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Home , Anarchism, Noam Chomsky

Odisha Review April - May - 2014

Anarchy as a Socio-Political : in Perspective

Pradeepta Ranjan Pattanayak

‘’, as we all know, denotes a of body or of quicker in than some other lawlessness, chaos, free for all situation; has its men. From this equality of ability ariseth roots in LEVIATHAN, magnum opus equality of hope in the attaining of our ends. of , wherein he visualizes a And therefore, if any two men desire the same deplorable state of nature, where there was war thing which nevertheless they cannot both of all against all— a state or a situation that is enjoy, they become enemies; and in the way entirely devoid of normative thinking. Hobbes to their end, endeavour to destroy or to subdue understood it well that human are not one another” (Hobbes: 1651). always devoid of . But reason, he asserted, is essentially a servant of the passions—the faculty Consequently, in the absence of any restraining control, men adopt to this of devising ways and means to secure what one immediate end (of willfully enjoying the recognition desires. Desires are random, and there is no and services of others), which is the most efficient established common rule of good and evil to be available means. These means are force and fraud. taken from the nature of objects themselves. Hence a situation where every man is the enemy Hence the passions, the ultimate end of action of every other endeavouring to destroy or to are diverse and there is nothing to prevent the subdue him by force or fraud or both. This is pursuit which results in conflict. The part played nothing but a state of anarchy. by power is the reason for this danger of conflict. Power, Hobbes argues, is the present means of a The philosophy of anarchy also found a man to obtain some future apparent good. A very place, albeit candidly, in the garb of in important element of power is the ability to the works of Robert K. Merton and Emile command the recognition and services of other Durkheim. Durkheim conceived of anarchy (read men. This ability to obtain the unquestionable anomie) as ‘a social condition of normlessness submission of other men is very limited. Thus, this or the of the normative structure power, which is the proximate end, is inherently a that is the failure of the moral order source of division between men. Hobbes asserts, to restrain the overweening ambition, greed “Nature, in a crude manner, hath created men and unlimited aspirations’. In Durkheim’s with equality of ability, though at times some words, “The collective moral order is the only men are found to be manifestly stronger in legitimate moral force that can effectively

110 April-May - 2014 Odisha Review restrain the indomitable craze for social and The contemporary neo-Marxist economic needs. alone can play this in India argue that some amount of moderating role. But when society is disturbed anarchy and disorder is a practical necessity even by some painful crisis or by beneficent but when would call for the strict application of abrupt transitions, it is momentarily incapable the principle of discipline and order. But it creates of exercising this influence, as a result the confusion with regard to the correct definition and mechanism breaks down and normlessness interpretation of the term anarchy. For instance, ensues” (Durkheim: 1947). the social activists like and Swamy Agnivesh who can be confidently accredited to Traces of anarchy can also be discovered have the ball rolling in terms of a from R.K. Merton’s efforts to see how social dialogue between the Indian Maoists and the structures exert pressure upon certain persons in Govt., spare no effort in glorifying Maoist anarchy society to engage in non-conforming than in the name of spontaneous outbursts against conforming conduct (Merton: 1938). From exploitation, injustice and violation of human . among several elements of social and cultural According to them since the (so-called) structures, Merton analytically separates two— “Corporate Hindu ”, in the garb of cultural goals and institutionalized means. The Sovereign, Socialist, Democratic India cultural goals are acknowledged desirables in perpetrates injustice and exploitation over poor, any society. They are success, money, power, weak, homeless, poverty-stricken tribal people, prestige etc. Institutionalized means are the then those poor people have a natural right to acceptable modes of reaching out for these goals. retaliate in whatever and howsoever form they Anomie, Merton defines, is the disjunction like. Thus, in the process of armed struggle of the between cultural goals and the Maoists (the so-called victims of injustice), if the institutionalized means prescribed to reach the Indian State is overthrown then are not goals. The above disjunction (or the anarchic going to fall. But critics say that it is tantamount to situation) can be best exemplified in the following waging war against the Indian State and the State instance. Suppose a game is to be won. Logic has a right to defend itself. All these arguments would make us believe that it (the game) needs and counter arguments cast a deep shadow of to be won under the rules prescribed for it. But in confusion and consternation over the correct the modern industrial society, in many cases, it is interpretation of the term “anarchy”. (The Devil’s seen that the game is won through alternative Advocate, CNN-IBN, August, 2010). means not prescribed for winning it. In such cases winning the game becomes the sole objective The present time is replete with examples without a corresponding importance attached to where people and establishments give their logic the means prescribed for it. As such, when and arguments in favour of and anarchy winning the game takes precedence over and have advanced some acceptable sounding winning under the rules of the game, as is excuses as escape routes. treating the experienced in the modern industrial , the terrorists operating in Kashmir as anomie or the anarchic situation is created. fighters, giving the name of non-state actors to Obviously therefore, force and fraud bolster the its own citizens who were involved in the 26/11 idea of winning the game, anarchy its Mumbai attacks, Palestine and Israel justifying cardinal principle. violence in as per their own spirit of

