that some system of ethics, or a universal ethic, applies universally, that is, for "all similarly situated individuals", regardless of culture, race, sex, religion, nationality, sexuality, or any other distinguishing feature...
, - "one-world-ism",
- acceptance of the historic trend toward linguistic homogenizationLanguage deathIn linguistics, language death is a process that affects speech communities where the level of linguistic competence that speakers possess of a given language variety is decreased, eventually resulting in no native and/or fluent speakers of the variety...
on a world scale, and in some cases even a striving to accelerate that trend, - the necessity of political education and organization of the world proletariatProletariatThe proletariat is a term used to identify a lower social class, usually the working class; a member of such a class is proletarian...
in accordance with those ideas, and - the utility of Esperanto as an instrument of such political education.
Although conceived within the World Anational Association (SAT, Sennacieca Asocio Tutmonda
Sennacieca Asocio Tutmonda
Sennacieca Asocio Tutmonda is an independent worldwide cultural Esperanto association of a general left-wing orientation. Its headquarters are in Paris. According to Jacques Schram, chairman of the Executive Committee, the membership totalled 881 in 2003...
) and promoted by its founder Eugène Lanti
Eugène Lanti
Eugène Lanti was a pseudonym of Eugène Adam . Lanti was an Esperantist, socialist and writer. He was a founder of Sennacieca Asocio Tutmonda, and a long time editor of the internationalist socialist magazine Sennaciulo...
, anationalism is not espoused by that organization as its official ideology.
Precursors
Anationalistic ideas appeared in embryonic form in the plan for an "International Esperantist Workers' Federation" put forth by the Bohemian Esperantist Workers' Federation before World War I. These ideas, having gained impetus as a result of the war, were central to the thinking of the founders of SAT in 1921. They are very apparent in LantiEugène Lanti
Eugène Lanti was a pseudonym of Eugène Adam . Lanti was an Esperantist, socialist and writer. He was a founder of Sennacieca Asocio Tutmonda, and a long time editor of the internationalist socialist magazine Sennaciulo...
's work For la Neŭtralismon! ("Away with Neutralism!"), which first appeared under the pseudonym "Sennaciulo" ("Nationless Man").
The first members of SAT often regarded anationalism as a kind of all-embracing overall ideology of SAT, and liked to call themselves "sennaciuloj" ("nationless people"). Nevertheless, prior to the publication of Lanti's Manifesto de la Sennaciistoj ("Manifesto of the Anationalists") "anationalism" was a term that was applied to several rather diverse ideas. For many members of SAT who espoused anationalism at that time, it simply meant "(proletarian) internationalism plus Esperanto" or it signified a workers' version of L.L. Zamenhof's homaranismo
Homaranismo
Homaranismo is an Esperanto word used by its creator, Ludwig Zamenhof, to describe his philosophy of human interaction and behaviour. Based largely on the teachings of Hillel the Elder, a 1st century BCE rabbi, Zamenhof originally called this philosophy Hillelism...
.
A comparison of ABC de Sennaciismo written by Elsudo (Kolchinski) and published by SAT, with the Manifesto de la Sennaciistoj ("Manifesto of the Anationalists") shows how large a gap existed between various concepts of anationalism. Elsudo clearly defines SAT in his work as a "movement for anationalism". Ernst Drezen at the time of the schism in the workers' Esperanto movement of the 1930's, reproached SAT not so much for its "anationalism", something the communists within SAT had previously advocated as they understood it, but for its "Lanti-brand anationalism".
Little by little, a concept of anationalism was formulated in articles by Lanti in the organs of SAT.
A More Stringent Formulation
In 1928, Lanti published a brochure, La Laborista Esperantismo ("Worker Esperantism"), in which he devoted an entire chapter to the definition of the new term. The anationalist tendency had previously encountered no opposition in the non-partisan organization. But in 1929 SAT entered a crisis, and anationalism became the main argument used by the opposition to attack the organization's leadership.That opposition claimed that anationalism was pro-imperialist
Imperialism
Imperialism, as defined by Dictionary of Human Geography, is "the creation and/or maintenance of an unequal economic, cultural, and territorial relationships, usually between states and often in the form of an empire, based on domination and subordination." The imperialism of the last 500 years,...
and, as such, "counterrevolutionary
Counterrevolutionary
A counter-revolutionary is anyone who opposes a revolution, particularly those who act after a revolution to try to overturn or reverse it, in full or in part...
". The sudden and unexpected attack moved Lanti to publish anonymously in 1931 a brochure in 3000 copies: Manifesto de la Sennaciistoj, which was later translated into several languages, including a French version that appeared in 2000 copies.
Anationalism was defined as follows in that manifesto: "What characterizes anationalism is not primarily its acknowledgement of the huge role played by production of artifacts in the world. It is that capability that has made man the king of other living beings. Human beings adapt nature to their own needs, while animals must adapt to nature
Adaptation
An adaptation in biology is a trait with a current functional role in the life history of an organism that is maintained and evolved by means of natural selection. An adaptation refers to both the current state of being adapted and to the dynamic evolutionary process that leads to the adaptation....
