Social Anarchism or Lifestyle Anarchism

89 Pages·2012·2.39 MB·English

SOCIAL
ANARCHISM
OR
LIFESTYLE
ANARCHISM
AN UNB.RIDGEABLE CHASM
Murray
'Bookchin
AK
PRESS
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CONTENTS
A ShorNto tet ot heR eade...r... .................................................1...
SociAanla rchiosrmL ifestAynlaer chi..s...m... .......................4..
TheL efTth aWta s:
66
A PersonRaelfl ect.i...o...n... ........................................................
A NOTET OT HER EADER
Thiss horwto rkw asw rittteond eawl ith the factth at
anarchisstma ndasta turningp oinitni tlso nagn dt urbulent
history.
Ata timweh enp opuldairs troufst th es tathea sr eached
extraordpirnoaproyr tiinom nasn yc ountrwiheesn;th ed ivision
ofs ocieatmyo nga handfouflo pulenwtelayl tihyn dividuals
andc orporations schoanrtprwlaiyst tthsh eg rowinigm pover­
ishmeonfmt i llioofnp se opolnea s caunlper ecedenstiendct eh e
GreaDte pressdieocna dweh;e nt hien tensoifet xyp loithaatsio n
forcpeedo plieng rowinngu mbertsoa cceapw to rkw eeko fa
lengtthy picoaftl h el ascte ntu-rya narchihsatvsef ormed
neithaec ro herepnrto granmo ra r evolutioorngaarniyz attioo n
proviadd ei rectfiootrnh em assd isconttehnactto ntemporary
socieitscy r eating.
Instethaids,d iscontise bneti nagb sorbbeydp olitirceaalc ­
tionarainedcs h anneleidn thoo stitloiwtayr edth nimci norities,
immigranatnsdt, h pe ooarn dm arginsaulc,ah s s ingmloet hers,
theh omeletshsee, l deralnyde, v eenn vironmentwahloia srtes ,
beindge pictaestd h ep rincispoaulr coefcs o ntemporsaorcyi al
problems.
Thef ailuorfae n arch-isotrsa, t l easotfm, a nys elf-styled
anarchi-sttosr eacah p otentihaulgleby o dyo fs upporters
stemnso to nlfryo m thes ensoefp owerlesstnheapstes r meates
millioofnp se oplteo daIyt.i sd uei nn os malmle asurteot he
changtesh ahta veo ccurraemdo ngm anya narchiosvtesthr e
pasttw od ecadeLsi.ki eto rn otth,o usandosfs elf-stylaenda r­
chishtasv e slsouwrlrye ndetrhesedo cicaolro efa narchiidseta s
tot hea ll-pervYauspipvieae n dN ew Agep ersonaltihsamt
marktsh idse cadebnotu,r geoiseirfiaeIn.d a verrye asle nse,
INmODUcnON 1
theayr neo l ongseoirca lsi s-ttahdev ocoafatc eosm munally
orienltiebde rtsaoirceit-ayna ndt heeys chaenwy s erious
commitmteoan not r ganipzreordga,m maticcoahlelrsyeo ncti al
confronwtiattthhie eox ni sotriednrIng. g rowinnugm betrhse,y
havfeo llotwheleda rgmeildyd le-tcrleandst hste oi fm e ai nto
decadpeenrts oniantl hinesa mmo eft hesiorv er"ea iutg onnomy,"
a queamsyys ticiinst mh en ameo f" nituiitsi,mo"an nda
prelsraaipavni sioofhn i storthy:ne a mieno f" primimt.i"v is
Indeceadtp,ai liistmsh ealbsfe emny stibfiyme adn sye lf-styled
anarcihnitasonta sb stlryca ocntce"iivneddu sstoirceit"aay ln, d
thvear iooupsp restshiaiotitn n sf luipcotsnsco iehtayvb eee n
grossly tiotm hpieump taetcod f" techn"on loottgh ye, underly­
insgo icarle latiobnesthwiepesn acnadlp aibtsoarrtlu, c tured
aruonda na ll-permvaarskievtep lacet heahctao psne onm­y
erttae idn teov esrpyh eorfle i ffreo,cm u lttuofr rei endasnhdi ps
famiTlhyte.e ndeonfmc ayn ayn arcthori osottthsie l olfss o cyi et
in" cviiilzatiroant"ht ehrai nnc apiatnadhl i eraricnth hye,
"megamcahi"nr eathteharin nt hceo mmodifiocfa ltaiinfoden ,
in sohwayd" ismuiloa"nt s ratthheairnn t hev ertya ngible
tyranonfmy a terwiaanaltn de xptlaotiiison nou tn libkoeru ­
geoaipso lofgoi"rado sw nsiziinmn ogd"e cronr ptoirotanosd ay
ast he proofd" utccehtn oloagdivccaaenlsr "a thero ftt hhea n
bougreoi'sisin aestbilaaep peftoiprtr eo fit.
