Demanding the Impossible - A History of Anarchism

Description

Navigating the broad "river of anarchy," from Taoism to Situationism, from Ranters to Punk rockers, from individualists to communists, from anarcho-syndicalists to anarcha-feminists, Demanding the Impossible is an authoritative and lively study of a widely misunderstood subject. It explores the key anarchist concepts of society and the state, freedom and equality, authority and power, and investigates the successes and failure of the anarchist movements throughout the world. While remaining sympathetic to anarchism, it presents a balanced and critical account. It covers not only the classic anarchist thinkers, such as Godwin, Proudhon, Bakunin, Kropotkin, Reclus and Emma Goldman, but also other libertarian figures, such as Nietzsche, Camus, Gandhi, Foucault and Chomsky. No other book on anarchism covers so much so incisively. In this updated edition, a new epilogue examines the most recent developments, including "post-anarchism" and "anarcho-primitivism" as well as the anarchist contribution to the peace, green and Global Justice movements. Demanding the Impossible is essential reading for anyone wishing to understand what anarchists stand for and what they have achieved. It will also appeal to those who want to discover how anarchism offers an inspiring and original body of ideas and practices which is more relevant than ever in the twenty-first century. Acknowledgements Introduction PART ONE: Anarchism in Theory 1 The River of Anarchy 2 Society and the State 3 Freedom and Equality PART TWO: Forerunners of Anarchism 4 Taoism and Buddhism 5 The Greeks 6 Christianity 7 The Middle Ages 8 The English Revolution 9 The French Renaissance and Enlightenment 10 The British Enlightenment PART THREE: Great Libertarians 11 French Libertarians 12 German Libertarians 13 British Libertarians 14 American Libertarians PART FOUR: Classic Anarchist Thinkers 15 William Godwin: The Lover of Order 16 Max Stirner: The Conscious Egoist 17 Pierre-Joseph Proudhon: The Philosopher of Poverty 18 Michael Bakunin: The Fanatic of Freedom 19 Peter Kropotkin: The Revolutionary Evolutionist 20 Elisée Reclus: The Geographer of Liberty 21 Errico Malatesta: The Electrician of Revolution 22 Leo Tolstoy: The Count of Peace 23 American Individualists and Communists 24 Emma Goldman: The Most Dangerous Woman 25 German Communists 26 Mohandas Gandhi: The Gentle Revolutionary PART FIVE: Anarchism in Action 27 France 28 Italy 29 Spain 30 Russia and the Ukraine 31 Northern Europe 32 United States 33 Latin America 34 Asia PART SIX: Modern Anarchism 35 The New Left and the Counter-culture 36 The New Right and Anarcho-capitalism 37 Modern Libertarians 38 Modern Anarchists 39 Murray Bookchin and the Ecology of Freedom PART SEVEN: The Legacy of Anarchism 40 Ends and Means 41 The Relevance of Anarchism EPILOGUE Reftrence Notes Select Bibliography Index