Autonomism

[Pogue]

I wish to facilitate on this ideology, and I am going to leave this thread open precisely because I think there is no clear or coherent definition of what Autonomism is.

Anyone want to venture their own definition of what Autonomism is, or argue that someone else's opinion is wrong?

[Jethro Tull]

autonomism is the idea that communities need to drive out the forces of capitalist oppression and carve out territorial niches where the communist mode of production prevails, increasing the material strength of the anti-capitalist resistance.

[Pogue]

sorry please move this to theory

also bump

[BobKKKindle$]

Moved.

[Stranger Than Paradise]

I would say that Autonomism is the belief that the working class is able to force changes in society (revolution is what I mean obviously) independent of the state, trade unions or political parties. I would say it puts an emphasis on everyday examples of struggle such as absenteeism.

[Parker]

best place to start would be to look at where/how it emerged in Italy in the mid-twentieth century.

Steve Wright's book, Storming Heaven, is an invaluable account.

Start there.

[bcbm]

nah, start here (http://www.eroseffect.com/books/subversion_download.htm).

[The Douche]

I would say that Autonomism is the belief that the working class is able to force changes in society (revolution is what I mean obviously) independent of the state, trade unions or political parties. I would say it puts an emphasis on everyday examples of struggle such as absenteeism.

This is pretty accurate in my opinion.

[Stranger Than Paradise]

this website is quite good with a good (albeit very concise) description and history of the Autonomist movement:
http://affinityproject.org/traditions/autonomousmarxism.html

[Anaximander]

I often identify as an Autonomist. In my opinion the Autonomist movement in Italy provided the best examples of working class politics in action, that is, an unmediated and organized consciousness according to horizontal politics, direct democracy, etc. It rejected hierarchical organization, as well as political representation, i.e., the Party, the Trade Union, etc. It trusted the working class to represent itself, and in that regard was the most honest expression of class-consciousness to arise, in my opinion, since the Russian Revolution.

[Pogue]

interesting keep going

e.g. how does it view the working class organising to defend and further its interests?

[Sasha]

are we talking about italian "autonomia" autonomism or german/dutch "autonomen" autonomism?
there is a big difference, the book BcBM advised gives an good overview of both.

[Pogue]

psycho why are you always heistant to give us a synopsis of what the ideology means? its so confusing as an ideology i dont think anyone really knows.

[Bilan]

psycho why are you always heistant to give us a synopsis of what the ideology means? its so confusing as an ideology i dont think anyone really knows.

He's asking you to be specific.

[Anaximander]

I was under the impression we were talking about Autonomism in the sense of Potere Operaio and related movements. The Autonome movement in Germany, while different in regards to strategic goals, was certainly influenced by Italian Autonomism, and I think is relevant to discussion here.

Autonomism (Italian), being free from the bureaucratic direction of a Party or Trade Union, was able to practice mass direct action, from wildcat strikes to absenteeism and general disruption of capitalist production. The concept of the proletariat was also greatly expanded to include students, the unemployed, mothers, and white-collar wage earners, among others.

How the working class would be able to defend its gains (unfortunately the Autonomist movement gave way to other, less broad movements) seems to me a matter of practical speculation. If the situation in Italy at the time, specifically in 1969, had grown to a larger and more revolutionary situation, it doesn't seem too unlikely that the working class involved would have founded armed organs of workers councils. But, as I said, speculation. Because this sort of thing did not occur, there was a lot of disillusion with Autonomist tactics, and by the mid to late 1970s, we ended up with groups like Brigate Rosse, Blanquist in tactics.

Just wanted to add that Autonomism was very broad and influential, enough to invite heavy police and judicial repression. The Italian left of the 50s-80s is a very complex and interesting saga, and I don't believe it gets the attention it deserves. Analysis of its successes and failures would provide a great insight into forms of autonomist (no Party, no Trade Union, extra-parliamentary) organization. While Negri's work of late (Empire, Multitude) has been a little dis satisfactory, you can trace the development of his and others thought through this period of time, and come out with a good critique.

This is how I view it, and if I am incorrect on some facts please correct me.

