Beyond Bookchin: Preface for a Future Social Ecology

by David Watson

This book is the most comprehensive discussion to date of Murray Bookchin’s social ecology. But David Watson goes far beyond social ecology to explore new paths of thinking about radical politics. His visionary ecology challenges the mystique of progress and proposes a more holistic notion of reason both primal and modern, skeptical and mythopoetic.

Genres: Politics, Nonfiction

248 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1996

About the author

An American anarchist author, born 1951. See also George Bradford.

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.

Reviews

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a hard hitting, brutally honest look at social ecology and environmental politics from one of its most radical practicioners. It's a fast read and a thought-provoking look at the problems within the environmental movement and what can be done to save the movement and the Earth (always the goal) at the same time.

[Dameon Launert · Rating 3 out of 5]

David Watson tears apart Bookchin and his ideas as being at times incoherent and/or dogmatic. I have only a basic understanding of Bookchin's ideas from articles, discussions, and watching videos. Before reading this book, I was a supporter of what I understood Bookchin to be advocating.

I can't attest to the accuracy of the analysis and critiques, not having read Bookchin's source material myself. However, I did find Watson to be insightful. I agreed with most of what he wrote, insofar as I could follow. The problem is that he assumed, fairly, that the reader was already thoroughly familiar with Bookchin's work. I admittedly am not.

Also, philosophy tends to have a jargon and level of abstraction that I find difficult at times. Watson was relatively accessible compared to other works, but I still struggled at times, either re-reading passages or accepting I just don't understand the full meaning and moving on.

I intend to read Bookchin's books in the future, as well as other philosophy. Doing so will give me a more solid foundation to appreciate this book more when I read it again.

[William · Rating 1 out of 5]

Terrible book and completely misses Bookchin’s thought on so many levels. Really just a polemic against his personality.

[Dylan · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great little book on "progress and other mirages" by a sincere and harsh social critic.