No Gods No Masters: An Anthology of Anarchism

These books are difficult, sometimes torturous to read, at least as I read them, straight through, from front to back. However there is certainly a fair amount of good stuff in here. In book one, Bakunin describes how the capacity of human beings for intellectual growth is severely stunted by the subordination of the worker to wage slavery, religious and nationalistic dogma, etc. The Bakunin section includes an excerpt from a biography of the latter written by his disciple Max Nettlau, dealing especially with the Marx-Bakunin war. Marx and Engels, those well-meaning arrogant eccentrics, called a meeting of the executive council of the First International in 1870 in London. With their own flunkies being the minority of members present, they voted to give themselves dictatorial power over the International. A Russian flunky had been whispering into Marx's ear that Bakunin was an agent of the Czar and that Bakunin had intended to defraud Marx because of Bakunin's apparent inability to progress on producing the Russian translation of Das Kapital which Marx had paid him to do. Marx and Engels launched a campaign of defamation against Bakunin and his supporters within the International and had them expelled but a virulent backlash by 90 percent of the membership of the International foiled their plans. But the First International was dead. Bakunin noted that the true freedom of the individual would be even more repressed than under capitalism under the vaguely defined State Socialism that Marx and his followers envisioned as necessary to transition to rule after the overthrow of capitalism. Giving complete power over society to a small group of people would corrupt those people, no matter how originally well intentioned they might be. Kropotkin and others are included in this book, like Bakunin giving pre-1917 warnings on the extreme dangers of authoritarian state socialism. The issue is brought up as to what were Marx's true intentions in his embrace of the commune in Paris which briefly held power in 1871 before being crushed with a massacre of about 30,000 people. Since that institution was based on political democracy, it seemed to contradict Marx's own vauge notions about political dictatorship. However, Marx and Engels seemed to quickly disavow the Commune. The kindest guess on my part would be that they convinced themselves that it was an aberration not ever again possible as a governing institution for societies to transition to real Socialism. Bakunin's disciple James Guillame is the first author in these books to suggest some specific operations of how an anarchist society might work. He argues for a central agency which will operate transparently, providing economic data to the public freely, etc. and which will collate such data and assign exchange values in trade between communes. Any administrative official, such as those who would work this agency, could immediately be fired by popular vote. Another author, Emile Henry, the Fren

Both volumes of "No Gods No Masters" are a magnificent contribution to anarchist thought and its ongoing traditions of libertarian justice and fraternity.Daniel Guerin states that "the constructive ideas of anarchism retain their vitality, that they may, when re-examined and sifted, assist contemporary socialist thought to undertake a new departure...[and] contribute to enriching Marxism." In "No Gods No Masters" Guerin is concerned not only with anarchist thought but also with the spontaneous actions of popular revolutionary struggle. He is concerned with social as well as intellectual creativity. He attempts to draw from constructive social achievements of the past, lessons that will enrich the theory of social liberation. One of the better books on Anarchism available for those who truly wish to understand the world and who wish to act constructively to change it for the better. Essential reading for any advocate of direct action for social change.For those who wish not only to understand the world, but also to change it, this is the proper way to study the history of anarchism.

Guerin's two volumes are really worthwhile, because they feature anarchists of the time in their own words, describing the idea. This is very good for anybody wanting a sense of the history, and it's also worthwhile for modern applications of anarchism -- to see what's been done and thought of before, and where to go from there. An excellent companion to "Anarchism", also edited by Guerin.

"No Gods, No Masters" serves as an excillent introduction to a school (or schools) of ideas commonly discarded by the mainstream of opinion and education. A "must-read" for anyone with a genuine interest in political or intellectual history. Reveals how hollow today's "neo-liberalism" really is.

Daniel Guerin describes the scope of this book as being a little personally biased but it's clarity and breadth seem to decry his modesty. An excellent reference and primer for anybody interested in individualism, social organization, the history of the labor movement, and anarchism in general.