Anarcho-primitivism argues that civilization is at the root of societal and environmental problems.[3] Primitivists also consider domestication, technology and language to cause social alienation from "authentic reality". As a result, they propose the abolition of civilization and a return to a hunter-gatherer lifestyle.[4]
John Zerzan, the main theoretical proponent of anarcho-primitivism
The modern school of anarcho-primitivism was primarily developed byJohn Zerzan,[9] whose work was released at a time whengreen anarchist theories ofsocial anddeep ecology were beginning to attract interest. Primitivism, as outlined in Zerzan's work, first gained popularity as enthusiasm in deep ecology began to wane.[10]
Zerzan claimed that pre-civilization societies were inherently superior to modern civilization and that the move towards agriculture and the increasing use of technology had resulted in the alienation and oppression of humankind.[11] Zerzan argued that under civilization, humans and other species have undergonedomestication, which stripped them of their agency and subjected them to control bycapitalism. He also claimed thatlanguage,mathematics andart had causedalienation, as they replaced "authentic reality" with an abstracted representation of reality.[12] In order to counteract such issues, Zerzan proposed that humanity return to astate of nature, which he believed would increasesocial equality and individualautonomy by abolishingprivate property,organized violence and thedivision of labor.[13]
Primitivist thinkerPaul Shepard also criticized domestication, which he believed had devalued non-human life and reduced human life to their labor and property. Other primitivist authors have drawn different conclusions to Zerzan on the origins of alienation, with John Fillis blamingtechnology andRichard Heinberg claiming it to be a result ofaddiction psychology.[4]
Primitivist ideas were taken up by theeco-terroristTed Kaczynski, although he has been repeatedly criticized for his violent means by more pacifistic anarcho-primitivists, who instead advocate for non-violent forms ofdirect action.[14] Primitivist concepts have also taken root within the philosophy ofdeep ecology, inspiring the direct actions of groups such asEarth First!.[15] Another radical environmentalist group, theEarth Liberation Front (ELF), was directly influenced by anarcho-primitivism and its calls for rewilding.[16]
Primitivists and green anarchists have adopted the concept of ecologicalrewilding as part of their practice, i.e., using reclaimed skills and methods to work towards a sustainable future while undoing institutions of civilization.[17]
Anarcho-primitivist periodicals includeGreen Anarchy andSpecies Traitor. The former, self-described as an "anti-civilization journal of theory and action" and printed inEugene, Oregon, was first published in 2000 and expanded from a 16-page newsprint tabloid to a 76-page magazine coveringmonkeywrenching topics such as pipeline sabotage and animal liberation.Species Traitor, edited by Kevin Tucker, is self-described as "an insurrectionary anarcho-primitivist journal", with essays against literacy and for hunter gatherer societies. Adjacent periodicals include the radical environmental journalEarth First![18]
Humphrey, Matthew (2013). "Environmentalism". In Gaus, Gerald F.; D'Agostino, Fred (eds.).The Routledge Companion to Social and Political Philosophy.Routledge. pp. 291–302.ISBN978-0-415-87456-4.LCCN2012013795.
Long, Roderick T. (2013). "Anarchism". In Gaus, Gerald F.; D'Agostino, Fred (eds.).The Routledge Companion to Social and Political Philosophy.Routledge. pp. 217–230.ISBN978-0-415-87456-4.LCCN2012013795.
Parson, Sean (2018). "Ecocentrism". In Franks, Benjamin; Jun, Nathan; Williams, Leonard (eds.).Anarchism: A Conceptual Approach.Routledge. pp. 219–233.ISBN978-1-138-92565-6.LCCN2017044519.
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