Very pertinent theory which has some interesting takes. The way he mixes ecology, urbanism, and overall local political organisation is interesting and can be very useful.
That said, he does have some blind spot. His uncompromising loyalty to an abstract concept such as liberty sometimes brings him to have some problematic views: he refuses giving critical support to any of the state driven socialist projects of the 20th. This leads him to say he'd (and those on the anar sub agree with stupidly and blindly) rather ally with right wing libertarians if communists were to take control of the state apparatus. Going as far as saying the whole of the libertarian community are the true remnants of the left in the US.
Things that people are saying that sketch you out prob come from this interview:
https://reason.com/1979/10/01/interview-with-murray-bookchin/
"Let me make it very plain that if socialism, which is what I call the authoritarian version of collectivism, were to emerge, I would join your community."
"That's archaic, to say the least. I regard Marxism as the most sinister and the most subtle form of totalitarianism. There are people, of course, who profess to be libertarian Marxists. I believe they mean very well, and I even write in their periodicals; but I write very militantly that I regard Marxism as a very subtle form of what I would call the totalitarian ideology—all the more subtle because it professes to advance the notions of freedom."
Still, Bookchin has some pertinent critiques and does bring about some practical ways of actualising politics. I'd read him but mantain a critical view concerning his ideological defence of absolute freedom, while paying attention to the way he presents organising politics. My biggest issue with him is that I personally think Bookchin disregarded the trend of leftist political organisations (Black Panthers) to bring about a reflection of communalism. An example of this would be Huey P Newton's theory of intercommunalism.
Very pertinent theory which has some interesting takes. The way he mixes ecology, urbanism, and overall local political organisation is interesting and can be very useful.
That said, he does have some blind spot. His uncompromising loyalty to an abstract concept such as liberty sometimes brings him to have some problematic views: he refuses giving critical support to any of the state driven socialist projects of the 20th. This leads him to say he'd (and those on the anar sub agree with stupidly and blindly) rather ally with right wing libertarians if communists were to take control of the state apparatus. Going as far as saying the whole of the libertarian community are the true remnants of the left in the US.
Things that people are saying that sketch you out prob come from this interview: https://reason.com/1979/10/01/interview-with-murray-bookchin/
"Let me make it very plain that if socialism, which is what I call the authoritarian version of collectivism, were to emerge, I would join your community." "That's archaic, to say the least. I regard Marxism as the most sinister and the most subtle form of totalitarianism. There are people, of course, who profess to be libertarian Marxists. I believe they mean very well, and I even write in their periodicals; but I write very militantly that I regard Marxism as a very subtle form of what I would call the totalitarian ideology—all the more subtle because it professes to advance the notions of freedom."
Still, Bookchin has some pertinent critiques and does bring about some practical ways of actualising politics. I'd read him but mantain a critical view concerning his ideological defence of absolute freedom, while paying attention to the way he presents organising politics. My biggest issue with him is that I personally think Bookchin disregarded the trend of leftist political organisations (Black Panthers) to bring about a reflection of communalism. An example of this would be Huey P Newton's theory of intercommunalism.
https://viewpointmag.com/2018/06/11/intercommunalism-the-late-theorizations-of-huey-p-newton-chief-theoretician-of-the-black-panther-party/ https://viewpointmag.com/2018/06/11/intercommunalism-1974/