Words of a Rebel

by Pyotr Kropotkin, Iain Mckay (Translation), Élisée Reclus (Preface)

Peter Kropotkin remains one of the best-known anarchist thinkers, and Words of a Rebel was his first libertarian book. Published in 1885 while he was in a French jail for anarchist activism, this collection of articles from the newspaper Le Revolt� sees Kropotkin criticise the failings of capitalism and those who seek to end it by means of its main support, the state. Instead, he urged the creation of a mass movement from below that would expropriate property and destroy the state, replacing their centralised hierarchies with federations of self-governing communities and workplaces.

Kropotkin's instant classic included discussions themes and ideas he returned to repeatedly during his five decades in the anarchist movement. Unsurprisingly, Words of a Rebel was soon translated into numerous languages--including Italian, Spanish, Bulgarian, Russian, and Chinese--and reprinted time and time again. But despite its influence as Kropotkin's first anarchist work, it was the last to be completely translated into English.

This is a new translation from the French original by Iain McKay except for a few chapters previously translated by Nicolas Walter. Both anarchist activists and writers, they are well placed to understand the assumptions within and influences on Kropotkin's revolutionary journalism. It includes all the original 1885 text along with the preface to the 1904 Italian as well as the preface and afterward to the 1919 Russian editions. In addition, it includes many articles on the labour movement written by Kropotkin for Le Revolt� which show how he envisioned getting from criticism to a social revolution. Along with a comprehensive glossary and an introduction by Iain McKay placing this work within the history of anarchism as well as indicating its relevance to radicals and revolutionaries today, this is the definitive edition of an anarchist classic.

Genres: Politics, Nonfiction, History, Russia, Philosophy

416 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1885

About the author

Pyotr Alekseyevich Kropotkin, prince, Russian anarchist, and political philosopher, greatly influenced movements throughout the world and maintained that cooperation, not competition, the means, bettered the human condition.

Pyotr Alexeyevich Kropotkin (Пётр Алексеевич Кропоткин, other spelling: Pëtr Kropotkin, Pierre Kropotkine), who described him as "a man with a soul of that beautiful white Christ, which seems coming." He wrote many books, pamphlets and articles, the most prominent being The Conquest of Bread and Fields, Factories and Workshops , and his principal scientific offering, Mutual Aid: A Factor of Evolution . He also contributed to the Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition .

Reviews

[Mikko]

nyt tiedän

[Betül Bozkurt · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bu kitabı bana kim önermişti bilmiyorum. Çok tarzım olmamasına, okurken çoğu zaman zorlanmama rağmen yazarın hayat hikayesini okuyunca daha anlamlı geldi benim için kitap. Benim için Kropotkin’in anarşist bir hayat felsefesine sahip olmasından, ezilenin ve güçsüzün yanında olmaya çalışmasından ziyade; bu hayat felsefesine Rusya’nın en köklü aristokrat ailesinden gelmesine rağmen sahip olması daha ilginç. Çabasız bir şekilde, rahat ve zengin bir hayat sürecekken inandıkları uğruna hapishaneye kadar giden bir hayat çizgisi oluşturmuş kendisine. Bu bile tek başına takdir edilesi.

[Onni Ojajärvi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kiinnostavia yhteiskuntatieteellisiä ja historiallisia tutkielmia anarkismista. Kropotkin valottaa taloushistoriaa ja antikapitalismista kenttää monipuolisella ja luettavalla tavalla. Vaikka korkealentoinen teksti jättää toisinaan informatiivisuuden retoriikan varjoon, suosittelen Kapinahenkeä kaikille yhteiskuntateorioista kiinnostuneille.

[John Mihelic · Rating 4 out of 5]

An inspiring if disheartening read

An interesting thing here is to parallel the young Kropotkin with an older Marx. Marx was looking at the economic situation of the mid to late nineteenth century, the work here is more political (though of course arguable if you can untangle the economic from the political, of course).

