This handy little book has justbeen published. It has its origins in a talk on
contemporary anarchism that Brian Morris gave to the Anarchist Communist Group inApril 2018 in London, acknowledged in the book. Brian also name checks twomembers of the ACG for their "encouragement over many years. ---- As Brian says,he has been defending the "integrity, importance and contemporary relevance ofanarchist communism as a historical movement and as a political tradition" formore than 40 years in pamphlets, articles, books and letters. ---- Brian gives anaccount of the emergence of anarchist communism as an historical movement and asa distinct political tradition. He outlines the four basic tenets of anarchistcommunism, as expressed by the likes of Petr Kropotkin and Errico Malatesta.These are 1. A critique and opposition to the State and all forms of hierarchy;2. A "fervent anti-capitalism; 3. A vision of a free society based on mutual aid,voluntary associations and self-managed communities and 4. A politics grounded inevolutionary naturalism. As he explains, this term refers to an affirmation thatthe world (reality) consists exclusively of concrete material things, along withtheir dispositions, qualities, actions and relations with other things. Life,consciousness and human symbolic culture, are, therefore, all emergent propertiesof material things, and have no independent existence.Brian then goes on to describe and criticise those radical traditions apart fromanarchist communism which seek to challenge global capitalism in varying degrees.He lists these as Stirnerite egoism, individualist anarchism in the form ofmutualism, Marxism, religious anarchism, anarcho-primitivism and post-anarchismor post-modern anarchism.In the third part of the book Brian addresses himself to the post-structuralistcritique of anarchist communism. He offers a stout defence against thesecritiques. He then goes on to detail anarchist communist concepts of power, thehuman subject and social revolution.He finishes by discussing the four main political strategies adopted by anarchistcommunists in order to bring about a social revolution. He calls theseinsurrectionism, anarcho-syndicalism, libertarian politics and activity withinthe community, whether neighbourhoods within a city or the local municipality.By insurrectionism Brian Morris means direct action and the use of protests,strikes, revolts, demonstrations, occupations and riots. In terms ofanarcho-syndicalism, he stresses that it is false to set up a radical dichotomybetween anarcho-syndicalism (a strategy) and anarchist communism (a politicalphilosophy) as some political theorists have done. As regards libertarianpolitics, he takes this to mean ideas of municipal action as developed by MurrayBookchin. As regards community activism he cites the ideas of Colin Ward.There is much that I liked and agreed with in this little book, but also someconcepts which I had problems with. Whilst he is able to offer some criticisms ofBookchin, he perhaps does not go far enough. In his final years Bookchin brokewith anarchism, regarding it only as the post-left politics of the primitivists,egoists and individualists, and totally ignoring the class struggle anarchistgroupings. Brian admits that this is misleading, but seems to let Bookchin offthe hook by insisting that his ideas remained libertarian and socialist.Similarly Brian's use of the term insurrectionism is confusing, as to many itmeans the politics of the likes of Alfredo Bonanno, anti-organisational andinfluenced too much by individualism and gun-toting posturing.Despite these criticisms, I feel that In Defence of Anarchist Communism is a veryvaluable book, and one that will hopefully rehabilitate anarchist communism andbring it to the attention of many new readers. As Brian writes: "...it isimportant to recognise and stress the vitality and continuing relevance ofanarchist communism as a political tradition. Like all social movements,anarchist communism is complex, diverse, and ever-changing, open and respondingto new events and new ideas..."https://www.anarchistcommunism.org/2022/08/25/book-review-2/_________________________________________A - I N F O S N E W S S E R V I C EBy, For, and About AnarchistsSend news reports to A-infos-en mailing listA-infos-en@ainfos.ca
Geen opmerkingen:
Een reactie posten