Anarchism: a Documentary History of Libertarian Ideas, Volume One

Volume One of Anarchism: A Documentary History of Libertarian Ideas is a comprehensive and far-ranging collection of anarchist writings from the classical era to 1939. Edited and introduced by noted anarchist scholar Robert Graham, this incomparable volume includes the definitive texts from the anarchist tradition of political thought. It deals both with the positive ideas and proposals the anarchists tried to put into practice and with their critiques of the authoritarian theories and practices confronting them. ROBERT GRAHAM has written extensively on the history of anarchist ideas. He is the author of "The Role of Contract in Anarchist Ideology," in For Anarchism, edited by David Goodway, and he wrote the introduction to the 1989 edition of Proudhon's General Idea of the Revolution in the 19th Century, originally published in 1851. He has been doing research and writing on the historical development of anarchist ideas for over 20 years and is a well respected commentator in the field. "Robert Graham is an outstanding scholar of anarchism and has made an exceptionally stimulating choice of texts: some familiar, others--especially those from East Asia--entirely unknown to me. The publication of this first instalment of what promises to be a notable anthology is an important event for anarchists." - David Goodway, Anarchist Historian, University of Leeds, UK "Will definitely meet the need for a comprehensive study of all the strands, ideas and themes of anarchist and libertarian thought." - Stuart Christie, Anarchist Writer/Publisher "An excellent and long-overdue anthology of anarchist writings. It shows the depth, diversity and relevance of anarchist thought and action. Highly recommended." - Peter Marshall, Demanding the Impossible: A History of Anarchism "This judicious collection is admirable in its chronological, geographical, and thematic range. There is nothing comparable in presenting anarchist and libertarian responses both to the challenges of theory and to those of practices forged in the fires of historical crises." - Wayne Thorpe, The Workers Themselves: Revolutionary Syndicalism and International Labour, 1913-1923 "Admirably displays the range and inventiveness of anarchist approaches." - Colin Ward, Anarchism: A Very Short Introduction and Anarchy in Action Table of Contents Preface CHAPTER 1: EARLY TEXTS ON SERVITUDE AND FREEDOM 1. Bao Jingyan: Neither Lord Nor Subject (300 C.E.) 2. Etienne de la Boetie: On Voluntary Servitude (1552) 3. Gerrard Winstanley: The New Law of Righteousness (1649) CHAPTER 2: ENLIGHTENMENT AND REVOLUTION 4. William Godwin: Enquiry Concerning Political Justice (1793-97) 5. Jean Varlet: The Explosion (1794) 6. Sylvain Maréchal: Manifesto of the Equals (1796) CHAPTER 3: INDUSTRIALIZATION AND THE EMERGENCE OF SOCIALISM 7. Charles Fourier: Attractive Labour (1822-37) 8. Pierre-Joseph Proudhon: What is Property (1840) 9. Proudhon: The System of Economic Contradictions (1846) CHAPTER 4: REVOLUTIONARY IDEAS AND ACTION 10. Michael Bakunin, The Reaction in Germany (1842) 11. Max Stirner: The Ego and Its Own (1844) 12. Proudhon: The General Idea of the Revolution (1851) 13. Anselme Bellegarrigue: Anarchy is Order (1850) 14. Joseph Déjacque: The Revolutionary Question (1854) 15. Francisco Pi y Margall: Reaction and Revolution (1854) &