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L'évolution, La Révolution Et L'idéal Anarchique
220pages. 17x10x1cm. Broché.
224 pages, Paperback
First published November 1, 1979
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About the author
Élisée Reclus
907 books54 followersÉlisée Reclus, also known as Jacques Élisée Reclus, was a renowned French geographer, writer and anarchist. He produced his 19-volume masterwork La Nouvelle Géographie universelle, la terre et les hommes ("Universal Geography"), over a period of nearly 20 years (1875 - 1894). In 1892 he was awarded the prestigious Gold Medal of the Paris Geographical Society for this work, despite his having been banished from France because of his political activism.
Reclus was the second son of a Protestant pastor and his wife. From the family of fourteen children, several, including his brother and fellow geographer Onésime Reclus, went on to achieve renown either as men of letters, politicians or members of the learned professions.
Reclus began his education in Rhenish Prussia, and continued higher studies at the Protestant college of Montauban. He completed his studies at University of Berlin, where he followed a long course of geography under Carl Ritter.
Withdrawing from France because of political events of December 1851, he spent the next six years (1852 - 1857) traveling and working in Great Britain, the United States, Central America, and Colombia. Arriving in Louisiana in 1853, Reclus worked for about two and a half years as a tutor to the children of Septime and Félicité Fortier at their plantation Félicité, located about 50 miles upriver from New Orleans. He recounted his passage through the Mississippi river delta and impressions of antebellum New Orleans and the state in Fragment d'un voyage á Louisiane, published in 1855.
On his return to Paris, Reclus contributed to the Revue des deux mondes, the Tour du monde and other periodicals, a large number of articles embodying the results of his geographical work. Among other works of this period was the short book Histoire d’un ruisseau, in which he traced the development of a great river from source to mouth. From 1867 - 1868 he published La Terre; description des phénomènes de la vie du globe in two volumes.
During the 1870 siege of Paris, Reclus shared in the aerostatic operations conducted by Félix Nadar, and also served in the National Guard. As a member of the Association Nationale des Travailleurs, he published a hostile manifesto against the government of Versailles in support of the Paris Commune of 1871 in the Cri du Peuple.
Continuing to serve in the National Guard, now in open revolt, Reclus was taken prisoner on April 5, and on November 16 was sentenced to deportation for life. Because of intervention by supporters from England, the sentence was commuted in January 1872 to perpetual banishment from France.
After a short visit to Italy, Reclus settled at Clarens, Switzerland, where he resumed his literary labours and produced Histoire d’une montagne, a companion to Histoire d’un ruisseau. There he wrote nearly the whole of his work, La Nouvelle Géographie universelle, la terre et les hommes, "an examination of every continent and country in terms of the effects that geographic features like rivers and mountains had on human populations—and vice versa," This compilation was profusely illustrated with maps, plans, and engravings. It was awarded the gold medal of the Paris Geographical Society in 1892. An English edition appeared simultaneously, also in 19 volumes, the first four by E. G. Ravenstein, the rest by A.H. Keane. Reclus's writings were characterized by extreme accuracy and brilliant exposition, which gave them permanent literary and scientific value.
Reclus was the second son of a Protestant pastor and his wife. From the family of fourteen children, several, including his brother and fellow geographer Onésime Reclus, went on to achieve renown either as men of letters, politicians or members of the learned professions.
Reclus began his education in Rhenish Prussia, and continued higher studies at the Protestant college of Montauban. He completed his studies at University of Berlin, where he followed a long course of geography under Carl Ritter.
Withdrawing from France because of political events of December 1851, he spent the next six years (1852 - 1857) traveling and working in Great Britain, the United States, Central America, and Colombia. Arriving in Louisiana in 1853, Reclus worked for about two and a half years as a tutor to the children of Septime and Félicité Fortier at their plantation Félicité, located about 50 miles upriver from New Orleans. He recounted his passage through the Mississippi river delta and impressions of antebellum New Orleans and the state in Fragment d'un voyage á Louisiane, published in 1855.
On his return to Paris, Reclus contributed to the Revue des deux mondes, the Tour du monde and other periodicals, a large number of articles embodying the results of his geographical work. Among other works of this period was the short book Histoire d’un ruisseau, in which he traced the development of a great river from source to mouth. From 1867 - 1868 he published La Terre; description des phénomènes de la vie du globe in two volumes.
During the 1870 siege of Paris, Reclus shared in the aerostatic operations conducted by Félix Nadar, and also served in the National Guard. As a member of the Association Nationale des Travailleurs, he published a hostile manifesto against the government of Versailles in support of the Paris Commune of 1871 in the Cri du Peuple.
Continuing to serve in the National Guard, now in open revolt, Reclus was taken prisoner on April 5, and on November 16 was sentenced to deportation for life. Because of intervention by supporters from England, the sentence was commuted in January 1872 to perpetual banishment from France.