Mye mphaisni spt ahgete hsa fto llcoown cetrhnsest eady
withdroafsw eallf -satnyalrectdhh iesstes frdoamty hsse o cial
domain ftohramtte hdpe r incairpeaonlfae arlainearr tcsh,i s
sucahsa narchosynadnirdce avloilsuttlsii obnearnrtc yao rmi­a
munistisn,te op isoaddivce nttuhraeetss c haenwyo rganiza­
tional comamnidit nmtecentltul caeolh ere-nacned m,o re
disbtiunrgilnyt,ao c rudeeg otitshmaf te eodnst hlea rger
culturdaeln ocdfee cparesbeonutr-gdesaooyic si ety.
Anarchtiobs est usr,ce a,jn su ltyc elebtrhafeta tech tat th ey
havleo nsgo uhgtc omplseetxeufr aeleo dmt,h aee stheticization
ofe veryday llibifeear,t ioaohfnnu d m atnihfrteoy m t hoep pr­es
sivpes ycchoincs trtahiahntat vsde e niheudm aniittfysu ll
sensausa lw aesil nlt ellfercdetoeumFa.ol mr y o wnp arta,st he
auhtor "oDfe sainrdNe e eds"o em thirty Iyc eaaonrn sl y ago,
applaEumdm aG oldma'nsde mantdh asth deo enso t want a
revoluutniloesnsh sec a nd ance itt-o a nda,sm yW obbly
2 SOCIAANLA RCHOIRLS IMF ESATYNLAER cmSM
parenotnsc ea ddede arliynt hicse nturoyn,ei nw hicthh ey
cannots ing.
Buta tt hev erlye astth,ed ye mandeadr evolut-iao sno cial
revolut-iwoint howuhti ch thaeessteh eatnidpc s ychological
goalcso ulndo tb ea chievefdo hru manitya sa w holeA.n dt hey
madet hbisa sirce volutieonndaerayv coern trtaoal l tlh ehiorp es
andi deaRlesg.r ettathbilsry e,v olutionary endetahveo r, indeed
high-miniddeeda liasndmc lacsosn sciousonnwe hiscsh i tre sts,
isc entrtaolf ewearn df eweorf t hes elf-staynlaerdc hiIs ts
encounttoedra Iyti. s p recistehlery e volutisooncarioyau lt look,
sob asitco t hed efinitoifao ns ocaniaarlch iswmi,t ha lilt s
theoretaincdoa rlg anizautnidoenr pinnitnhgaIstw , i sht or e­
coveinr thec ritiecxaalm inatoifol nif e-asntayrlcheit shma t
occupitehsep agetsh afto lloUwn.l esIas m g ravemliys taken­
asIh opIea m"":"' -three volutiaonndas royc igaola losfa narchism
ares ufferfianrg- reacehrionsgit oona poinwth eret hew ord
anahyrw cilble compea rotft hceh ibco urgevooicsa buloaftr hye
comingc entu-ryn aughtrye,b elliionusso,u cibaunttd ,e li­
ciousslayf e.