111 Odisha Review April - May - 2014 understanding, Australia treating the series of A Marxist standpoint with as a violent racial attacks against Indian students as central tenet thus forms the essence of anarchist isolated incidents and organized urban crimes, theory and practice. Chomsky adds to it the idea US military using “Friendly Fire”, one of the of human linguistic abilities that have the power most insidious terms in their so-called war against to any social or straitjacketing. terror; etc. are some of the examples where the External cannot control the evolution of of anarchy is manufactured and distorted. moral and intellectually rebellious culture. Chomsky was convinced that political control is Except for the of , used by the State at the behest of the moneyed , freedom struggle etc., the philosophy class precisely to the apathetic abuse of the of anarchy has retained its chastity for the masses. purposes of analysis and has received a just and reasonable treatment at the hands of some modern Chomsky’s throw light on the 150 intellectual thinkers. Noam Chomsky, one of the years tradition of that has sought social great on , started supporting and economic without the mediation of the anarchist philosophy at the tender age of 10, bosses, politicians or bureaucrats. He believed spending hours at the bookshops on ’s that or capitalistic is not going 4th Avenue, where he engaged himself in anti- to disappear in one go. It needs a protracted authoritarian . Believing that the best way process of struggle to do away with this. He to maximize our genetically endowed freedom is emphatically maintains, “The record of anarchist through anarchism, Chomsky defines his ideas and even more, of the inspiring struggles as Libertarian . Such a of the people who have sought to liberate brand of anarchism has both a historical force and themselves from oppression and domination, must be treasured and preserved, not as a stands for a deeply positive that aims means of freezing and conception in towards the absolute welfare of the public. But some new mold, but as a basis for paradoxically it has been misconstrued by the understanding of the social and media and its controllers, and this school of committed work to change it. There is no thought takes a rather destructive and negative reason to suppose that is at an end, complexion. that the current structures of authority and The libertarian anarchist stance combined domination are graven in stone. It would also with a left wing led his (Chomsky’s) be a great error to underestimate the power attention to the causes of social justice and the of the social forces that will fight to maintain perceptible duplicity of the intellectuals. He felt power and privilege” (Chomsky: 2003, 2007). that the essence of creativity is innate in all humans, This view was also expressed partially in reaction which enables them to think and introspect. to Francis Fukuyama’s (1992) The End of being inherently a creative entity, its History and The Last Man. original usage gives one a sense of freedom. Such a progressive liberal philosophy of Inequality and suffering in the world, therefore, social justice has its root in the 18th Century have to be taken into consideration to finally Enlightenment Project, and the contemporary eliminate division. thinkers like Chomsky have given it a cascading