After a short visit to Italy, Reclus settled at Clarens, Switzerland, where he resumed his literary labours and produced Histoire d’une montagne, a companion to Histoire d’un ruisseau. There he wrote nearly the whole of his work, La Nouvelle Géographie universelle, la terre et les hommes, "an examination of every continent and country in terms of the effects that geographic features like rivers and mountains had on human populations—and vice versa," This compilation was profusely illustrated with maps, plans, and engravings. It was awarded the gold medal of the Paris Geographical Society in 1892. An English edition appeared simultaneously, also in 19 volumes, the first four by E. G. Ravenstein, the rest by A.H. Keane. Reclus's writings were characterized by extreme accuracy and brilliant exposition, which gave them permanent literary and scientific value.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
July 8, 2022
Toujours un plaisir de lire les pensées, l'idéal d'Elisée Reclus. L'actualité des écrits des anarchistes du 19e siècle me fascinera toujours, il y a dans sa vision des gouvernants, de la République, des élections, de la révolution et des mouvements sociaux, une compréhension toujours brillante. Je ne pense pas qu'il soit visionnaire, je pense qu'il ne fait que constater des mécanismes, qui toujours se répètent parce qu'ils relèvent de la domination.
S'il y a quelque chose qu'on peut retenir avec cette lecture, c'est que la solidarité est porteuse de beaucoup d'espoirs, que la lutte doit se faire par le bas et sans chefs, et que les grands changements ne viendront jamais par les réformes...même avec de la bonne volonté.
Le livre est aussi celui qui résume le mieux la vision de l'anarchisme, qui n'est pas simplement une société idéale à construire là maintenant en l'imposant aux autres. Mais un idéal qui se construit chaque jour, par des évolutions constantes des idées et des révolutions fréquentes en action. L'idée primordiale, c'est qu'il faut constamment construire notre société future, et dès qu'on le peut détruire ce qui maintient la société actuelle. Nous ne construisons pas une société idéale, nous créons les chemins, les outils, les idées, qui permettront à tous, quand ils décideront de le faire collectivement, d'atteindre l'anarchie.
S'il y a quelque chose qu'on peut retenir avec cette lecture, c'est que la solidarité est porteuse de beaucoup d'espoirs, que la lutte doit se faire par le bas et sans chefs, et que les grands changements ne viendront jamais par les réformes...même avec de la bonne volonté.
Le livre est aussi celui qui résume le mieux la vision de l'anarchisme, qui n'est pas simplement une société idéale à construire là maintenant en l'imposant aux autres. Mais un idéal qui se construit chaque jour, par des évolutions constantes des idées et des révolutions fréquentes en action. L'idée primordiale, c'est qu'il faut constamment construire notre société future, et dès qu'on le peut détruire ce qui maintient la société actuelle. Nous ne construisons pas une société idéale, nous créons les chemins, les outils, les idées, qui permettront à tous, quand ils décideront de le faire collectivement, d'atteindre l'anarchie.
May 15, 2022
Œuvre centrale de la pensée sociale de Reclus , l’œuvre ce veut la présentation de l’idéal anarchiste comme relation dialectique entre l’évolution et la révolution. Le processus historique , évolutif dans le cas présent pour Reclus ( qui est un géographe et scientifique à la base ), ce veut un constant cheminement vers l’avant , vers le changement, un flux de transformation inarêtable , autant biologique que sociologique, de l’être humain et de la nature. Car pour Reclus, la pensée, la rationalité et la cognition humaine est la nature qui prend conscience d’elle-même. Donc l’évolution amène indubitablement à la révolution, qu’elle soit positive ou destructrice, elle est l’essence même de la nature. Exemple : la révolution française se voulait l’avènement de la rationalité sur le mysticisme et la monarchie mais s’est réalisé dans l’accaparement du pouvoir par la bourgeoise et la création d’un état républicain à la solde des intérêts de celle-ci. Bonne critique anarchiste du républicanisme, du rationalisme et de la pensée des lumières. Encore une fois l’usage de la poésie par Reclus apporte une formulation dure à suivre et vient teinté l’œuvre.
March 26, 2023
A Daniel Bernabé le haría falta
July 9, 2013
If I wasn't already an anarchist before reading this book I'd become a zealous anarchist after it, for sure.
Élisée Reclus is not one of those who say "Evolution, not revolution" or "Revolution, not evolution". He says - evolution is not possible without revolutions. Deal with it.
Reclus expresses his thoughts very clearly, his writing style looks modern even nowadays after 100+ years since first publication.
Often I caught myself nodding and agreeing, because the ideas he proclaimed are still actual and fresh in our rotten capitalist world. His faith in revolution and power of workers' solidarity is very inspiring, especially when you realize that Reclus wasn't just a leisured dreamer, but a man with great travel and science experience and active life position.
Vive l'Anarchie!
Élisée Reclus is not one of those who say "Evolution, not revolution" or "Revolution, not evolution". He says - evolution is not possible without revolutions. Deal with it.
Reclus expresses his thoughts very clearly, his writing style looks modern even nowadays after 100+ years since first publication.
Often I caught myself nodding and agreeing, because the ideas he proclaimed are still actual and fresh in our rotten capitalist world. His faith in revolution and power of workers' solidarity is very inspiring, especially when you realize that Reclus wasn't just a leisured dreamer, but a man with great travel and science experience and active life position.
Vive l'Anarchie!
June 3, 2010
It has been a century and a half since this book was written. Bearing that in mind, it is evident that many of the debates initiated by Reclus are a bit out-dated, much of his thinking is questionable and part of his ideas clashes with reality. At the same time, ALL of the things he questioned in this book remain unsolved, and some of the problems that he pointed out are even more severe now, like famines in a world with plenty of food.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews