Based on the work of Murray Bookchin and anarchist thought, social ecology proves
to be an effective synthesis of radical social theory and sustainable ecological
and environmental methods of organization. Given the devastating effects industrialism
has had on the natural environment as well as social, political and economic
relations, the project for social ecology proves to be a practical and potent
strain of thought that advocates for a revolutionary and extreme re-organization
of society. Like classical anarchist thought - such as that espoused by Mikhail
Bakunin and Peter Kropotkin - which enforces the principle that dramatic economic
and social change need not be brought into play by way of a centralized vanguard
movement or party, social ecology advocates for ‘grassroots’ approaches
to revolutionary forms of societal reconstruction.
Developed in response to the “authoritarian Left” - as enshrined
in bureaucratic Communist and Socialist parties - as well as the hierarchical
and oppressive nature of capitalism, Bookchin’s thought and action is
forged through a range of anarchist and libertarian principles, interwoven with
a serious concern for the current proliferation of environmental destruction.
Social ecology could be said to ground itself on particular principles: 1) opposition
to hierarchical and authoritarian social forms of organization, 2) against state
formations, 3) emphasis on self-government and local communes, and 4) sustainable
technology and science. By revitalising anarchist thought as intellectually
rich and capable of social reproduction, social ecology represents a powerful
alternative to other revolutionary movements as well. As Bookchin contends,
“What we must create in place of bourgeois society is not only the classless
society envisioned by socialism, but the non-repressive utopia envisioned by
anarchism.” (1)
Through community based action and radical forms of organization known as ‘affinity
groups’, social solidarity is constituted through the means of revolution,
not solely as an ideal end. Furthermore, by placing ecology on par with the
human social, nature ceases to be an endless supply of resources to be extracted
as we see fit, but instead a delicate balance is struck between human and natural
survival. “Social ecology” as Bookchin reminds us, “is an
appeal not only for moral regeneration but also, and above all, for social reconstruction
along ecological lines. It emphasizes that an ethical appeal to the powers that
be (that embody blind market forces and competitive relationships), taken by
itself, is likely to be futile. Indeed, taken by itself, it often obscures the
real power relationships that prevail today by making the attainment of an ecological
society seem merely a matter of "attitude," of "spiritual change,"
or of quasi-religious redemption.” (2) Moreover, “If humanity is
to live in balance with nature, we must turn to ecology for the essential guidelines
of how the future society should be organized. Again, we find that what is desirable
is also necessary.” (3)
Notes:
(1) Post-Scarcity Anarchism, p. 14
(2) ‘What is Social Anarchism’ http://dwardmac.pitzer.edu/Anarchist_Archives/bookchin/socecol.html>
(3) Post-Scarcity Anarchism, p. 27
Anarchist Feminism
Anarchism
Mikhail Bakunin
Murray Bookchin
Charles Fourier
Petr Kropotkin
Pierre-Joseph Proudhon
Anarchist Archives: What is Social Ecology? http://dwardmac.pitzer.edu/Anarchist_Archives/bookchin/socecol.html
Forum of Organized Anarchism (http://www.fdca.it/fdcaen/international/fag_fao03.htm)
Anarchist Federation (http://flag.blackened.net/af/)
Biehl, Janet (1998) The politics of social ecology : libertarian municipalism.
Montreal: Black Rose Books.
Bookchin, Murray (1989) Remaking Society. Montreal: Black Rose Books.
Bookchin, Murray (1999) Anarchism, marxism, and the future of the left : interviews
and essays, 1993-1998. Edinburgh: A.K. Press.
Bookchin, Murray (1965) Crisis in our cities. Englewoods Cliffs: Prentice-Hall.
Bookchin, Murray (1991) The ecology of freedom : the emergence and dissolution
of hierarchy. Montreal: Black Rose Press.
Bookchin, Murray (1971) Post-scarcity anarchism. Berkeley: Ramparts Press.
Kropotkin, Petr (1968) Fields, Factories and Workshops. New York: Greenwood
Press.
“Social Ecology and Social Movements: From the 1960s to the Present”
http://www.social-ecology.org/article.php?story=20031118122843985