Basic Bakunin
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THE BASIC BAKUNIN WRITINGS 1869-1871 Translated and Edited by Robert M. Cutler GREAT BOOKS IN PHILOSOPHY THE BASIC BAKUNIN WRITINGS 1869-1871 Translated and Edited by Robert M. Cutler GREAT BOOKS IN PHILOSOPHY c^ Prometheus Books 59 John Glenn Drive m Te^-u^- Amherst, New York M228-2119 Frootispi^ Pbotograpb of MDchafl Afcxandrovich Bakunin by Val^Mro^kl -To the venerable brother. Patriarch Meuron of U Lode. His brother and friend, M. Bakouoine. ftbnaiy 1869." rhotogr^h courtesy of International Institute for Social History. Great Books in Philosophy Series (Social and Political Philosophy) To the memory of P. E. C. and • Aristotle—The Politics • Mikhail Bakunin—The Basic Bakunin: Writings, 1869-1871 for all those whos^ freedom does not depend Q Edmund Burke—Reflections on the Revoiution in France on others' lack thereof. • John Dewey—Freedcfm and Culture • John Dewey—Individualism Old and New Q John Dewey—^jbcralism and Social Action Published 1992 by Prometheus Books • G. W. F. Hegel—The Philosophy of History • G. W. F. Hegel—P/iilosop/iy of Ri^t The Basic Bakunin: Writings, 1869-1871. Copyright O 1985,1992 by Robert M. • Thomas Hobbes^The Leviathan Cutler. AH tights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored • Sidney Hook—Paraddxes of Freedom in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any fbrm or by any means, digital, elec Q Sidney Hook—Reason, Social Myths, and Democracy tronic, mechamcal, photocopying, recording, or othervrise, or conveyed via the • John Locke—The Second Treatise on Civil Government Internet or a Web site without prior written permission of the publisher, except • Niccolo Machiavelli—The Prince in die case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews. • Karl Marx (with Friedrich Engels)—The Economic and P/iiIosop/iic Manuscripts of 1844 and The Communist Manifesto Inquiries should be addressed to Q Karl Marx (with Friedrich Engels)—The German Ideology, Prometheus Books including Theses on Feuerbach and Introduction to the 59 Johif Glenn Drive Critique of Political Economy Amherst, New York 14228-2119 Q Karl Marx—The Poverty of P/iilosop/iy VOICE: 716-691-0133, ext. 210 • John Stuart Mill—Considerations on Representative Government FAX: 716-691-0137 Q John Stuart Mill—On Liberty WWWPROMETHEUSBOOKS.COM • John Stuart Mill—On Sodai'sm i •; G John Stuart Mill—The Subjection of Women • Montesquieu, Charles de Secondat—The Spirit of Laws Library of Congr^s Cataloging-in-Publication Data • Friedrich Nietzsche—Thus Sf>afec Zarathustra • Thomas Paine—Common Sense Bakunin, Mikhail Alebandrovich, 1814-1876. • Thomas Paine—Rights of Man [Selections. English. 1992} • Plato—Laws The basic Bakunin : writings, 1&69-1871 / translated and edited by Q Plato—The Republic Robert M. Cuder. Q Jean-Jacques Rousseau—^mile p. cm. — (Great books in philosophy) Q Jean-Jacques Rousseau—The Social Contract Originally published: From out of the dustbin. Ann Arbor, Mich. : Ardis, • Mary Wollstonecraft—Vindication of the Rights of Men O 1985. • Mary Wollstonecraft—VinScation of the Rights of Women ISBN 13: 978-0-87975-745-8 ISBN 10: 0-87975-745-0 1. Anarchism. I. Series. HX914.7.B34A25 1992 335'.83—dc20 92-5386 CIP Printed in the United States of America on acid-fiee paper See the back of this volume for a complete list of titles in Prometheus's Great Books in Philosophy and Great Minds series. Contents Acknowledgments " \filestones in Bakunin's Life 11 Introduction Comment on Texts and Translation 30 Every revolt is a cry of innocence ) and an appeal to the essence of being. Part One. The Rise and Decline of the Bourgeoisie —Albert Camus, The Rebet in Europe 37 1. Three Lectures to Swiss Members of the Internationa! 39 Part Two. Bourgeois Socialism and Revolutionary Socialism 67 2. The Hypnotizers 69 3. La Montagne and Mr. Coullery 82 Mr. Coullery's Verdict Part Three. The Program of Revolutionary Socialism 95 4. The Policy of the International 97 5. All-Round Education 111 6. Report of the Committee on the Question of Inheritance 126 7. Speeches at the Basle,Congress 131 On the Question of Landed Property On the Question of the Right of Inheritance Part Four. The Tactics of Revolutionary Socialism 135 8. The Organization of the International 137 9. Geneva's Double Strike 145 Organization and General Strike 10. On Cooperation 151 11. The International Working-Men's Movement 155 12. On Russia 157 13. A Few Words to My Young Brothers in Russia 160 Acknowledgments Part Five. Patriotism and Human Progress i67 14. Open Letters to Swiss Comrades of the International 169 15. Physiological or Natural Patriotism 180 A decade ago William Watson introduced me to Bakunin, and he and 16. The Agitation of the Socialist-Democratic Party Suzanne Berger supervised my Bachelor's thesis at the Massachusetts in Austria 1^2 Institute'of Technology, where I developed the interpretations presented in 17. Panslavism I9g the Introduction here. A Youthgrant from the National Endowment for the Humanities sustained-me during the summer of 