I'm enjoying The Anarchic Order. All three writings are available online from The Anarchist Library, but these translations are original and I like having a physical book sometimes. He was a contemporary of Proudhon and Stirner and was an early proponent of individualist anarchism, with similar arguments to Benjamin Tucker. I consider the anarchist manifesto in this book to be a better introduction to individualist anarchism than anything by Tucker. He is critical of Proudhon and lumps him in with other socialists, but doesn't engage in a detailed critique of specific other thinkers so I need to spend more time comparing his anti-statism to Proudhon's to understand why.
The Sociology of Proudhon is good, although I am only starting that. The biography of Proudhon was interesting, and explained his interest in theology that comes up a lot in his writings. Proudhon's ideas about history being essentially chaotic but guided centrally towards man's moral nature reminded me of something similar Albert Camus said in the Rebel.
"The Bridge on the Drina" by Ivo Andric which was written by a Yugoslav author back when that was still a country. It won the Nobel prize and chronicles the construction and destruction of a bridge that connected modern day Bosnia with Serbia. While it has been critiqued for being nationalist (particularly after the horrifying events of the 90s), I see it as a critique of the Balkan historiography (and literature critics fall on both sides of this argument).
It is darkly funny and captures the essence of Balkan life in a way that reminds me of Steinbeck--particularly his focus on framing the oppressed and working classes.
10/10
trigger warning: violence, sexual violence, racism.
I finished reading a bit ago The Accumulation of Freedom (I think that's the title, it is an AK book). Anarchist economics text. Very very good.
Thank you for the recommendation, I will make a note to check it out.
How's the book?
I'm enjoying The Anarchic Order. All three writings are available online from The Anarchist Library, but these translations are original and I like having a physical book sometimes. He was a contemporary of Proudhon and Stirner and was an early proponent of individualist anarchism, with similar arguments to Benjamin Tucker. I consider the anarchist manifesto in this book to be a better introduction to individualist anarchism than anything by Tucker. He is critical of Proudhon and lumps him in with other socialists, but doesn't engage in a detailed critique of specific other thinkers so I need to spend more time comparing his anti-statism to Proudhon's to understand why.
The Sociology of Proudhon is good, although I am only starting that. The biography of Proudhon was interesting, and explained his interest in theology that comes up a lot in his writings. Proudhon's ideas about history being essentially chaotic but guided centrally towards man's moral nature reminded me of something similar Albert Camus said in the Rebel.
Re-read of The Imperial Mode of Living, and Moorcock's Nomad of the Timestreams trilogy for kicks.
I recently started reading Joyful Militancy - Building Thriving Resistance in Toxic Times
Some of the ideas in the book really resonate with me :)
"The Bridge on the Drina" by Ivo Andric which was written by a Yugoslav author back when that was still a country. It won the Nobel prize and chronicles the construction and destruction of a bridge that connected modern day Bosnia with Serbia. While it has been critiqued for being nationalist (particularly after the horrifying events of the 90s), I see it as a critique of the Balkan historiography (and literature critics fall on both sides of this argument).
It is darkly funny and captures the essence of Balkan life in a way that reminds me of Steinbeck--particularly his focus on framing the oppressed and working classes.
10/10
trigger warning: violence, sexual violence, racism.