Mark Grueter: Friday: 9:30-1:20 Office Hours: Friday 2:00-4:00, AQ 6243 AQ Anarchist Histories and Perspectives

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1 History 463W: Rebellion and Revolution: Topics in the Theory and Practice of Resistance Spring 2016 Mark Grueter: Friday: 9:30-1:20 Office Hours: Friday 2:00-4:00, AQ 6243 AQ 5004 Anarchist Histories and Perspectives Course Description This course will look at the history of modern anarchism, both as a social movement and political theory. The anarchist movement is defined by its own ideas for a classless, stateless, self-governing society and by its involvement with and interpretation of historical events such as the Paris Commune, the Russian Revolution, and the Spanish Civil War. The course will thus provide not only a history of anarchist movements but also views of history and major historical events from anarchist perspectives. For example, while anarchist groups were directly involved in the Russian Revolution, anarchists also developed their critique of political power and hierarchy based on that experience a critique that remains relevant today. In recent decades, anarchism has re-emerged as an influential force on the Left. A basic idea of this course is to explore the movement s history and some of the ideological, political as well as historiographical debates concerning anarchism and its relation to Marxism. This background will provide students with a more meaningful understanding of left-wing politics and activism today while many popular misconceptions surrounding the term anarchism will be addressed. In the process, students will study abstract anarchist principles as well as anarchist views on concrete historical and political matters. Students will also learn and think about concepts promoted by anarchists such as social revolution, prefigurative politics and direct action. Course Assignments/Evaluation Attendance 10% Participation 15% Writing 15% - In-class writing assignments based on the readings and classroom discussions Slide deck (PowerPoint) on a course reading 5% - Prepare a slide deck on one or more course reading that should demonstrate an understanding of the material. You won't show it in class, but print it out so I can see it, a maximum of 10 slides, with a script and with little text on the slides. You should imagine how you would explain the reading quickly (concisely) to a group of smart people who are new to the topic. This low-stakes exercise will help prepare you for research presentations of your own work. You will however be expected to verbally 1

2 give your interpretation of the reading to the rest of the class. Weeks 2-5. (Choose a reading and notify me) First powerpoint presentation of research paper (Week 8) 10% - 3 minute presentations (10 slides, 20 seconds each) an assignment designed to help you develop your final paper. You will receive feedback from other students and the instructor, in a workshop format. Second slide deck presentation of research paper (Week 11) 15% - Again, 3 minute presentations to demonstrate progress and receive final feedback. Students will also submit a first draft or detailed outline. Final research paper (Final Week) 30% Required Books: Paul Avrich, Anarchist Portraits - Avrich s histories can be described as detailed, factual, objective accounts of individual anarchists and their ideas. His approach, as he writes in the preface, has been largely biographical, seeking to evoke the flavor of the movement through the lives of selected participants. James C. Scott, Two Cheers for Anarchism - In contrast to Avrich, anthropologist James Scott does not provide a history of anarchist movements but rather helps us think about history from anarchist perspectives. He writes about the idea of putting on anarchist glasses to see the world. Emma Goldman, My Disillusionment in Russia (1922) George Orwell, Homage to Catalonia Recommended: David Graeber, The Utopia of Rules (in bookstore and online) a left-wing critique of bureaucracy Weekly Readings: Week 1 Peter Kropotkin, Encyclopedia Britannica entry on Anarchism, 1910 (online) What is Anarchism, and how to does it relate to other socialist currents? What do you think when you hear the words anarchism, anarchist, anarchy or anarchist communism? What about social revolution, direct action, prefigurative politics, sabotage, propaganda of the deed? What are some historiographical debates concerning Anarchism? 2

3 Week 2 Peter Marshall, Demanding the Impossible. Introduction (pp. ix-xv) Paul Avrich, Anarchist Portraits, chapter 1 The Legacy of Bakunin pp James C. Scott: Two Cheers for Anarchism (Preface + Chapter 1 - thru page 29) Ruth Kinna, Anarchism: a Beginner s Guide, Chapter 1: What is Anarchism? (pp. 3-38) Cindy Milstein, Anarchism and Its Aspirations (pp ) Avrich, Anarchist Portraits, Chapter 4, Kropotkin s Ethical Anarchism pp Week 3 Avrich, Anarchist Portraits, Chapters 2-3 on Bakunin (pp ) and Chapter 5 on Kropotkin (pp ); also, Chapter 17 on The Paris Commune (pp ) "Anarchism, Marxism, and The Ideological Composition of the Chicago Idea," by Saku Pinta, published in WorkingUSA: The Journal of Labor and Society (pp ) James Scott, Two Cheers for Anarchism, Chapter 2-3 (pp ) Recommended: Stephen Jay Gould, Kropotkin Was No Crackpot (online) Peter Kropotkin, The Conquest of Bread (1906) (online) Week 4 Guest lesson with Professor Mark Leier *Read Mark Leier s Introduction to The First Socialist Schism: Bakunin Vs. Marx In The International Working Men's Association (sent to your ) John Seed, Marx for the Perplexed, Chapter 1, Introduction, Reading Marx SFU library online Scott, Two Cheers for Anarchism, Chapter 4, Two Cheers for the Petty Bourgeoisie (pp ) Recommended: The First International Encyclopedia Britannica (reference) Bakunin, Critique of the Marxist Theory of the State from Statism and Anarchy 3