1975, when the major Notes 201 Biographical Glossary 217 work of the initial translations was completed. This was done at the Bibliography 225 Pennsylvania State University; in space provided by the Slavic and Soviet Language and Area Center.1 am indebted to the Center's Director, Vernon Index 243 Aspaturian, for his hospitality and support. Other colleagues at the Slavic Center, who never permitted me tb forget my interest in Bakunin. deserve more than I can give them. A graduate seminar in methdds of working with historical sources, taught by S. V. Utechin, is at the origin of the Comment on Texts and Translation. His generous counsel and enduring interest in this project provided a continuity through all its phases. The image of judicious scholarship to which 1 have tried to be faithful in this volume is no less sharp for his example. During 1979-80, in connection with other work, I was Albert Gallatin Fellow at the Graduate Institute for International Studies in Geneva, Switzerland. The Institute, located only a few hours' train ride from where Bakunin wrote most of these texts, provided, through its expertise in the First International and its hospitality, the ideal environment for completing this project. Urs Luterbacher and his associates contributed signficantly to making that year especially productive. 1 wish to thank the staffs of the libraries whose services assisted my research: the Intemationaal Instituut voor Sodale Oescheidnis, Amsterdam; the Graduate Library of the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, partic ularly the Joseph A. Labadie Collection and the Inter-Library Loan Office; the Bibliothbque publique et universitaire, Geneva; the,British Library, London; and the Bibliothfeque nationale, Paris. Marion Blakely, of the National Endowment for the Humanities, and Carl Proffer, of Ardis Publishers, generously refrained from insisting that different stages of the project be completed before the time was right. Jackie Allen, Monarch Cutler, Marianne' Enckell, Claudine Fuhrimann, Raymond Grew, Monica Irwin, Jaap Kloosterman, and Mikl6s Moln&r provided various kinds of encouragement and support. 1 thank also other persons too numerous to count, let alone mention, whd have expressed interest in this project. However, no one but myself can be responsible for how I have used the advice and resources available to me. Milestones in Bakunin*s Life 1814 May 18 Bom at Pri^ukhino» in Tver province, Russia. 1828-1833 Studies at kt. Petersburg Artillery School. 1833-1835 Serves in Minsk and Crodno as lieutenant in an artillery brigade. 1835 March Meets Stankevich during a visit to Mo^ow. , October Begins participating in Stankevich's study circle. December Resigns military commission. 1836-1840 Settles in Moscow, making frequent visits to Rriamukhino. From 1837 on, plunges into philosophical studies, especially Hegel. Knows Belinsky, Botkin, Granovsky, Kat- kov, and others in the Stankevich circle. 1839/40 Winter Becomes fri^jids with Herzen and Qgaryov. 1840 June 29 Leaves Ilussia to study>philosophy in Berlin. 1840-1842 Attends lectures by Schelling, Werder, and Ran- ke in Berlin. 1842 Optober ''Reaction Jn Germany** is published under the pseudonym Jules Elysard. 1843 'Moves to Zttrich and Berne. Associates with Weitling and Hrtibel. 1844 Februa^ Summon^, by Tsar to return to Russia. Leaves instead for Paris, stopping in Brussels en route. 1844 December 'Strapped of tioble title by Russian Senate. 184^1847 ' Remains in Pa|-is, in contact with representatives of French,: Polish, and European democracy. 1847 November 18 Speaks at a banquet commemorating the Polish insurrection-of 1830. December Expelled by French government. Lea>oss for Brussels, ^is expulsion is contested in the French Parliament.' 1£^8 February Louis-Philippe overthrown; France proclaimed a Republic. Bakunin returns to Paris, pub lishes several letters in the press. Klarch Leaves Paris. Travels to Frankfurt, Mainz, Mann heim, Heidelberg. Tries unsuccessfully to reach Poland! Goes to Berlin, Leipzig, Bres- lau. 12 Milestones in Bakunin's Life Milestones in Bakunin's Life 13 June Attends . Slay ^^ngress in Prague, where he 1867 September Attends, in Geneva, First Congress of League.of speaks'and'presents papers. Participates in Peace and Freedom; enters^its Central Com the Whitsuntide insurrection there. mittee. June>December Travels to Breslau, .Berlin, Breslau again, and 1867/68 Winter-Spring In Vevey, Switzerland. Meets Utiti, Zhukovsky. Dresden. Finally finds freedom from political VJxiiisyFederalism, Socialism, and Anti- harassment in Kdthen. Theologism. ' ' December Appeal to the Siavs appears. 1868 July Joins the Geneva 8ection'.,of the International 1849 April Brochure x)'n "Russian Conditions**appears; arti Working-Men's Association. cles in Dresdner Zeitung. Autumn Attends, in Berne, Second Congress of the League May Participates in''the revolt in Dresden. Arrested of Peace and Freedom. Withdraws from the and incarcerated. League with associates and founds the Inter July Transferred to KOnigstein fortress.