Anarchism

FOCI

by Sean Sheehan

Anarchism re-emerged on the world stage at the end of 1999 on the streets of Seattle when the World Trade Organization was brought close to collapse. Anarchist groups shared pavement space with environmentalists, pacifists and a whole host of other groups. The anti-capitalism, anti-globalization movement can be seen as a post-Cold War development, rejecting the terms of the old debate – whether capitalism or Soviet-style Communism. This new oppositional voice is allied to anarchism not just because specific anarchist groups are part of the movement, sharing a common criticism of the status quo, but also in a broader sense arising from the non-hierarchical nature of the movement and its rejection of traditional party politics.

Anarchism is as much an attitude as it is a set of formulated doctrines and in this book Sean Sheehan provides an engaging introduction to what anarchism means, describing its history through anecdote and dramatic events, and offering explanations of the issues behind this "movement". He avoids a narrowly political or polemical viewpoint, using examples from all over the world and images from anarchist-inspired ideas and forms.

Anarchist thinking and influences emerge in many different aspects of contemporary culture and history, and the author looks at instances in areas of political thought, history of ideas, philosophy, theories of education and ecology, as well as film and literary criticism. Systems of thought such as Buddhism and Taoism, art movements such as Dada and Surrealism, literary treatments of anarchist ideas in the work of Blake, Wilde, Whitman, Kafka and Eugene O’Neill, anarchism in relation to sex and psychology in the work of Reich and Fromm, as well as aspects of Nietzsche’s philosophy as expressions of anarchist individualism – all these and other topics are also tackled.

This combination of history, anecdote and cultural analysis is an informative and lively study that is guaranteed to provoke debate.

Genres: Philosophy, Politics, Indonesian Literature, Nonfiction, History

176 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2004

Reviews

[Terence · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5+ stars

Anarchism is a delightfully well-written book about the ideology that denies the need for "the state," however benevolent, in any form. I try not to be too rigidly defined by my politics but if forced to pigeon hole myself, it would be as an anarcho-communist along the lines of Emma Goldman so there was much for me to like about Sheehan's exposition.

It's fitting that anarchism's best definition comes from Goldman's mouth (as quoted by Sheehan):

Emma Goldman spoke of anarchism as not a theory of the future but 'a living force in the affairs of our life, constantly creating new conditions... the spirit of revolt, in whatever form, against everything that hinders human growth.' In this sense, anarchism is an idea [emphasis mine] not an opinion, [it's] a compass, a potential, an ambience, qualitative not quantitative, a desire to orientate the world and life's possibilities in terms of becoming and autonomy. (pp. 157-8)

A few other choice quotes include:

Anarchism is revolutionary in that it desires a new social order based on libertarian socialist ideas. There is a principled opposition to most forms of imposed, centralized or hierarchical authority.... Anarchism... is very much about people taking responsibility for their workaday lives and sets itself the challenge of developing forms of participatory democratic government for modern, complex societies. (p. 15)

At the heart of anarchist thought, is the conviction that people should determine their own future... and live and work within an economic system that allows them to control their destiny as far as possible. (p. 18)

[A]narchism cherishes the realization that the way things are now is not fixed, and what is so often taken for human nature may be the habit of many lifetimes but it is not immutable. (p. 64)

To believe in libertarian socialism does not depend on a utopian belief in the perfectability of human beings, just an appreciation of mutual aid and solidarity as basic principles for the betterment of life.... What anarchism rejects is the bourgeois mind-set that sees life as a game in some economic playground with winners and losers. Anarchism [holds to] the conviction that capitalism makes people unhappy and that the cause of alienation is the application of laws of supply and demand to human needs.... (p. 153)

Even if you don't have much sympathy for anarchist ideals, I'd still recommend taking a look at this slim volume, which not only lays out anarchic principles clearly but discusses places where they've been put into effect. If you are reluctant to read nonfiction, however well-written, then I'd recommend Ursula K. Le Guin's The Dispossessed, which brilliantly shows how an anarchic society would function. (I'd also recommend Iain Banks' Culture books. He tends to shy away from explicitly talking about how the Culture functions but it is another take on an anarcho-communist future.)

