Anarchism

It is difficult to provide a commonly accepted definition of anarchism, as there are many different strands of thought and practice that are subsumed under the label. However, in its broadest sense, it is derived from the Greek word anarchia, which means “no rule.” Thus, anarchism is typically taken to refer to stateless societies or social arrangements that lack centralized control of any sort. A green or ecological strand of anarchism exists, putting the focus on a variety of issues related to the environment, technology, and modern social organization. However, ecological or green anarchism is itself fractured into a variety of different viewpoints and agendas.

There are many influential thinkers who argue that anarchism is undergoing a revival, given the decline of Marxian-inspired social arrangements and the ongoing critique of capitalism as a harsh, unyielding social and economic system. Spontaneous uprisings such as those in Seattle at the World Trade Organization meetings in 1999 provide evidence of the continued influence of anarchistic writings and philosophy. However, anarchist thinking has been around for millennia, and most of the current strands of thinking and practice go back into the 19th century. Collectivist-oriented anarchism has predominated over most of this period, inspired by Pierre-Joseph Proudhon and most clearly articulated in the works of Mikhail Bakunin and Peter Kropotkin in the 1800s and by Murray Bookchin in the 20th century. In the United States, more individualistic forms of anarchism have tended to predominate, inspired by Henry David Thoreau, Max Stirner, and many others. Most of these forms of anarchism focus on individual freedom and celebrate capitalism as a social system that can best provide such freedom. Today, individualist and collective forms of anarchism exist alongside anarcha-feminism and green anarchism, among others.

Green anarchism or ecological forms of anarchism not surprisingly emphasize environmental issues. There are several schools of green anarchism, including the anarcho-primitivists and the social ecologists. Green anarchism derives inspiration from the actions of the Luddites in early-19th-century England, the writings of Jean-Jacques Rousseau, and a diverse collection of 20th-century thinkers and social analysts. The anarcho-primitivists include writers such as Derrick Jensen, George Draffan, and John Zerzan, whereas the most notable social ecologist was Murray Bookchin.

The anarcho-primitivists offer a largely negative critique of civilization, particularly focusing attention on the repressive and dominating nature of the social institutions that make up society. These institutions are by nature harmful to humanity and the natural world and are thus not reformable. It is imperative to the anarcho-primitivists that civilization itself must be overcome and that humanity needs to return to a preagrarian state of existence. In effect, anarcho-primitivists are arguing for the spontaneous reemergence of something along the lines of hunter-gatherer living, which was the modus operandi for virtually all of human history. Furthermore, technology is seen as a significant problem by anarcho-primitivists, because it is systemically used to exploit the environment and humanity. Solutions offered (and often practiced) by anarcho-primitivists include the development of ecovillages—small-scale communities that are seen as more ideal for the harmonization of humanity and nature. Other anarcho-primitivists prefer to focus on direct-action activities, usually but not exclusively nonviolent in nature. These activities are directed against what they view as the systems of oppression of humanity and especially of nature.

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