[Pogue]

He's asking you to be specific.

its jsut that he has never actually explained his own beliefs or those of 'other' autonomists which is a shame cos he seems to have solid ideas

[Anaximander]

I'll shut up after this little tidbit right here but I think it is possible to explain (a terrible oversimplification, of course) Autonomism as a well formulated and well applied synthesis of anarchist/left communist tactics and Marxist theory.

[Stranger Than Paradise]

are we talking about italian "autonomia" autonomism or german/dutch "autonomen" autonomism?
there is a big difference, the book BcBM advised gives an good overview of both.

Which sort of Autonomism are you aligned with yourself and what are the beliefs of it?

[Sasha]

i would say that i'm in praxis/actions/organising 100% aligned with dutch autonomism but contrary to our grundlich german neighbours we lack a lot in the theoretical department, ever since the autonoom centrum (http://www.xs4all.nl/%7Eac/)disbanded and bilwet (http://www.thing.desk.nl/bilwet/) stopped publishing there has been very litle theoretical analysis in the dutch autonomus movement let alone any atempt to form an coherent political theory.
my personal politics range and swiffer anywhere from anti-authoritaian marxism to council-anarchism to leftwing parlementarian.
i decided a while back that i dont realy give an monkeys arse anymore about trying to narowdown and label my "ideaology", and trown my self firmly behind the gaston leval quote in my sig:
"Our comerades had not read Marx and were scarcely familiar with all of Proudhon's theories, but comon sense was their guide."
comon sense, i'll setle for that

[YKTMX]

I'm not an Autonomist, I'm a Leninist, but I do find myself in sympathy with autonomist writers (apart from Negri) whenever I read them.

If I were to summise it quickly, I'd say it boils down to 6 points:

1) a methodological approach to the development of capitalism that lays the emphasis on the resistance of the oppressed and exploited in explaining new techniques of domination and exploitation - this is what "Empire" is all about, for instance.

2) the rejection of the State as a mechanism for the socialist transformation of society

3) a consequent rejection of approaches to political organization that seek to "mirror" bourgeois institutions - the political party, official trade unions etc.

4) an exaggerated focus on the question of commodity fetishism that seeks to explain every ideological phenomena as a homology of the commodity form

5) a rejection of any compromise with "nationalist" movements

6) a critique of the concept of "identity" - a stress on difference, non-identity and Otherness

Not saying this is exhaustive or even the "main points" of Autonomism.

Just the things that struck me.

[Dóchas]

so would autonomism be attempts to set up a communes within a capitalist state? just wondering

[Stranger Than Paradise]

so would autonomism be attempts to set up a communes within a capitalist state? just wondering

No I don't think that is the concept, rather the organisation and resistance of the working class through alternative methods, as opposed to common conceptions and expressions of class struggle which I would say are deemed to not truly be democratic or reflect the desire for a worker-ran society.

[blake 3:17]

Does it make any sense at all in countries without large parties of the Left and powerful trade unions? In Germany and Italy they (ie unions, Communist/Socialist parties) were terribly compromised and conciliatory to capital, but did help foster basic class consciousness and opposition to fascism. Which would give some viability to an anti-bureacratic radical left autonomism.

In places that have very weak official labour movements and parties, wouldn't autonomism slip into reaction fairly easily? I'm all for every day and spontaneous forms of resistance, but that can also slide into stupid selfish behaviour, racism, and sexism. Or??? Self employment! It's the slippery slope in DIY culture.

[cenv]

In addition to the things that have already been mentioned, Autonomists also have a broader conception of the working class than many Marxists. Autonomists tend to lump students, housewives, the unemployed, etc. in with the traditional proletariat. A couple works relevant to Autonomist Marxism...

Reading Capital Politically (http://libcom.org/library/reading-capital-politically-cleaver), by Harry Cleaver

From operaismo to 'autonomist Marxism' (http://www.prole.info/pamphlets/automarx.pdf) from Aufheben #11

[Os Cangaceiros]

Autonomism is interesting, I think, mostly because I'm fascinated by (what could be considered to be) the autonomist tactic of the "sit-down" strike that spread very rapidly in the United States during the Depression decade, esp. in Ohio and other "Rust Belt" states.

A lot of workers were disgusted with their official unions, so they adopted that tactic, and many times a couple workers could shut down an entire factory within minutes simply by ceasing to work, and because companies lost profits for every minute that the factories weren't running it was very effective.