[Bryan Cebulski · Rating 4 out of 5]

A readable, comprehensive intro to anarchism and its many branches.

Occasionally slips into jargon, but rarely for long. Even the chapter discussing the Marxist and Nietzschean connections to anarchism didn't lose me too much. And Sheehan balances these with references to cultural/artistic touchstones like Le Guin's The Dispossessed and historical examples like the 1999 Seattle WTO protests that help better illustrate anarchist principles to readers who can't easily grasp the abstract (like me).

Great comparisons between various anarchist thinkers too. Team Kropotkin all the way.

The first two or three chapters are where the best material is. It gets increasingly into the minutiae afterward which, while still interesting, isn't necessary if you're just going in for the broad overview of the philosophy and politics.

[Panata Harianja · Rating 3 out of 5]

Buku yang cukup simpel. Dibawakan di beberapa bagian dengan gaya narasi berceritera. Meski tidak terlalu mendalam penjelasan akar filosofisnya, buat saya yang sekedar ingin berkenalan dengan Anarkisme, buku ini bisa dikategorikan sangat cukup.

Meski serba sedikit, buku ini cukup memberi gambaran tentang tegangan-tegangan diantara kutub-kutub filsafat yang mendasarinya. Termasuk, bagaimana anarkisme masih harus berjuang melawan sistem negara komunis dengan kediktatoran yang mengatasnamakan kaum proletar.

[Ginanjar Jatnika · Rating 4 out of 5]

Buku yang cukup baik untuk memperkenalkan Anarkisme yang sering disalahartikan dengan Vandalisme. Hadirnya buku ini di Indonesia bisa sedikit menghilangkan dahaga para pembaca yang kesulitan mencari literatur perihal Anarkisme. Tapi ingat! Buku ini hanyalah pengantar, bentuk-bentuk anarkisme primordial seperti Ranters and Diggers atau gerakan Free Spirit tidak dibahas di buku ini.

[RJTK · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great introduction to anarchist philosophy. It is much better to read a modern book on the topic rather than some 100yr old impenetrable mess.

[Dimas Anggada · Rating 5 out of 5]

Panjang umur Anarki!

[nonraaa · Rating 3 out of 5]

I haven't finished this book yet. I'm only in the early chapters. The content feels heavy, so I think I'll come back to it later when I feel more relaxed.

[Argo Selig · Rating 3 out of 5]

Buku ini bisa menjadi referensi pamungkas bagi para penulis zine yang ingin menyerukan kebebasan. Tak perlu dijelaskan lagi, tampaknya dari judulnya pun anda sudah bisa menebak isinya. Tapi biarkan saya memberikan satu kesimpulan: Jika anarki adalah manusia, maka buku ini adalah otobiografinya.
Seandainya saya adalah dosen radikal yang mengajar mata kuliah pengantar aksi langsung, buku ini akan saya jadikan referensi andalan.

[Saumi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Anarkisme sendiri bukanlah kelakuan brutal sekelompok orang yang sering diberitakan media. Dilihat dari sejarahnya, nyatanya anarkisme tak sedangkal yang media tampilkan. Anarkisme sendiri menurut Sheehan di buku ini, menolak suatu gagasan tentang suatu tatanan berkuasa yang menuntut dan menghendaki kepatuhan warganya. Buku ini cukup untuk membuat saya meragukan dan menyatakan mosi tidak percaya kepada negara

[chris]

A sympathetic and fairly accurate synopsis of anarchism written by a non-anarchist. The only factual error Sheehan makes is in writing that the Unabomber was inspired by John Zerzan. Zerzan and Kaczynski did have lengthy conversations, but during and after the Unabomber's trial. There is no evidence to suggest that the bombings were a result of the Unabomber reading John Zerzan.

[Ucil Marucil · Rating 5 out of 5]

bahwa anarkisme bukan bar-bar
anarkisme bukan vandals
anarkisme adalah persamaan hak
anarkisme adalah tanpa paksaan

[Taco · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good book about all the misunderstandings on anarchism, a real must read!

[Indah Threez Lestari · Rating 3 out of 5]

593 - 2015