Kropotkin

Overview

A comprehensive and engaging introduction for those interested in social anarchism and alternatives to neoliberal doctrines

The 19th century witnessed the growth of anarchist literature, which advocated a society based on voluntary cooperation without government authority. Although his classical writings on mutual aid and the philosophy of anarchism are still published today, Peter Kropotkin remains a neglected figure. A talented geographer and a revolutionary socialist, Kropotkin—often known as the anarchist prince—was one of the most important theoreticians of the anarchist movement. In Kropotkin: The Politics of Community, Brian Morris reaffirms with an attitude of critical sympathy the contemporary relevance of Kropotkin as a political and moral philosopher and as a pioneering social ecologist. Well-researched and wide-ranging, this volume not only presents an important contribution to the history of anarchism, but also offers insightful reflections on contemporary debates in political theory and ecological thought, analyzing such topics as anarchist communism, agrarian socialism, and integral education; modern science and evolutionary theory; the French Revolution and the modern state; and possessive individualism, terror, and war.

Reviews

"Peter Kropotkin has been largely ignored as a utopian crackpot, but Brian Morris demonstrates in this wide-ranging and detailed analysis that Kropotkin addressed significantly and perceptively the major issues of the present day." —Harold B. Barclay, author, People without Government: An Anthropology of Anarchy

Author Biography

Brian Morris is professor emeritus of anthropology at Goldsmiths College, London. He has written books and articles on topics such as ecology, botany, philosophy, history, religion, anthropology, ethnobiology, and social anarchism—including Bakunin: The Philosophy of Freedom and Anthropology, Ecology, and Anarchism: A Brian Morris Reader.