The life of Murray Bookchin
In 2020, reading “Libertarian Municipalism – The Politics of Social Ecology”, written by Janet Biehl, introduced me to Murray Bookchin. Since then, the theses he developed throughout his life have been an integral part of my daily life. So it was with great curiosity and interest that I approached Janet Biehl’s biography “The Life of Murray Bookchin – Ecology or Catastrophe” when L’Amourier Editions offered it to us on the occasion of the creation of our association Écologie Sociale Communaliste “L’Adventice” last May. The book sheds valuable light on the intellectual and militant career of one of the most original and visionary thinkers of twentieth-century political ecology.
A nuanced portrait of a revolutionary theorist
Janet Biehl, Bookchin’s long-time collaborator and companion, provides a detailed and intimate account of the theorist’s life. She finely traces the evolution of his thought, from his beginnings in the communist movement to the development of his theory of social ecology and libertarian municipalism1.
The book highlights the diverse influences that nourished Bookchin’s thinking, from Marx to Kropotkin to Hegelian philosophy.
His major influences include:
- Karl Marx: Although Bookchin eventually rejected certain aspects of Marxism, Marx’s critique of capitalism profoundly influenced his thinking. For him, Marx’s analysis is inescapable.
- Pierre Kropotkine: Kropotkine’s libertarian communism, in particular his ideas on mutual aid and decentralization, had a significant impact on Bookchin.
- Lewis Mumford: Mumford’s work on urbanism and technology inspired Bookchin’s thinking on the organization of cities and the use of technology on a human scale.
- Elisée Reclus2 : This anarchist geographer influenced Bookchin’s vision of the relationship between humanity and nature.
- Hans Jonas: Jonas’s philosophy of responsibility contributed to Bookchin’s ethical reflection on environmental issues.
- Herbert Marcuse: Marcuse’s critiques of industrial society nourished Bookchin’s thinking on domination and alienation.
We discover an intellectual in constant questioning, not hesitating to criticize his own previous positions in order to refine his vision of an ecological and democratic society3.
Social ecology: a highly topical line of thought
Biehl’s book reveals the relevance and originality of Bookchin’s social ecology. His central thesis, that the domination of nature stems from the domination of man by man, is more relevant than ever in the face of the contemporary ecological crisis4 5.
The biography highlights the profoundly revolutionary dimension of Bookchinian thought. Far from contenting himself with marginal adjustments, Bookchin called for a radical overhaul of our social and political structures, the only way to resolve the ecological crisis6.
Communalism: a concrete path to emancipation
One of the great merits of this book is that it shows how Bookchin’s theoretical thinking was always accompanied by a search for concrete means, based on a detailed historical analysis, a study of revolutionary movements and institutions, their potential and the causes of their failures, enabling us to grasp the many pitfalls to be avoided in transforming society here and now7. Libertarian municipalism, later renamed communalism, thus appears as the practical culmination of his thinking8 9.
Biehl provides a detailed account of the development of this political project, which aimed to establish direct democracy on a local scale, while forging confederal links to overcome localism. It shows a Bookchin anxious to go beyond the limits of Marxism, anarchism and parliamentary reformism to propose a revolutionary path adapted to the challenges of the 21st century[8].
An inspiration for today’s struggles
By tracing Bookchin’s life, Janet Biehl offers us much more than a simple biography. She offers us a stimulating panorama of the ideas that shaped the radical left in the 20th century, and that continue to inspire many emancipatory movements today.
At a time when the experience of the territories of Chiapas in Mexico and Rojava in Syria have brought Bookchin’s ideas back to the fore, this biography is a valuable resource for anyone seeking to drive a movement towards an ecological and democratic society[8].
If I had to point out a gap, it would probably be the absence of a chapter dedicated to Bookchin’s work on his radical critique of capitalism and its machinery beyond Marx.
On this subject, Bookchin is uncompromising: “Capitalism, in fact, constitutes the point of absolute negativity for society and for the natural world. It is not possible to improve this social order, to reform it, to transform it on its own foundations, for example by adding an ecological prefix to make it ‘ecocapitalism’. The only solution that exists is to destroy it, for it embodies all the evils – from patriarchal values to class exploitation, statism to greed, militancy and today, growth for growth’s sake – that have afflicted ‘civilization’ and marred its greatest achievements.”
Ultimately, “The Life of Murray Bookchin” is essential reading for understanding the genesis and scope of social ecology. It reminds us of the urgent need to radically rethink our social relations and our relationship with nature, while offering concrete avenues for doing so.
Notes (Untranslated):
https://www.socialter.fr/article/murray-bookchin-lettre-mouvement-ecologiste ︎
Tribute to the Reclus ︎
https://ecosociete.org/livres/murray-bookchin-et-lecologie-sociale ︎
https://laviedesidees.fr/Murray-Bookchin-a-bas-la-hierarchie ︎
https://comptoir.org/2019/04/16/lecologie-sociale-de-murray-bookchin/ ︎
https://wildproject.org/livres/l-ecologie-sociale ︎
https://www.editionsducommun.org/collections/all/products/agir-ici-et-maintenant-floreal-m-romero ︎
https://www.revue-ballast.fr/le-municipalisme-libertaire-quest-ce-donc/ ︎
https://agone.org/livre/larevolutionavenir/ ︎
Translated by TerKo with the help of a free translation tool.
Please find in the following review of the Institute of Social Ecology some additional information on certain important periods in the life of Murray Bookchin that have not been mentioned, or have been mentioned only briefly, in Janet Biehl’s book : ISE review
Rebound: