The term anarchism derives from the Greek word ἀναρχία meaning ‘without ruler or leader, and without law’. Although the roots of the word can be traced back to Ancient Greece, anarchism as a political ideology is relatively new. Anarchism developed as a political ideology at the end of the eighteenth century at the time of the emergence of the modern State. And, as is well known, anarchism developed both a politics and a way of life that did not include the State as its compass, support and structure.
In contrast to the extensive contemporary literature about anarchist politics and ideas, this book focuses on the practices and attitudes that constitute what the author refers to as an anarchist ‘art of life’. The book draws on archival material that records the life and actions of the anarchist Emma Goldman and her associates, legal documents and writings by classical (Pierre Joseph Proudhon, Peter Krotopkin) and contemporary anarchists (David Graeber, Saul Newman, Ciarra Bottici), as well as contemporary groups such as the Clandestine Insurgent Rebel Clown Army and Occupy Wall Street. By studying the idiosyncrasies of this art of life, it argues, we are better able to appreciate how anarchism is not some future utopian oriented project, waiting to come into existence after a revolution, but rather exists in parallel to the life and politics offered by the State.
Anarchism: An Art of Living Without Law will be of interest to graduate students and academics working on critical legal theory, political theory, sociology and cultural studies.
1. Introduction 2. Without law? 3. Disentangling the psyche: from disobedience to parrhesia 4. Anarchism and love 5. Humour and the uncommon of laughter 6. Mutual aid instead of conclusion
Biography
Elena Loizidou is Reader in Law and Political Theory at the School of Law, Birkbeck, University of London.
"'In a word, we reject all legislation […]. It is in this sense that we are really Anarchists', writes Mikhail Bakunin, suggesting that any discussion about the (in)compatibility between law and anarchism is a challenging one. Elena Loizidou’s book not only takes on this challenge but it does so magnificently. Loizidou, drawing from classical anarchist tradition (Goldman, Kropotkin), contemporary post-anarchist and anarcha-feminist tendencies (Newman and Bottici), and continental philosophy (Foucault), recognises the importance but also the limits of critical legal scholarship of the last 30 years and she develops a thought-provoking account of living a life without the hierarchical restraints of the law but rather by embracing an ethos based on love and mutual aid. The book is a must-have for (legal) scholars who want to think beyond the law but also for groups and individuals who want to (re)think about the ways we relate to the law, the state and how we can relate to each other without the oppressive yoke of the law." Christos Marneros, University of Lincoln, UK
"Going beyond the standard cliches and stereotypes, Elena Loizidou defines a positive vision for anarchism as a form of life, a creative and loving force. Drawing on the lives of anarchists, Loizidou shows how they have used humour, love and truth telling as subversive strategy for undermining authority and living without government. This is a wonderful and original book, revealing anarchism as more than a political philosophy but as a wholly new way of living in the world and of relating to ourselves and others." Saul Newman, Goldsmiths University of London