- Jul1y2 1,99 5
INTRODUCTION 3
S AN L AN
OCIALA RCHIOSRM IFESTYLE ARCHISM
FORS OMTWEO CENTURIaEnS,a rc-hias vme reyc umenbiocdaoylf
anti-authiodreiatsa-rdieavnie ntl hotepe endsb ieotwne etwno
basiccaolnltyr adtiecntdoernaycp ieerss:o nacloimsmtiitmce nt
toi ndiviaduutaolna onmdayc o llecctoimvmiisttmt eosn otc ial
freedTohme.ts een denhcaivbeeysn om eanbse erne conciinl ed
thhei stooflr iyb erttahroiuagInhn td.e feodmr,u cohf t hlea st
centtuhreysy,i mpcloye xisted witahsaim ni nainmaarlcihsits m
creodfoo p posittoti hSoetn a rtaet thhearan sa m aximaclriesdto
thaatr ticutlhkaeint deo dfn ews ocitehtahyta t do b ec reaitne d
its place.
Which isn ottos athya vta riosusc hooofanls a rchisdmi ndo t
advocvaetrseyp ecfiofircom sfs ocoiragla nizatiaolnb,oe ftietn
markeadtlv ya riancwei tho nean otherE.s sentihaolwleyv,e r,
anarcahisasw mh oaldev ancwehdaIs taiah Berhlasinc al"lneegda ­
tifrveee dotmh,ai"tts o s aayf ,o rm"afrle edfroomm r,a"th thearn
as ubstantivet oI".nfr"de eeaedndoa,mr cohfitscemen l ebirtast ed
commitmetnont e gatfrieveeda osme videonfic toesw np luralism,
ideolotgoilcearloa rnc cree,a t-iovrie tvyea nsm, o rteh aonn e
recepnots tmodceerlneibshrtaa asnr tg uietdis,n coherence.
Anarchifsami'ltsuor r ees otlhvtiees n stiooa nr,t ictuhlea te
relatiooftn hsiehn idpi vitdotu hcaeol l leacntdti oev neu,n ciate
thhei stocriirccaulm stthawanotcu elmsda kpeo ssais btlaet eless
anarcshoiccip ertoyd upcreodb lienam nsa rcthhiosutgt hhta t
remauinnr esotlotv heiddsa yP.i erJroes ePprhod huonm,o re
thamna nayn arcohfhi isdsta sya ,t temtpotf eodr mualf aatier ly
concriemtaoegf eal iberstoacriiBeaatnsy oe.ndc ontreascstesn,­
tiableltwye esnm aplrlo ducers, caonodcp oemrmautnievse,s ,
Proudhvoins'wisao rsne doloeft nhpter ovicnrcaiwfaotlr ilndt o
whichhew asb orBnu.ht i ast tetmopm te ladp atroonfitsetne ,
4 SocIAALN ARcmSOMRL IFESTYLAEN ARCm5M
patriarncohtailoo nfl iberwtiyt hc ontracstoucailaa rlr ange­
mentwsa sl ackiinngd epthT.h ec raftsmcaono,p eratainvde ,
communer,e lattiono gn ea nothoenrb ourgeociosn tractual
termosfe quiotryj ustriacteh tehra onn t hceo mmunitsetr mosf
abiliantdyn eedrse,fl ecttehdea rtisabni'afsso rp ersonaaul­
tonomyl,e avianngym oraclo mmitmetnota c ollective unde­
finedb eyontdh eg oodi ntentiointmsse mobfe rs.
IndeePdr,o udhofna'mso udse claratthia"otnw hoevpeurts
hihsa ndo nm et og overmne i sa nu surpaenrda t yraInd te;c lare
himm y enemys"t rongtliylt tosw aradp ersonalniesgtaitci,v e
freedomt haotv ershadhoiwoss p posittiooo pnp resssiovcei al
instituatnidot nhsev isioofna na narchsioscti ethtayth ep ro­
jectHeids.s tatemeeansti bllye ndisn tWoi lliGaomd wind'iss ­
tincftnldyi vidualistic "dTehcelriaesrb auttoi noepn o:w ert o
whichI c any ielahd e artfelt obtehdedi eecnicseoi,fom ny own
understanthdei ndgi,c taotfem sy ownc onscienGcoed.w"i n's
appeatlot he" authoroifth yi"os w nu nderstanadnidnc go n­
scienlciekP,er oudhocno'nsd emnatoifto hn"e h andth"a tthr eat­
enst or estrhiiclsti bergtayv,ea narchiasnmi mmenseilnyd i­
vidualitshtriucs t.
