On Anarchism

128 pages

English language

Published May 17, 2013 by New Press, The.

ISBN:
978-1-59558-910-1
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OCLC Number:
854512578

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(2 reviews)

Radical linguist, philosopher and activist Noam Chomsky is one of the world's foremost intellectuals. Known for his brilliant evisceration of American foreign policy, state capitalism, and the mainstream media, he remains a formidable and unapologetic critic of established authority. On Anarchism sheds a much-needed light on the foundations of Chomsky's thought, specifically his constant questioning of the legitimacy of entrenched power. The book gathers his essays and interviews to provide a short, accessible introduction to his distinctively optimistic brand of anarchism. Chomsky eloquently refutes the notion of anarchism as a fixed idea, suggesting that it is part of a living, evolving tradition, and he disputes the traditional fault lines between anarchism and socialism, emphasizing the power of collective, rather than individualist, action. Including a revealing new interview with Chomsky by well-known writer and blogger Nathan Schneider that assesses Chomsky's writings on anarchism to date, this is a book that is …

2 editions

Review

On Anarchism was a collection of short essay that wasn't really what I was expecting. I was hoping for examples, or at least ideas, of how anarchism would actually work in the real world. How we'd get from an idea to a product without a profit motive. What I got instead was basically a label for my wife. She doesn't think governments should exist but while they do she supports a large welfare state to take care of the people. Chomsky appears to be the same.It was well writen and well cited, and otherwise awesome if I had gone in with different expectations it might be getting a 5 instead of a three.

If someone has a recommendation for a different book on anarchism that actually answers my questions I would appreciate it.

reviewed On Anarchism by Noam Chomsky

Good high level but not the meat & potatoes

On Anarchism was a collection of short essay that wasn't really what I was expecting. I was hoping for examples, or at least ideas, of how anarchism would actually work in the real world. How we'd get from an idea to a product without a profit motive. What I got instead was basically a label for my wife. She doesn't think governments should exist but while they do she supports a large welfare state to take care of the people. Chomsky appears to be the same. It was well written and well cited, and otherwise awesome if I had gone in with different expectations it might be getting a 5 instead of a three.

If someone has a recommendation for a different book on anarchism that actually answers my questions I would appreciate it.

Subjects

  • Anarchism