Peter Kropotkin

[Bostana]

So I have nothing else to do so I figured why not start reading this guy who's name pops up every now and then. I would like to know a little about him, and for those who have read him, does he have anything worth reading?
Thanks

[Brutus]

Conquest of bread is the obvious one.
He was a biologist and used nature to help his arguments for mutual aid.

[helot]

Mutual Aid: A Factor of Evolution and Fields, Factories and Workshops are my favourite of his. The former, a reaction against social darwinism, was well ahead of its time and offers us some use in making people using the dumb liberal argument of "human nature" shut the fuck up through the powers of evidence. The latter opens up some interesting discussions on how production could be accomplished in a decentralised manner.

Conquest of Bread is also, imo, a good read but i prefer the previous two.

[G4b3n]

The only thing I have read cover to cover by him is "Appeal to the Young".
He addresses several different career paths that students may take (scientist, engineer, teacher, etc) and explains how each field is exploited by bourgeois class rule.

It was in a book of revolutionary writings my favorite high school history teacher gave me, the read is bitter sweat, it is inspirational is some aspects and depressing in others.

[darkblues]

db

[helot]

My first port of call was the following: search for him in 'Anarchist Archives'-- i tried to post the link but couldn't because my post count is not yet 25 [shear asininity :)]

I'll do it for you :)

Here's Kropotkin's collected works on Anarchy Archives

http://dwardmac.pitzer.edu/Anarchist_Archives/kropotkin/KropotkinCW.html

[TheIrrationalist]

He was a Russian prince of the famous Rurik dynasty, and one of the main contributors to classical anarchist theory, especially anarcho-communism. He has some good books like the aforementioned Mutual Aid and Conquest of Bread. He was one of the main critics of the Bolsheviks during the revolution. But he also did silly things. He was one of the anarchists who signed the Manifesto of the Sixteen; a document which advocated Allied victory over Germany, which doesn't seem to be consistent with the ideology of anarchism.

[helot]

But he also did silly things. He was one of the anarchists who signed the Manifesto of the Sixteen; a document which advocated Allied victory over Germany, which doesn't seem to be consistent with the ideology of anarchism.

You're correct. The anarchist movement at the time gave a collective "wtf?" over it and we still do.... seriously though, wtf was with that?

Alot of his former friends cut their ties with him because of it resulting in him becoming increasingly isolated.

[BIXX]

As far as I understand, he was taking a stand against German imperialism. I mean, I don't agree with how he did it, but it was that he was saying "they were the aggressor, I think we should combat this imperialism".

[d3crypt]

I have to read him too. He seems to be very well known.

[darkblues]

db