The Ecology of Freedom

Excellent investigation into hierarchies of all kinds and their origins. Some of the writing is thick as mud, but there are gorgeous passages scattered throughout. Seems to misunderstand science/evolution somewhat, in that he imagines a striving toward complexity and differentiation throughout the history of matter. This concept then is the basis for his ideas on societal and natural ecology, that there is wholeness in complementarity among difference. He thus advocates for our actions to increase this diversity, complementarity, lack of hierarchy etc., so that we can participate in this evolutionary process and eventually...well no one knows. Something cool one hopes!

I read the "Twenty Years Later" introduction after reading the book. In it, he addresses a lot of woo that became more popular in that time, and that was maybe even inspired by his writing. His views on this striving or inherent direction/reason in nature make him sound like a creationist who doesn't believe in a creator.

So, otherwise, some powerful ideas and a stimulating read.

I learned a lot from this book. At first I found the writing style to be frustrating, the English is difficult to follow and I was young when I started it. I persevered, got used to it, and found that I really came to appreciate how beautifully written this book is - but it's not for everyone

At times I found the history contained in this book to bring to life my imagination. Politically speaking, I like Bookchin's ideas (and the Anarchism/Municipalism that many of his fans adopt) - but I don't think that I found them as transformative for me as other authors - like David Graeber. For example, Bookchin valourises Ancient Athens a lot in this book, and seems to be describing it as an isolated event of mass democratisation. In the context of Graeber's Anarchist Anthropology I think that this is a needless concession to make, when the latter book opened my eyes to the diverse and far-reaching history of democratic practises around the world - and where Ancient Greece fits into that really (as a society which obsessively valued individual competition - which I'm not intending to be dismissive of the Ancient Greeks, they're great)

My favourite part of this book was the inclusion of Gerard Winstanley's poem, which years on I still go back to read often

How could we ever escape the disaster of our species if we do not firstly find the right philosophical path to tread on? Bookchin takes us on a journey to the roots of of our hierarchal thought processes, and its not just a dismal one. On that road we will discover how rich life truely is, how gorgeous communal life was and can be for us. We won't be wasting time and energy on meaningless bullshit. Then we'll be living an authentically democratic life, with real freedom, good usage of technology and a strong connection to nature. Reading this book I was reminded of things I read in David Graeber's book Debt. Both these anarchist thinkers try to tell us something important: Life doesn't have to be like this, another world is possible. It already is, in a sense. I would recommend everyone to read at least the first chapter of this magnificent book.