Compelliansgs uchd eclaratmiaoyns b e- andi nt he
UniteSdt attehse hya vweo nc onsideraadbmlier atfrioomn th e
so-callliebde rta(rmioaranec curatperloyp,r ietarriigahwnti),th
itasv owaolfs" freee"n terp-rtihseeyr eveaanla narchivsemr y
mucha to ddwsi tiht seBlycf o.n trMaiscth,a Bealk unainnd P eter
Kropotkhienle ds senticaollllye ctviiveiw-sst i nK ropotkin's
caseex, plicitly communist ones. Baprkiuonriin­ emphatically
tizetdh es ocioavle trh ei ndividSuoacli.e hteyw ,r ites,
antedaatnedsa tt hes amet imseu rviveesv erhyu man
individbueailn,ig nthis respelcitkN ea turiet seIltif s.
eternlailkN ea turoer,r athehra,v inbge en born upon
oure artihtw, i llla satsl onags t he eaAr rtahd.i craelv olt
againsts ociewtoyu ltdh erefboejr ues atsi mpossifbolre
mana sa revolt againshtu mNaants uorcei,eb teyi ng
nothienlgs beu tt hel asgtr eamta nifestoartc iroena tion
ofN aturuep ont hiesa rtAhn.d an individwuhaol
would watnort e bealg ainssotc ie.t y.w ou.l dp lace
himseblefy ontdh ep aloef r eaelx istence.1
SOCIAALN ARCHISM ORL IFESTYLEA NARCHISM 5
Bakunoifnte exnp rehsisosep dp osittoti hoienn dividualistic
treinnld i beraanladin samr chwiistchmo nsideproalbelmei cal
emphasAilst.h osuogchi ies"t iyn detboti endd ivi"dh uea ls,
wroitnear elatmiivlesdlt ya temtehfeno tr,m aotfit ohinen di­
viduiassl o cial:
evetnh meo swtr etcihneddi viodfou uaprlr esseoncti ­
etcyo unlodet x iasntdd e vewliotph tohucetu mulative
soceifaflo orfct osu ntgleensesr aTthiuotsnsh .ie n di­
viduhiaslf ,r eedaonmdr easaornte,h per oduocft s
sociaentdny o,vt i cvee rssoac:i iensto ytt h per odoufc t
individualsi tac;not dmh phierg ihsetirhnm,ego rfeu lly
thien diviiddsue avle lotphgeerd e,a hitsefr re ed-om
antdh meo rheei tsh per oudco tfs ocitehtmeyo ,rd eo es
her ecefirvoesm o ciaentdty h ger eahitsed re bttoi t.2
Kropotkfiohnri, ps a rrte,t aitnhceiodsl lectivistic emphasis
witrhe markable cIonwn hsaiwtsa tspe rnocbya.hb ilmsyo st
widerleyaw do rhki,Es n cycloBpraietdaienasn sioancy" a A nar­
chisKrmo,p"o tdkiisnt ilnocctalttyhee edc onocmoincc eptions
ofa narchoints hm"e l eft-owf"i anslgol"c ialciaslmlsfi,on"rg
threa diacbaoll iotfpi roinv partoep earntdty h Set aitn"e t he
spiorfliotc aanlpd e rsoinniatli aatniodvf fe r,fe eed erfartoimo n
thsei mptlote hc eo mpouinlndi ,oe tfuh p er esheinetr archy from
thcee nttote hrpe e riphKerroyp.o"t kino'nes twhoiircnfks as,,c t
inclau dseu stcartiiin qoeufldei beraatltiesmttpocit ocsu nterpose
thien divitdosu oacli ientdye,te osd u bordsioncaitteeott hye
indiviodreu gaoHl.e p lacheidm sseqlufa rientl hyse o cialist
tradiHtiiason na.r chocompmruendiiscmoa,nat devda nicne s
technoalnodig nyc reparsoeddu ctbievciatamyp e,r evailing
