On Anarchism

Great book. Pretty quick read. The topics kind of bounce around so for a full appreciation it would be good to have a foundational knowledge of historical events that Chomsky references, namely the anarchist revolution in Barcelona in 1936-1939.

Fantastic reader and intro into basic ideas that animate capitalism as well as socialism and beyond. This is not am intro into political theory however and is meant as a condensed version of Chomsky's more expanded works like "Understanding Power." So if you think you understand anarchy or socialism and think its a vapid idea or just want to learn more, please consider this book. You cannot walk away from reading "On Anarchism" without understanding more about yourself and our world. Highly Recommended--I never buy anything but I bought this!

Unless your interest in this book is purely academic analysis of political systems, I assume you have some leanings in its direction. If so, you know that anarchy has a bad rep; I've seen it equated with 'chaos' in crossword puzzles. Chomsky acknowledges this early on and refutes it; he takes us back to the original goals of anarchy, devoid of people who riot and throw bricks through windows, the goals of individual freedom, economic equality and democracy built from the ground up.The book consists of five chapters; each taken from a previously published work. Although copyright 2013, the earliest chapter is from 1969, the latest @2002.The first is an essay entitled 'Notes on Anarchism' and is just that; a wide variety of thoughts, with quotes from others, as to just what true anarchism is, and is not. The second chapter, excerpts from Understanding Power, is worth the price of the book. A question and answer session (Chomsky giving the answers) seemingly in a group setting with various people raising the essential questions of anarchism (tension of collectivism vs. individual freedom etc.) Chomsky gives a magnificent tour-de-force performance in replies. He also mentions the anarchy/chaos situation.The third chapter is one of very heavy reading. Stating that the Spanish Revolution, 1936-37, is of great historical significance, Chomsky not only reviews the history of the 'people's revolution' which was crushed by those in power, but, citing numerous historians, questions whether or not their views coincided with reality as to what was happening. If you're not familiar with the named historians or their works, this is a tough read. However, if you bypass all of that and accept Chomsky's opinions, you will learn a lot regarding the Spanish Civil War and especially the entrenched power response to anarchists.The fourth chapter is an interview with Harry Kreisler (of UC Berkeley), Chomsky is the interviewee; the effect is similar to chapters one and two, a variety of anarchist thoughts and concepts are discussed.The last chapter is the transcript of a lecture given at Loyola University in 1970; Chomsky is a linguist so he is seemingly in his element as this address is entitled -Language and Freedom. But no, he raises the question as to just how language and freedom are related and admits, at the end, that he is still not sure but much intrigued by the association. An interesting essay which will challenge your thinking in many areas, but may also, answer many questions you have had in your pursuit of an understanding of anarchism.

A no nonsense, exceptional work from Chomsky (as usual) that gives a great introductory to Anarchism, looks back into the Spanish revolution, inspiring optimistic direct action for all the wage slaves to abolish this unsustainable wage slavery system of Humans ruling humans with unique contributions towards Anarchist thought and all around philosophy.

For those who are interested in introducing themselves to anarchism, in practice and in theory, this book is a great resource and a short read.

Good ol' Chomsky. We need a billion like him. Great read, though hard to understand at times. Worth rereading some sections. Great info and clear perspective.

Great introduction to Chomsky's flavor of anarchism: anarcho-syndicalism. The first chapter covers the definition and history. The second and fourth are some really interesting Q&A format dicussions. The third one details an essay Chomsky wrote when he was younger discussing anarchism in the Spanish civil war. The last chapter discusses Freedom and Language which connects a bit to his work on linguistics. I highly recommend it!

Chomsky's exploration of the roots and continued vitality of anarchism as a socio-economic and political theory and strategy is important reading for anyone wanting to dig beneath the sketchy surface of the word "anarchy" to get at the root of its meaning and see its practical applications for today. It is not "Molotov cocktails" and "chaos," as so commonly assumed, but a belief system that is typically highly organized around the search for local solutions to local problems by independent and autonomous actors responsible to and for themselves, without arbitrary authority imposed from above and without. The presumption that all impositions of authority by one person or group over another are invalid unless and until they are justified by necessity and tempered by restraint is a presumption that we should all embrace, particularly in today's increasingly authoritarian world. Once again, Chomsky steps up as one of the leading public intellectuals of our time and tells some uncomfortable but simple truths.This book is a collection of excerpts from past articles, talks, etc., rather than a single coherent exploration of anarchy in theory and practice. The reader should not expect a text book on the subject, but rather a history lesson and an exhortation to the "anarcho-curious" to embrace the notion that we are each entitled to dominion over our own lives, and to enlighten those who blindly submit to unjustified and unjustifiable impositions of power and authority.

Loved the book. Have to admitt that the last section on linguistics went over my head completely but that's fine.

The section where the clear distinctions between Libertarianism and Anarchism are presented is truly noteworthy. It is also interesting how Chomsky has used the example of Spanish revolution and the role of different 'stakeholders' in meddling with the anarchic situation subsequent to the revolution.

Small and dense, like a quasar. The legacy of Thoreau now with the deep analysis of Chomsky.

I would recommend this book to everyone who is interested in political concepts besides the democracy. Noam Chomsky is a well known and intelligent human being. He describes the concept of Anarchism understandable (my mother tongue is german) and quotes from some well known Anarchists.

One could do worst than to be introduced by Noam Chomsky to the subject of anarchism. This little book does that job brilliantly. Funny how after all these years, there are still so many morons out here who have no idea of what it actually means to be an anarchist - and that's mostly the people who call themselves anarchists!But I would advise any reader not to expect a perfect book, or even one thoughtfully put together. It's a a hatchet job. An awful introduction by some dude, followed by a haphazard collection of Chomsky's old essays plus transcripts of some Q&A session. My 5 stars are for content, NOT form. I'd say, take what you like from it and discard the rest. The best part is the superb in-depth explanation of what exactly it means, to be an anarchist. You can just ignore the parts you might not be so interested in, the study of the Spanish Civil War for example; the book is cheap enough to skip or forget parts of it, if such is your wont.For a beginner in all things anarchist, this book is an excellent place to start. And then some. I would argue that it's actually enough on its own, because it will get you thinking... for the rest of your thinking days. Seriously.