Murray Bookchin on the French Situationist Movement

Bookchin describes his encounter with and thoughts on the Situationists.
This is from Spectacle.co.uk. Check them out now!

Link to Bookchin's video biography at Spectacle.co.uk:
http://www.spectacle.co.uk/archive_production.php?id=235

Link to the Institute for Social Ecology:
http://www.social-ecology.org/

FreiheitXXI has uploaded this interview in its entirety. You can watch it here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I2r4xu3oJxc&feature=mfu_in_order&list=UL

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• Situationism
• libertarian
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• socialism
• Marxism
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[Johre1953]

Sorry, 1993.

[SteelCityEcologist]

@Johre1953

Thank you, Janet.

[wcropp1]

@wcropp1 approach is generally one that is flexible and varied in its nature, and they, in many ways, filled in the cultural/aesthetic piece to the puzzle of change, which had previously been explored, but not in such a cohesive and thorough way. Sorry for my excessive rambling. I had not originally intended to write this much, but these ideas are somewhat complex, and difficult to explain through the character-limited YouTube comments.

[wcropp1]

@wcropp1 their ideas where quite unique in their approach, and they gave serious revolutionaries some new tools to add to their toolbox, so to speak. Like many things in life, though, balance and perspective are necessary for ideas to remain relevant and meaningful, and strategy/tactics/viability are real concerns that they, in many way, did not elaborate on. I suppose they were originally artists, and therefore their emphasis on culture stems perhaps from their roots. Nonetheless, the best

[wcropp1]

@wcropp1 will require a great deal of effort, as well as the organization/education/inspira­tion of a very large number of people. Sheer determination and effort cannot make up for a lack of numbers when speaking in terms of democracy. Therefore, we need a worker's movement that is accessible and appealing to the average person, as oposed to overly abstract, theory-heavy revolutionary ideals. This is where Bookchin excels, but my criticism of the Situationsts should not be misinterpreted--many of

[wcropp1]

@wcropp1 The Situationists gave us some great ideas as to how to reorganize society in a way that is more congruent with individual freedom and a few tools to help us along the way, and their emphasis on everday life was very important--don't get me wrong--but it is by no means an adequate replacement for what should be our ultimate goal--fundamental political, economic, and cultural change. Of the three, politics and economics are the most entrenched/formidable adversaries, at least IMO, and

[wcropp1]

@wcropp1 collective emancipation of society as a whole. In other words, escaping the Spectacle really does nothing to change it but can be personally rewarding on some level, and acknowledging/questioning it is a good start, but knowing where you want to go and actually getting there are two very different things. Cultural liberation is important, but getting so caught up in theory that we abandon the struggle against very real impediments to human freedom is a tactical mistake IMO.

[wcropp1]

@wcropp1 nature and that people should do what they can to extend their personal freedom as much as possible within the confines of the status quo, but should also not be delusional about the realities of modern technology/economic production, as well as the realities of life and the need for certain "commodities" to sustain human life on this planet. Essentially what I'm saying is that people should find a balance between their personal desires and the realities of modern life as well as the

[wcropp1]

@wcropp1 At the end of the day, most people work for a living. Dumpster diving, happenings, etc. are all well and good and have their place, but avoidance and personal expression really do nothing to challenge the status quo in a meaningful way. I'm not saying people shouldn't live their life as they see fit, or spend it waiting for some mythical day of change to come, but I do agree with Bookchin that lifestylist anarchism and many other Post Left ideas are rather escapist and illusory in

[wcropp1]

@wcropp1 may be, cultural critique really has no teeth without some degree of organization and struggle. Yes, it may force people to think for themselves and encourage slow cultural transformation, but ultimately people will have to challenge the greatest obstacles to individual freedom in modern society, our current systems of government and economics. To be voluntary in nature, this requires organization and large numbers of people to fundamentally change political and economic structures.

[wcropp1]

@wcropp1

academia did, became overly theoretical and abstract in some ways and therefore somewhat inaccessible or peculiar to the average person. This is not to say that revolution must always be disciplined or collective in nature, but that there should be some degree of balance. Violent coercion and state power may be a very effective means of changing society, but this cure is often times worse than the disease. At the same time, however well intention or subversize and individuals actions

[wcropp1]

Bookchin was one of the most important 20th century American libertatrian socialist thinkers IMO. He certainly has a way with words--very precise, yet not overly intellectualized. He can very clearly explain himself without becoming inaccessible to the people his ideas are supposed to appeal to. While I can certainly appreciate the ideas of the Situationists and their implications for the emancipation of the individual, I can agree with Bookchin that they, as many on the New/Post Left and in