The Sociology of Freedom: Manifesto of the Democratic Civilization

Demokratik Uygarlık Manifestosu #3

by Abdullah Öcalan, Havin Güneşer (Translation), John Holloway (Foreword)

When scientific socialism, which for many years was implemented by Abdullah Öcalan and the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), became too narrow for his purposes, Öcalan answered the call for a radical redefinition of the social sciences. Writing from his prison cell, he offered a new and astute analysis of what is happening to the Kurdish people, their freedom movement, and future prospects for humanity. The Sociology of Freedom is the third volume of a five-volume work titled The Manifesto of the Democratic Civilization. The general aim of the earlier volumes was to clarify what power and capitalist modernity entailed. Here, Öcalan presents his thesis of the Democratic Civilization, based on his criticism of Capitalist Modernity. This volume reveals the remarkable range of one of the Left's most original thinkers with topics such as existence and freedom, nature and philosophy, anarchism and ecology. Recognizing the need for more than just a critique, he has advanced what is the most radical, far-reaching definition of democracy today and argues that a democratic civilization, as an alternative system, already exists, though systemic power and knowledge structures, along with a perverse sectarianism, do not allow it to be seen. This monumental work gives profuse evidence of his position as one of the most influential thinkers of our day.

Genres: Politics, Sociology, Philosophy, Nonfiction, Anarchism

480 pages, Hardcover

First published July 1, 2009

About the author

Abdullah Öcalan is the founder of the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK). From 1984, under his leadership, the PKK fought for Kurdish liberation. Since his kidnapping and arrest in 1999, he has been in solitary confinement in Imrali Island Prison.

Since his imprisonment, Ocalan has written extensively on Middle Eastern and Kurdish history. With his books he has significantly influenced the course of Kurdish politics in the last two decades.

He argues for the concepts of Democratic Autonomy and Democratic Confederalism that are considered an alternative to a Kurdish nation-state.

From 2009-2015, the Turkish state held negotiations with him about a solution of the Kurdish Question. Since the collapse of the talks in 2015, Öcalan has been under total isolation.

Reviews

[Redpoet · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have always been a big fan of Abdullah Ocalan. I have found much worth in his theoretical analysis and even more so in their application in Rojava. That said no human should be treated as a political or revolutionary god, and ideology in general is a bad thing. I regret to say that part of Ocalan’s analysis in this book I found blatantly and virulently anti Semitic. This was very disturbing and very disappointing. Some of what he wrote fit pretty well with various Jew hating conspiracy theories and even mirrored parts of the infamous PROTOCOLS OF THE ELDERS OF ZION.

I must add that even outside of the anti semitism this was the least impressive of Ocalan’s works which I have read (and I have read pretty much everything available in English).

All of that said, even in a book which I only gave two stars, there is much of worth for those especially who are more unfamiliar with Ocalan than I.

[Lucien · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think Öcalan is one of the most important philosophers of our time. I would like his ideas to be studied broadly, I truly believe that he is one of the thinkers that can help us as a global civilization, to get out of the dark pit where we precipitated ourselves during the last 5000 years. And I respect him even more as a thinker, that he didn't just content himself to think, but he went out and acted as a revolutionary, he put action behind his words. And he is shamefully tortured by fascist turkey for that since 1999, with the cooperation of the rest of the world. Öcalan belongs out of the disgusting claws of nation-states as turkey, he should be free, we should be able to interact with him, to have debate, to push his ideas even further, to fight along him! To silence such a voice is an incredible crime.

[Ken Hall · Rating 5 out of 5]

I do not doubt Abdulla Ocalan’s assertion that the US and the EU collaborated to capture and imprison him in solitary confinement in a Turkish Prison- for the rest of his life. I do not doubt it because Abdulla Ocalan (also known as Apo, or uncle) is a true threat to the western hegemony of wealth and power represented by the US and the EU. Apo is a leader, perhaps a prophet- but certainly an inspiration for all people everywhere that would resist the powerful forces that oppress free peoples in the name of maximizing profits.

Armed only with pen and paper in solitary confinement, Apo is allowed to write and present his defense to the international court- the result of which has become his Manifesto of the Democratic Civilization, of which The Sociology of Freedom is Volume III.

Not since I discovered Krishnamurti, or perhaps Thomas Berry, have I encountered an author that had such a profound impact on me. But unlike many authors, Apo is grounded in the reality of prison and the Kurdish people resisting the forces of western hegemony in the mountains bounding the northern edge of the Fertile Cresent. From this geographical location- the source of Western Civilization- Apo weaves a dialectal narrative of five thousand years of history leading to an analysis of Capitalist Modernity and resulting set of tasks to rebuild Democratic Modernity. That is no small feat- and it is built on the shoulders of the experience of five thousand years of resistance.

I went into the Sociology of Freedom anticipating I would be able to better articulate the concept of Freedom. While that is true, the surprise to me is what I learned about Society- or the lack thereof. More importantly, I have gained deeper insight not just into the problem of historical-society, but the social problems of Power and the State. This is a holistic analysis of society’s problems; moral and political, mental, economic, industrial, and ecological.

But what especially caught my attention early on was Apo’s thinking regarding sexism, family, women and the population problem. If women are not free- no one can be free! Apo details the link between the colonization of women and the rise of Western Civilization. But more importantly, beginning with the freedom of women, we can rebuild Democratic Modernity in resistance to Capitalist Modernity.

In the Sociology of Freedom, Apo identifies the reconstruction challenges of Democratic Modernity. He analyzes the ‘polycrisis’ created by capitalist modernity and the forces aligned against it; socialism, anarchism, feminism, ecological and cultural movements. Important to me, was gaining a better understanding of the nation-state and the role of the priests, kings and corporate CEOs that continue the telling of false ideologies that lead to exploitation and oppression in service of accumulation of capital and power.

But unlike most contemporary books that are good at identifying problems, Apo presents an analysis that shines a light on the path forward and provides reason to believe it is possible to travel this path. Concluding with specific intellectual, moral and political tasks, Apo shows how democratic confederalism operating from the smallest to the largest units of society enables moral and political society to re-emerge and constrain the forces of Capitalist Modernity.

Abdulla Ocalan continues to inspire the Kurdish people from his solitary confinement to this very day. And now I understand why. His vision of a Democratic Modernity is a multi-cultural, multi-ethnic, and multi-religious embrace of the Art of Politics; and a way to live in Society that can heal the wounds of five thousand years of power and capital accumulation. Apo is also quite clear why moral and political society must have the rights of self defense. No wonder they locked him up for life! Thankfully, he was allowed pen and paper!!!

[Scotty · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not really a work of sociology, rather a commentary on how Ocalan views society. Good for understanding the authors worldview.

[Erdem Akın · Rating 1 out of 5]

Australia, Canada, European Union, United Kingdom, United States of America has accepted that PKK is a terrorist group. And Abdullah Öcalan is a terrorist leader. This book includes illegal ideas and thoughts.

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