The thing is that the industrial capitalism that Marx was writing on has passed from us in the west as we have outsourced all that basic commodity production overseas. The political situation, as outline here, feels a lot more current. You could drop some of these essays on your blog and not need to change much and the complaints would be current

If there is anything that has changed between then and now, it is that Kropotkin is way more optimistic than I am about any proletarian revolution in the short term. I guess it makes sense. Having been a spectator to the months of the commune would give hope to anyone who though a better world was not only possible but within grasp. It only took another lifetime between the commune and the events of 1917. But for us, who in our lifetime, in our country have gone from Occupy to the Floyd protests to learn that the state and its corporate partners have gotten even better at repression.

[KatzeKet · Rating 4 out of 5]

Words of a Rebel is a collection of articles that Kropotkin wrote for Le Revolte between 1879 and 1882. I have tried to read Kropotkin before with The Conquest of Bread but didn't finish it, so this is technically my first Kropotkin book.

While today is far more different from the 19th century, I think there is a lot of interesting things to gain from Kropotkin's writings. For example, the article "Law and Authority" states:

We are all perverted by an education that from an early age seeks to kill us in the spirit of revolt and develops submission to authority.

I see this very reminiscent of other authors and works, such as Mark Fisher, Paulo Freire, and Ivan Illych (These author's points on how schools are an extension of our capitalist societies). It really shows that a lot of the writing can be applied to the now. Kropotkin's imagining for a better, more democratic society is admirable, and I think those who may have read about anarchism before might get something out of this.

[Eric Dovigi]

It must have been weird and annoying to be a 19th century anarchist. Anarchists are sort of like evangelical Christians; you can't understand why not everyone believes what you believe and you try really hard to get everyone to see the truths that are self-evident to you and your expend all your mental resources reiterating a message again and again in every different way that you can think of. It's important to read books like this once in a while so you don't lose sight of obvious truths about social and governmental systems. This book is good, easy to read, and prescient in a lot of ways despite its age and obnoxious title.

[Munta · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kropotkin 'in ideolog olarak henüz orijinalliğe ulaşmadığı hamlık döneminden (1879-1882) makalelerin toplandığı bir kitap. Okurken bir çok büyük eserinin temellerini görmeme rağmen, çok orijinal tespitlerde bulunmamış. Bir kaç makalesini çok beğensem de, sadece Kropotkin'e hayran insanlara tavsiye edebileceğim bir kitap. Yine de okurken kendisini sevdiğim için keyif aldım. Tek büyük artısı sanırım, dergilerde yazdığı makaleleri de içerdiği için o zamanın güncel olaylarına verdiği tepkileri okumak.

[Pierre-Olivier · Rating 5 out of 5]

Recueil de texte de kropotkine écrit de 1870 à 1882 et publié dans le journal anarchiste , le révolté. Choisit et mit en compilation par son fidèle ami , Elisée Reclus. Tout y est : militarisme, révolution sociale, Anti-étatisme, théorie et pratique révolutionnaire anarcho-communiste ,etc. Contient aussi le fameux texte : au jeunes gens et la commune. Je le recommande grandement au lecteur et lectrice assidue fan des idées du prince anarchiste.

[Victor Ramón Beltrán · Rating 3 out of 5]

Con algunos artículos muy interesantes, pero en general la mayoría son muy complicados sin saber y entender el contexto. A veces muy llano en el lenguaje, otras demasiado farragoso, y algunas con demasiados ejemplos que hacen que se ralentice la lectura, pero comprendo que para la época es mejor eso, ya que era la única forma en la que la gente sin formación viese que en todos los lugares y momentos han sucedido los mismos acontecimientos.

[Pizku]

Me considero anarquista por esto

[María · Rating 4 out of 5]

Este hombre se tiene que estar revolviendo en su tumba

[Viral · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book, a powerful collection of essays by the great Peter Kropotkin, remains as insightful and impactful today as must have been over a century ago. He excellently outlines the problems with modern capitalism, the failures of liberal democracy, the flaw in "revolutionary governments", and the need for direct people power. While it has its limitations, it remains such a powerful text in the anarchist left for a reason. Such a profound work! I'm so thankful for PM Press for creating this new edition of this timeless classic!