 | |
| Author | John Zerzan |
|---|---|
| Subject | Anarcho-primitivism |
| Genre | Anthropology,political economy |
| Publisher | Autonomedia, Anarchy: a Journal of Desire Armed |
Publication date | December 1, 1994 |
| Publication place | United States |
| Media type | Paperback |
| Pages | 192 pages |
| ISBN | 1-57027-000-7 |
| OCLC | 30630861 |
| Preceded by | Elements of Refusal |
| Followed by | Running on Emptiness |
Future Primitive and Other Essays is a collection of essays byanarcho-primitivist philosopherJohn Zerzan published byAutonomedia in 1994. The book became the subject of increasing interest after Zerzan and his beliefs rose to fame in the aftermath of the trial of fellow thinkerTheodore Kaczynski and the1999 anti-WTO protests in Seattle.[1] It was republished in 1996 bySemiotext(e), and has since been translated into French (1998),Turkish (2000), Spanish (2001), andCatalan (2002). As is the case with Zerzan's previous collection of essays,Elements of Refusal,Future Primitive is regarded byAnarcho-Primitivists and technophobes as anunderground classic.[2]
Future Primitive is an unequivocal assertion of the superiority of thehunter-gatherer lifestyle.[3] Zerzan rejects the thesis thattime andtechnology are neutral scientific realities, arguing instead that they are carefully constructed means of enslaving people.[4] He cites as examples thecomputer and theInternet, which he maintains have an atomizing effect on society, creating noveldivisions of labour, demanding ever increasing efficiency and portions ofleisure time.[4] Life prior todomestication andagriculture, Zerzan argues, was predominantly one of "leisure, intimacy with nature, sensual wisdom, sexual equality and health".[5] In thePaleolithic era, asThe Wall Street Journal summarized Zerzan's thesis, "people roamed free, lived off the land and knew little or nothing of private property, government, money, war, even sexism. In the wild, the shackles of civilization weren't necessary, as people were instinctively munificent and kind, the primitivist argument goes."[6]
