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The Conquest of Bread Peter Kropotkin The Conquest of Bread Peter Kropotkin Introduction by Alfredo M. Bonanno The Conquest of Bread Peter Kropotkin Introduction by Alfredo M. Bonanno introduction i preface xiii OUR RICHES 1 WELL-BEING FOR ALL 17 ANARCHIST COMMUNISM 34 EXPROPRIATION 50 FOOD 70 DWELLINGS 110 CLOTHING 126 WAYS AND MEANS 130 THE NEED FOR LUXURY 142 AGREEABLE WORK 165 FREE AGREEMENT 177 OBJECTIONS 201 THE COLLECTIVIST WAGES SYSTEM 229 CONSUMPTION AND PRODUCTION 253 THE DIVISION OF LABOUR 265 THE DECENTRALIZATION OF INDUSTRY 270 AGRICULTURE 286 introduction i preface xiii OUR RICHES 1 WELL-BEING FOR ALL 17 ANARCHIST COMMUNISM 34 EXPROPRIATION 50 FOOD 70 DWELLINGS 110 CLOTHING 126 WAYS AND MEANS 130 THE NEED FOR LUXURY 142 AGREEABLE WORK 165 FREE AGREEMENT 177 OBJECTIONS 201 THE COLLECTIVIST WAGES SYSTEM 229 CONSUMPTION AND PRODUCTION 253 THE DIVISION OF LABOUR 265 THE DECENTRALIZATION OF INDUSTRY 270 AGRICULTURE 286 monument of the past, but as a tangible indication of somethingindication lastingtangible a as andbut continuallypast, the of in transformonument - and this key allows for its legitimate use, not as a a mationas not whichuse, the powerlegitimate its structurefor allows manages key this to hideand the recent American edition introduced by Avrich, withAvrich, varyingby degreesintroduced of difficulty.edition American recent the does not seem to have been brought out even in in Everyeven out possiblebrought goodbeen hashave beento saidseem ofnot Kropotdoes - has its unitary key to reading which which reading to key unitary its has kin, and such a good man was he thatBread of nothingquest These doubts are basically unfounded. unfounded. basically are doubts These - elseCon The could have been said of him: His conception of life, his optimism,reader? casual hismost olympianthe even of scientific eyes the coolto - pieces written at different times, cannot fail to leap nessleap to offail analysis,cannot heatingtimes, up everydifferent at now andwritten againpieces work which, although accidental as it consists of of with someconsists it incitement as toaccidental rebellion: although basically which, all thatwork such a case, what would remain of the unity of the mightthe of seemunity outthe of of date.remain And Thewould Conquestwhat case, ofa Breadsuch is and those that are decidedly out of date? And, in in a bookAnd, thatdate? couldof out appear outdated.decidedly are Exceptthat thatthose theand patiently pointing out the parts that are still valid destructionvalid still are of that power parts is notthe theout schematicpointing processpatiently a great task of separating the wheat from the chaff, wechaff, usuallythe from entrust wheat to the great explosionsseparating of oftask violence,great a semblance of life to what has long been dead? Make orMake to smalldead? attacksbeen long againsthas thewhat to structures life of of repressemblance - of the historiographers, ever capable of giving a a sion. giving The of destructioncapable ever of the constituted historiographers, order the alsoof Put it aside? Consign it to the pleasing research passesresearch throughpleasing thethe slowto it and optimisticConsign aside? it evaluationPut of the forces available for attack.volume. Ifpresent it doesthe in not taketained be easily clarified by referring to the analyses con analyses the to referring by clarified easily be - much to accomplish an individual act, often a re- a precise situation of class struggle which cannot sultcannot of desperation,which onlystruggle reflectionclass of andsituation analysisprecise a can ent day validity is not as certain as it is linked to to renderlinked thatis it actas comprehensiblecertain as not is and transformvalidity day theent of the fundamental classics of anarchism, its pres its anarchism, of classics fundamental the of - desperation of the exploited into organised revolu- is undoubtedly one one undoubtedly is Bread of Conquest The tionary force. Although And in order to do that there is a need for pro- found optimism. Not in things orINTRODUCTION in men, for which there will always be someone ready to point out with superiority those who do not merit that op- timism, but in the will of the individual who sums ii of something indication lasting tangible and a as continually but past, inthe of transfor - monument mation a as which not theuse, power structurelegitimate its for managesallows tokey hidethis and with varyingAvrich, by degrees of difficulty.introduced edition American recent the does not seem to have been brought out even in Everyin possibleeven out goodbrought has been have said to of Kropotseem not - does has its unitary key to reading which which reading to key unitary its has kin, and such a good man was he that nothingBread of quest - Con The else could have been