
Anarchism, Anachronisms and Social Ecology      -by  Darryl  Eyle
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There  are  two  reasons  why  I   still   consider   myself   an
anarchist.Firstly  I believe that the critique mounted around the
question of  hierarchy  by  anarchists  throughout  the  last  two
centuries  is still  not only correct but seems more relevant than
ever when the assaults on our personal liberty take more insidious
forms  withthe  passing  of  time. Secondly, anarchism deals with
freedom.Despite the current fad to promote the  noxious  anything
goes  typecharacterisation  that  the state and the private media
love togobble up, anarchism has always championed the  rights  of
theindividual  within the group be it the work place, the family,
orthe   whole   of   society.   These   two    positions    place
anarchism squarely   on   the  radical  platform  with  incredible
potential forsocial emancipation and revolution.

Sadly with the advent of the new world order has come the adoption
of the new  "natural" order. Hierarchal power structures today are
accepted  by  groups  as  seemingly  diverse   as   the   headsof
international    state    bureaucracies    to    the   managerial
socialconstructionists in private and state  run  business  right
throughto  what  used to be called the more "progressive " of the
socialmovements such as  the  peace  or  environment   movements.
Systemstheories  have  been created in everything from economy to
ecologythat refuse to allow spontaneous or evolutionary processes
anyplace  to  exist.  Some  so  called  ecologists  even  promote
hierarchyas the "natural" order. The  left  is  no  better.  It's
academicshave   skulked  off  into  the  institutions  to  create
post)moderndystopias.   The   inevitable   outcome    of    these
untouchable,   anti-  rational,  intellectual  cess)pits  is  the
systematic destructionof history and the creation of ethical  and
moral  voids.  In  suchan  environment  it  becomes impossible to
ground oneself and findcoherence. Often the very attempt to do so
is  seen  asintellectually oppressive! The vacuum thus created is
presentlybeing rapidly filled by  the  right.  The  individualism
championedby post-modernists and some anarchisms these days could
just aseasily come from those  that  sit  in  the  boardrooms  of
Westinghouseor   General  Electric.  With  such  a  ruthless  and
thorough incorporation  of  the  ideals  of  the  left  into  this
consumerist culture, we are staring at the total disintegration of
meaning!

Similarly,  discussions  about  freedom  and  the  concept  of  a
freesociety  (Utopia)  are  tragically  absent  from  what passes
forradical debate. The  only  freedom  it  seems  ever  discussed
thesedays  is  personal freedom. Placed within a social framework
suchdebate can have real meaning when talking about the  role  of
thechurch/   state/  police/  military  and  its  impact  on  the
individual.However it can just as easily degenerate into  freedom
from  socialresponsibility and narcissistic, yuppie like neurotic
obsessionwith  personal  desire.  The  left   seems   bereft   of
thinkers/dreamerswho  can  perceive  of  another  reality. It has
continually demandeda state of slavery/tyranny  for  it  to  even
conceptualise  itsabsence! The right talks about freedom far more
eloquently andconvincingly than the left  and  has  developed  an
integrated  visionbased  firmly  on  peoples  fear of the unknown
(god) and fear ofeach other (social darwinism) to articulate  the
brave,  competitive  new  future.  As  anarchists  we  should  be
describingother realities, other possibilities.

The  emergence  of  coherent  and   radical   philosophies   like
socialecology  help  me  to  remain  optimistic. Its roots lie in
anarchismand the ecology movement. At the core of  this  work  is
theunderstanding   that   ecological   problems   are  first  and
foremostsocial problems. Its major  proponent,  Murray  Bookchin,
drawsheavily  on  organic  traditions  in western philosophy from
thinkerssuch as Hegel. He talks about human  freedom  within  the
frameworkof  social  responsibility. Particularly illuminating is
hisanalysis  of  the   emergence   of   hierarchal   power   from
tribalcultures  to  the  present degree of sophistication seen in
westerncapitalism.   He  parallels  the  unfolding   of   organic
potential  inthe  natural  world towards more and more complexity
with thedevelopment of complexity in culture

As  agents  for  social  change  what  we   need,   is   a   more
sophisticatedunderstanding  of  the  political and social systems
that allowunbridled rapacious capitalism to plough  us  under  in
its  wake?Along with alternative social systems we need to create
differenteconomic systems that not only dual power the state  but
givemeaning to work

In a time  where  history  is  rapidly  becoming  irrelevant  and
themost  important  thing  in  the  world  becomes  our own egos,
thecoherence provided by   ideas  like  social  ecology  can  not
beunderestimated


