The Anarchist Revelation: Being What We're Meant To Be

The Anarchist Revelation: Being What We're Meant To Be

Paul Cudenec draws on an impressively wide range of authors to depict a corrupted civilization on the brink of self-destruction and to call for a powerful new philosophy of resistance and renewal offering a future for humanity in which we are all able to â€œbe what weâ€™re meant to beâ€. He combines the anarchism of the likes of Gustav Landauer, Michael Bakunin and Herbert Read with the philosophy of RenÃ© GuÃ©non, Herbert Marcuse and Jean Baudrillard; the existentialism of Karl Jaspers and Colin Wilson; the vision of Carl Jung, Oswald Spengler and Idries Shah, and the environmental insight of Derrick Jensen and Paul Shepard in a work of ideological alchemy fuelled by the ancient universal esoteric beliefs found in Sufism, Taoism and hermeticism. With a fusion of scholarly research and inspiring polemic, Cudenec succeeds in forging a coherent and profound 21st century world-view with an appeal that will reach out far beyond those who currently term themselves anarchists. The book sets out by exploring the sense of meaninglessness in modern society, exemplified by our alienating dependency on technology and mental manipulation by commercial interests. It follows GuÃ©non, Marcuse and Baudrillard in diagnosing a regression of intellect and the reign of quality over quantity â€“ a condition that Cudenec describes as the disease of modernity. He argues that the concepts of â€œprogressâ€ and economic â€œgrowthâ€ imply the inevitability of one particular future â€“ a continuation of the current system. Although environmental crisis threatens our very existence, change is blocked and democracy is an illusion. The repression of resistance is mirrored by the control of â€œrealityâ€. The closing-down of language and thought encouraged by the positivist philosophy is, as Marcuse and Jaspers explain, ideal for the capitalist system â€“ denying as it does all possibility of human autonomy. What we need, says Cudenec, is a complete refusal of the system. Anarchism challenges assumptions about the law (Leo Tolstoy), property (William Godwin), employment (Bakunin) and the state (Errico Malatesta). It rejects the narrowness of positivism (Bakunin, Landauer) and imagines individualsâ€™ natural potential fulfilled in a harmonious organic society (Peter Kropotkin). Our innate human sense of justice is thwarted by capitalism, argues Cudenec, creating a powerful potential for revolt. But where, he asks, will the rebels come from to take on such a titanic struggle? He looks at the way a natural outsider (Wilson) can manage to turn the despair of alienation into acceptance of an existential burden of responsibility (Jean-Paul Sartre). An inner strength is needed to take on the â€œallotted taskâ€ (Jaspers), which presents itself as calling or â€œdaemonic willâ€ (Jung). This originates in the collective unconscious and acts for the benefit of whole â€“ it is thus merely channelled by an individual, who must be open and authentic enough to allow this to happen. The universal esoteric spiritual path involves stripping away the egoâ€™s barrier between the individual and the collective whole (Ibn â€˜Arabi). With historic connections to this tradition (Sedgwick, Waterfield), anarchists use the language of alchemy to call for a transformation of society (Bakunin, Emma Goldman, Pierre-Joseph Proudhon). The anarchist love of seeming paradox reflects the depth and fluidity of the philosophy â€“ in contrast to â€œrigidâ€ Marxism (Landauer). Contradictions are embraced rather than resolved. Playfulness and creativity are also at the heart of anarchism and set it apart from materialist Marxism. The poetic language of revolt can bypass social conditioning and open up new possibilities. In his final chapter, â€œÂ¡Viva la RevelaciÃ³n!â€, Cudenec concludes that a remarkable transformation is needed to save humanity. This will not come from existing religions â€“ we need a spiritual awakening that speaks a â€œnew languageâ€ (Jaspers) and is powered by its own values (Frithjof Schuon). This is The Anarchist Revelation.
Country USA
Brand Winter Oak Press
Manufacturer Winter Oak Press
Binding Paperback
ItemPartNumber RKC2010927466
UnitCount 1
EANs 9780957656604
ReleaseDate 0000-00-00

Country	USA
Brand	Winter Oak Press
Manufacturer	Winter Oak Press
Binding	Paperback
ItemPartNumber	RKC2010927466
UnitCount	1
EANs	9780957656604
ReleaseDate	0000-00-00

The Anarchist Revelation: Being What We're Meant To Be

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