saidunfounded. of him:basically Hisare conceptiondoubts These of life, his optimism,reader? his casual olympianmost the scientificeven of cooleyes -the to ness of leap analysis,to fail heatingcannot uptimes, every nowdifferent at and againwritten pieces with someof incitementconsists it as to rebellion:accidental basicallyalthough all thatwhich, work might seemthe of outunity of date.the of And Theremain Conquestwould ofwhat Breadcase, a is such a book in thatAnd, coulddate? appearof out outdated.decidedly Exceptare thatthat thethose and destruction valid ofstill powerare that is notparts thethe schematicout processpointing patiently we usuallychaff, entrustthe from to greatwheat explosionsthe separating of of violence, task great a or to smallMake attacksdead? againstbeen long thehas structureswhat to life ofof repres- semblance sion. a The destructiongiving of ofcapable the ever constituted order alsohistoriographers, the of passes throughresearch the slowpleasing the and to it optimistic Consign evaluationaside? it Put of the forces available for attack.volume. If it doespresent notthe takein tained - much tocon accomplishanalyses the anto individualreferring by act, oftenclarified a re-easily be sult of desperation,cannot which only reflectionstruggle class of and analysissituation can precise a render to that actlinked is comprehensibleit as certain as andnot transformis validity theday ent - desperationpres its of the exploitedanarchism, of into classics organised revolufundamental -the of is undoubtedly one one undoubtedly is Bread of Conquest The tionary force. Although And in order to do that there is a need for pro- found optimism. Not in things or in men,INTRODUCTION for which there will always be someone ready to point out with superiority those who do not merit that op- timism, but in the will of the individual who sums ii - lutionaryrevo the of struggleaspects in The Conquestconcerning ofoutlet Bread. Whatganisational to - do,or beforean thefind to revolution,vain in try in orderwould one to get closerStrangely, to it? How organise? Syndicalism? A federationon? of going affinity still act in a moment such as this with the class struggle groups?struggle Whatclass the about with clandestinethis as such organisations?moment a in act cal conditions of the present day? How should we we Howevershould How did day? Kropotkin present forgetthe of about allconditions that?cal - Because,histori attentiveprecise the in readersdo we of thisshould bookWhat wouldvening. re- thing certain would seem to be a proposal for inter for proposal a be to seem would certain thing - ply, it is a book that concentrates on the problem Good? Bad? Neither good nor bad? The only ofonly whatThe to dobad? at nor the momentgood ofNeither the revolutionBad? Good? and in the period immediately followingindividual. the to it, on howtherefore to tion relations contribute to determining society, organisesociety, productiondetermining to and distribution.contribute Andrelations theytion - wouldproduc beof wrong. distribution the of forms historical The until recently) biology as the devil does holy water. water. Theholy greatdoes subjectdevil the animatingas biology the pagesrecently) of Theuntil of an historical materialism that regards (at least Conquestleast (at of Breadregards isthat the movementmaterialism of thehistorical exploitan of - eighteenth century scientific vision to the critique ed: nothingcritique the to is concededvision to scientific this or century that historicaleighteenth like wolves, as by submitting the too idyllic late grouplate ofidyllic intervention.too the Andsubmitting anarchists,by as aswolves, a conlike - to the secular thesis of men preying on each other sciousother minority,each on findpreying amen placeof therethesis onlysecular becausethe to have doubts about this. Not so much by referring they arereferring aby part much of thatso greatNot this. movement, about notdoubts as thehave the future revolution. Many present-day thinkers representativesthinkers ofpresent-day a specificMany organisationrevolution. infuture termsthe anguish of tyranny to reawaken in the sunshine of of of politicalsunshine space.the in reawaken to tyranny of anguish so this essential principle of humanity endures the the This endures apparentlyhumanity of banal factprinciple has beenessential considthis so - mant all winter to come to life again in the spring, eredspring, bythe Kropotkinin again ’s life critics to tocome beto due towinter hisall olympicmant like a seed hidden by a snowy mantle, it lies dor lies it mantle, snowy a by hidden seed a like - superiority over the parts in struggle within the says Kropotkin says — fact biological a is Solidarity and, and, revolutionary— movement, and to prove this they key to reading this book, which makes
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