. Anationalists therefore do not deny the great strength that lies in the human will. They do not doubt that humans cannot shed their own weight or jump away from their own shadow. Nevertheless, the limited space in which man is free to act is relatively large. His will can thus engender great works. We therefore believe that the fateful laws of history
Determinism
Determinism is the general philosophical thesis that states that for everything that happens there are conditions such that, given them, nothing else could happen. There are many versions of this thesis. Each of them rests upon various alleged connections, and interdependencies of things and...
are only relative."
The following quotation from the same work, which provides for a more precise understanding of the new doctrine, was denounced in its time by Stalinist
Stalinism
Stalinism refers to the ideology that Joseph Stalin conceived and implemented in the Soviet Union, and is generally considered a branch of Marxist–Leninist ideology but considered by some historians to be a significant deviation from this philosophy...
internationalists for clearly contradicting the then prevailing theory of "construction of socialism in one country
Socialism in One Country
Socialism in One Country was a theory put forth by Joseph Stalin in 1924, elaborated by Nikolai Bukharin in 1925 and finally adopted as state policy by Stalin...
": "The anationalists combat all that is national: national languages and cultures, national customs and traditions. For them, Esperanto is their primary language and they consider national languages to be merely auxiliary. They refuse to participate in any national struggle and they acknowledge as necessary and advantageous to the exploited class
Working class
Working class is a term used in the social sciences and in ordinary conversation to describe those employed in lower tier jobs , often extending to those in unemployment or otherwise possessing below-average incomes...
only class struggle
Class struggle
Class struggle is the active expression of a class conflict looked at from any kind of socialist perspective. Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels wrote "The [written] history of all hitherto existing society is the history of class struggle"....
that seeks to eliminate classes, nationalities and all forms of exploitation." (ibid.)
As the heretical doctrine that was so expressed met up with opposition in SAT, the anationalists coalesced to form a faction independent of the organization, which they continued to support fervently. They began to publish the Sennaciista Bulteno ("Anationalist Bulletin") on a fairly regular basis.
After the death of Lanti
After Lanti's death in 1947 and the post-war reconstitution of SAT, the anationalists revived their SAT faction in 1948 under the chairmanship of R. Roberts. Anationalists in SAT initiated and funded two reeditions of the Manifesto de la Sennaciistoj (1951 and 1971) and several other of Lanti's writings on anationalism.In 1978, the SAT congress in Lectoure passed a resolution over the objections of the anationalists, which declared, among other things: "The preservation of ethnic language and culture is linked to the struggle for a new social order, and, as such, is part of the general efforts on the part of SAT's members to achieve justice and individual liberty."
During the 80's, while T. Burnell was the secretary of the Anationalist Faction, a Declaration on Anationalism was passed, which emphasized the struggle of the anationalists against nationalism and in favor of a general individual right to self-determination including the individual right to define one's own identity as an exercise of free will. The faction remained active, with the exception of periods of inactivity during the 80's and 90's, during which the debate over anationalism continued unabated in Sennaciulo, the monthly organ of SAT.
Anationalism Today
At the SAT congress in Nagykanizsa (Hungary) in 2001, the Anationalist Faction of SAT was reestablished as a result of renewed interest in anationalism and related subjects, which had evidenced itself previously, when an "anationalism" internet mailing list was founded. During that meeting another Declaration on Anationalism was passed, which was a revised version of the previous declaration.The presently active anationalists in the Anationalist Faction cultivate and develop the universalistic and (radical) antinationalist currents of thought that were characteristic of previous formulations of anationalism. Their orientation is less strictly Lantian than that of previous generations of anationalists, and they do not seek to achieve doctrinal uniformity. Some members of the Faction work to oppose ideologies that have become very influential within the general Esperanto movement in the past decades: ethnism, the instrumentalization of Esperanto in favor of various sorts of identity politics
Identity politics
Identity politics are political arguments that focus upon the self interest and perspectives of self-identified social interest groups and ways in which people's politics may be shaped by aspects of their identity through race, class, religion, sexual orientation or traditional dominance...
, differentialism (ethnopluralism
Ethnopluralism
Ethnopluralism or ethno-pluralism is a European New Right theory of multiculturalism which contrasts with liberal multiculturalism."Cultural differentialism" is the view that cultures are clearly bound entities with a specific geographical location...
) and language nationalism and purism (so-called "language defence").
Outside of SAT and the Anationalist Faction there are also a number of Esperantists that adhere in various degrees to anationalist ideas. Anationalism has generally not been propagated outside the Esperanto-speaking community. Lanti justified this in Chapter 5 of La Laborista Esperantismo with the statement that "disseminating anationalism among those who differ by language would be as foolish as teaching literature to illiterates". This view, however, has been modified at times, as national language translations of the Manifesto de la Sennaciistoj were published out of the conviction that this would help to popularize Esperanto. The Manifesto, moreover, concludes with a direct appeal to non-speakers of Esperanto: "The anationalists call upon the workers of the whole world: Learn Esperanto! Esperantists denationalize yourselves!"
External links
- Anationalist faction of SAT
- Anationalism, Cosmopolitanism, Antinationalism
- Manifesto of Non-Nationalists (excerpts) by E. Lanti
- The Anationalist Eugène Lanti by Toño del Barrio