112 April-May - 2014 Odisha Review effect with their searching criticisms of the State essential to their needs; any unjust exercise of . It’s a which is power leads to their victimization as well as blatantly anti-capitalist with the underpinnings of psychological depression. To fulfill a non-hierarchical social structure in which the and to see to it that human life thrives, it becomes workers are to be given the control of the means essential to counter any form of oppression or of production. The socialist-anarchist idea stands control. polemically opposed to such hierarchical which is integral to the corporate world that Each , argues Chomsky, has the controls the policies of the govt. and is always responsibility and the creative acumen to take opposed to trade unionism. control of his /her society. Therefore, the idea is not to overthrow , but to take over Canadian John McGilvray the corporates so that they begin to work more (2005) questions Chomsky- “Isn’t anarchism in favour of the people. Anarchism, in favour of the complete absence of any the people, involves the recognition of plurality, towards others?” He then quotes James diversity and of interests, ideas and Buchannan (2005) – “the ideal society is opinions. Chomsky takes inherently anarchy in which no one man or group of men as a communal activity (community’s activity) not coerce another.” But in the next breath he to be left simply in the hands of the specialists, contradicts himself by saying that “any person’s who too narrowly on their respective areas ideal situation is that which allows him full of interest, ignoring the larger well being of the freedom of action and inhibits the behaviour society. For instance, undesirable jobs like of others so as to force adherence to his own cleaning the sewerage system, or repairing the desires. That is to say each person seeks roads damaged in heavy rains and cyclones, mastery over a world of slaves.” (McGilvray: should necessarily be mechanized, and if there 2005). But Chomsky differs with the following still exist some more undesirable jobs, the words, “In today’s world, the goals of a community should share them. Another solution committed anarchist should be to defend some Chomsky suggests is that people who do state from the attack against them, unpleasant jobs should be paid the highest and while trying at the same time to pry them open not the lowest. to more meaningful public participation- and ultimately, to dismantle them in a much more If we turn the pages of history of social , if the appropriate circumstances and political dissent, we will find that there have can be achieved.” (Chomsky: 2005) been a number of otherwise loyal, upright, law- abiding citizens who believed that they had been Thus according to Chomsky anarchism driven by their to break the law over is a type of ‘’ and is certain specific issues. In fact, we all are dissidents synonymous with ‘’. This is at one time or another. has to be allowed not found in capitalist societies where labour is in a society, as we live in a world that is constantly subjected to coercion and is not allowed to own changing and it is by protest that laws are changed the nor have any effective for a better future. As Vaclav Havel, the former control of productive activity. Freedom and Yugoslav dictator, observes, “You do not become creativity are two privileges of human beings so a dissident just because you decide one day to

113 Odisha Review April - May - 2014 take up this most unusual career. You are Durkheim, Emile, 1947, The in thrown into it by your personal sense of Society, The Free Press, NY. responsibility, combined with a set of Fukuyama, Francis, 1992, The End of History and The external circumstances. You are cast out of the Last Man, The Free Press, NY. existing structures and placed in a position of conflict with them. It begins as an attempt to Havel, Vaclav, 1997, The Art of the Impossible: and in Practice, and do your work well and ends with being writings (1990-1996), translated from Czech by branded an enemy of society”. (Havel: 1994, Paul Wilson and Others, Alfred A Knoff, US, 1997) NY. Under the overwhelming force of Havel, Vaclav, 1994, Towards a , Selected capitalism, bureaucracy and religious difference Speeches and Writings (1990-1994), Nakladatelstvi Lidovenowiny, Czech , there are always the smouldering undercurrents Prague. of anarchism that underscores a definite trend in the historic development of mankind, which Hobbes, Thomas, 1651, Leviathan, Reprinted from the strives for the free, unhindered unfolding of all the edition of 1651(1909), Oxford: Clarendon Press. individual and social forces in life, an unavoidable McGilvray, John Edward, (Ed.) 2005, The Cambridge necessity. Companion to Chomsky, Cambridge University Press. References: Merton, Robert K., 1938, Social Structure and Anomie, Chomsky, Noam, 2007, : The Abuse of an essay in American Sociological Review, Power and Assault on Democracy, Holt McGraw-Hill. Paperbacks, NY. Ostergaard, Geoffrey, 1991, “Anarchism”, A Dictionary Chomsky, Noam, and Barry Patterman, 2005, Chomsky of Marxist Thought, Blackwell Publishing. on Anarchism, AK Press, Oakland, CA. Parsons, Talcott, 1977, The Structure of Social Action, Chomsky, Noam, and Carlos Peregrin Otero, 2005, Macmillan Publishing Co., Inc. Language and Politics, AK Press, Edinburgh, Scotland.

Chomsky, Noam, 2003, Radical Priorities, AK Press, Oakland, CA.

Chomsky, Noam, 2003, Hegemony or Survival: America’s Quest for Global Dominance, Pradeepta Ranjan Pattanayak, Ph.D Scholar in Metropolitan Books, NY. Sociology, Ravenshaw University, Cuttack, Odisha.

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