Demanding the Impossible A History of Anarchism

by Marshall, Peter

• ISBN13: 9781604860641
• ISBN10: 1604860642
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2010-01-01
• Publisher: PUBLISHERS GROUP WEST

Summary

Lively and authoritative, this study of a widely misunderstood subject skillfully navigates the rough waters of anarchistic conceptsfrom Taoism to Situationism, ranters to punk rockers, individualists to communists, and anarcho-syndicalists to anarcha-feminists. Exploring key anarchist ideas of society and the state, freedom and equality, authority and power, the record investigates the successes and failures of anarchist movements throughout the world. Presenting a balanced and critical survey, the detailed document covers not only classic anarchist thinkerssuch as Godwin, Proudhon, Bakunin, Kropotkin, Reclus, and Emma Goldmanbut also other libertarian figures, such as Nietzsche, Camus, Gandhi, Foucault, and Chomsky. Essential reading for anyone wishing to understand what anarchists stand for and what they have achieved, this fascinating account also includes an epilogue that examines the most recent developments, including postanarchism and anarcho-primitivism as well as the anarchist contributions to the peace, green, and global justice movements of the 21st century.

Author Biography

Peter Marshall is a philosopher, a historian, a poet, and the author of 15 books, including Nature's Web: Rethinking Our Place on Earth.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgements	p. vii
Introduction	p. ix
Anarchism in Theory
The River of Anarchy	p. 3
Society and the State	p. 12
Freedom and Equality	p. 36
Forerunners of Anarchism
Taoism and Buddhism	p. 53
The Greeks	p. 66
Christianity	p. 74
The Middle Ages	p. 86
The English Revolution	p. 96
The French Renaissance and Enlightenment	p. 108
The British Enlightenment	p. 129
Great Libertarians
French Libertarians	p. 143
German Libertarians	p. 153
British Libertarians	p. 163
American Libertarians	p. 181
Classic Anarchist Thinkers
The Lover of Order	p. 191
The Conscious Egoist	p. 220
The Philosopher of Poverty	p. 234
The Fanatic of Freedom	p. 263
The Revolutionary Evolutionist	p. 309
The Geographer of Liberty	p. 339
The Electrician of Revolution	p. 345
The Count of Peace	p. 362
American Individualists and Communists	p. 384
The Most Dangerous Woman	p. 396
German Communists	p. 410
The Gentle Revolutionary	p. 422
Anarchism in Action
France	p. 431
Italy	p. 446
Spain	p. 453
Russia and the Ukraine	p. 469
Northern Europe	p. 479
United States	p. 496
Latin America	p. 504
Asia	p. 519
Modern Anarchism
The New Left and the Counter-culture	p. 539
The New Right and Anarcho-capitalism	p. 559
Modern Libertarians	p. 566
Modern Anarchists	p. 587
Murray Bookchin and the Ecology of Freedom	p. 602
The Legacy of Anarchism
Ends and Means	p. 625
The Relevance of Anarchism	p. 639
Epilogue	p. 667
Reference Notes	p. 707
Select Bibliography	p. 759
Index	p. 795
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