4 Week 5 The Wobblies a documentary narrated by Roger Baldwin Staughton Lynd and Andrej Grubacic, Wobblies and Zapatistas (pp ) Mark Leier, Where the Fraser River Flows: The Industrial Workers of the World in British Columbia, Ch. 1 (pp. 1-26) Salvatore Salerno, Red November Black November, Introduction (pp. 1-17), Ch. 3 (pp ), Ch. 5 (pp ) Emma Goldman, Anarchism and Other Essays Chapter 8: The Traffic in Women Chapter 9: Woman Suffrage Chapter 10: The Tragedy of Woman s Emancipation Chapter 11: Marriage and Love Voltairine de Cleyre, Sex Slavery Background: Kelly Vee, Sex Slavery Revisited Week 6 Reading Week (no class) Start readings on the Russian Revolution - Begin by watching The Russian Revolution in Colour documentary film, online Week 7 Emma Goldman, My Disillusionment in Russia (pp. 5-59) (course book) Paul Avrich, The Anarchists in the Russian Revolution Russian Review Vol. 26, No. 4 (Oct., 1967), pp David Shub, Kropotkin and Lenin Russian Review Vol. 12, No. 4 (Oct., 1953) pp Paul Avrich, Russian Anarchists and the Civil War Russian Review Vol. 27, No. 3 (Jul., 1968), pp Noam Chomsky, The Soviet Union vs. Socialism (online, 3 minute video) Scott, Two Cheers for Anarchism, Chapter 6 (pp ) Week 8 First Research Presentations 4

5 *On reserve: Paul Avrich, Kronstadt, 1921 (pp. 3-7, ) Emma Goldman, My Disillusionment in Russia (finish) Supplemental/Optional: Leon Trotsky, Hue and Cry Over Kronstadt (1938) (online) Emma Goldman, Trotsky Protests Too Much (online) Avrich, Anarchist Portraits, Chapter 6-7 (pp ); and Chapter 14 (pp ) Week 9 Spanish Civil War video 3 Minute History Introductory Essay by Murray Bookchin and The Two Revolutions by Sam Dolgoff in The Anarchist Collectives: Workers Self-Management in the Spanish Revolution, edited by Sam Dolgoff George Orwell, Homage to Catalonia (pp ) Daniel Guerin, Anarchism in the Spanish Revolution in Anarchism: From Theory to Practice on reserve pp Week 10 Orwell, Homage to Catalonia (pp and Appendix II) Noam Chomsky, Objectivity and Liberal Scholarship (Section II pp ) Peter Marshall, Demanding the Impossible, Ch. 35, The New Left and the Counter-Culture (pp ) Maurice Brinton, The Commune, Paris 1871 Maurice Brinton, France: Reform or Revolution? Supplemental/Optional: Saku Pinta, Council Communist Perspectives on the Spanish Civil War and Revolution, in Libertarian Socialism: Politics in Black and Red (pp , SFU library online) David Berry, The Search for a Libertarian Communism: Daniel Guerin and Synthesis of Marxism and Anarchism, in Libertarian Socialism: Politics in Black and Red (pp , SFU library online) 5

6 Week 11 Second Presentations Maurice Brinton, France: Reform or Revolution? Daniel Cohn-Bendit, The March 22 Movement: Your Struggle Is Our Struggle, May 21, 1968 Maurice Brinton, France: The Theoretical Implications Noam Chomsky interview, Anarchism, Marxism & Hope for the Future Week 12 Good Friday (no class) Week 13 David Graeber, Situating Occupy Adbusters Andrew Cornell, White Skin, Black Masks, in Libertarian Socialism: Politics in Black and Red (pp , SFU library online) Carol Ehrlich, Socialism, Feminism and Anarchism Peggy Kornegger, Anarchism: The Feminist Connection Jean-Christophe Angaut, Beyond Black and Red: The Situationists and the Legacy of the Workers Movement, in Libertarian Socialism: Politics in Black and Red (pp , SFU library online) Week 14 *Research Paper Due David Graeber, The New Anarchists in the New Left Review Graeber, The Utopia of Rules, Introduction, The Iron Law of Liberalism and the Era of Total Bureaucratization (pp. 3-44) Joris Leverink, Murray Bookchin and the Kurdish resistance, in Roar Magazine Gar Alperovitz and Steve Dubb, The Possibility of a Pluralist Commonwealth and a Community-Sustaining Economy The Good Society Vol. 22, No. 1 (2013), pp

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