libertiadreioalinont g hy1e 8 9s0tse,a edlibloyw oiunctgo llec­
tivniostti oofnd si stribbausteoindoe nq uiAtnya.r ch"iisnt s,
commowni tmho ssto cialKirsotpso,te"km ipnh asirzeecdo,g ­
niztehdne e efdo "rp erioofad csc eleervaotleudwt hiicohan r e
called revuolltuitmiyaoitneesll,days"i o ncgi beatsyoe ndf ed�
eratoifo" nesv etroyw nsohrci opm muonfte h leo cgarlo uopfs
produacnedcr osn sumers."3
Witthh eem ergeonfac nea rchosynadnidac naalricshmo ­
communiinst mhl ea ntien eteaenndt hetw aernltyi ceetnhtu ry,
6 SocIAL ANARCInSOMRL IFESTYLE ANARCHISM
thnee etdor esotlhvteee nsbieotnw etehienn dividauntadhl ei st
collectteinvdiesnetcs iseesn tbieaclamlmoyeo tA.n"a rcho-indi­
viduawlaissl ma rgmealryg inablymi azsessdo ciawloirskt­ic
ersm'o vemenotfws h,i cmho satn archciosntssi dtehreemd­
seltvhelese wfitn Ing a.n e roafs torsmoyc uipahle amvaarlk,e d
byt hrei osfeam aswso rkingm-ocvleamsetsnh tac tu lminated
int h1e9 3a0nsdt hSep anRiesvho luatniaornc,h osyndicalists
anda narchocommnuoln eistssht asMn,a rxicsotnss,i dered
anarcho-indtiovb iepd eutatlyi-sbmoe uxrogteTiohcieaosy.f ­
tena ttaciktqe udi dtier ecatsal myi ddle-icnldauslsg ence,
rootfeamdro rienl ibertahlaiinns a mn archism.
Thep erihoadr dallyl owiendd ividiunat lhinesa tmosef,
the"iur�nu ienestsoi, g"n otrhneee efdoe rn ergreetviocl ution­
arfyo rmosfo rganizwaittcihoo hne raenndct o mpelplrion­g
gramFsa.frr o mi nduling Minagx S timer's meotfta hpeh ysics
egoan di t"su niqueanneasrsc,ahi"cs tti vriesqtusia rb eads ic
theoredtiisccaulra,sn idpv reo,g rammaotirciaelnlltiyet de ra­
turaen ,e etdh awta sf ilblyea,dm onogt heKrrosp,o tkTihne's
ConquoBefr set(a Ldo ndon,D i1e9gA1ob3 a)dd,e S antilElla n's
organeicsomno6d meli arceov ol(uBcair6cne1 l9o3na6an),dG, . P .
MaximoTfhfPe'o sl iticalo fBPa hkiu(lnEoinsngo lppiuhsbyhl ica­
tioinn1 95t3h,r yeeea arfst Mearx imodfefa'ttshh ;de a toef
original conomptpr iolvaitidinteo hdnEe ,n gltirsahn slation,
mayh avbee eyne aervse,dn e cades NeoaS rtliimeerr)i.t e "Union
ofE goisttoms y,k "n owleedvgerero, st eop romin-eenvceen
assumsiuncgah u niocno ublede stablainsdsh uerdv tihvee
"uniqueonfie tessgs o"c epnatrrtiicc ipants.
INVDIIUDALIASNTA RCHAINSDRM E ACTION
ToB ES UREi,d eoloignidciavli dduiandlo iftsa md aew aayl to­
gethdeurr itnhgpi esr ioofsd w eepsioncgui narle As sti.z able
reserovfio nidri vidaunaalricshetis sptesc,ii nat lhlAeyn glo-
..A narchosyncdaibnce a ltirbsaamkcc ,e dfi anct ton, o tioofan s
"GranHdo lidoargy e"n eralp rpsootsrbeiydkt ehE en glCihsahr ­
tisAtmso.nS gp ananiasrchhis ts,i atl ardewya asn a ccepprtaecdt ice
byth e1 880asd ,e caodrse ob efoiwrta ess p elolueatdsa d octrine
in France.
SOCLIAA NARCHISOMRL IFESTYLANEA RCHISM 7