Publisher’s presentation:
Rebel Alliances offers an applied philosophical perspective on contemporary class-struggle anarchism in Britain. It identifies the main principles distinguishing this tradition from competing Leninist, liberal and social-democratic groupings. From these key characteristics, Franks constructs a consistent anarchism which both shares characteristics with politically-engaged post-structuralists and has a distinctive ethic.
The theory and practice of contemporary groups are then assessed against this ideal-type anarchism. Many of the central themes of anarchism are consequently subject to original scrutiny: the nature of the revolutionary subject; workplace and community organising; violence and pacifism; the meaning of direct action; and propaganda by word and deed.
Much reference is made to wider libertarian socialist theory and practice influential upon anarchism today, especially that of Autonomist Marxism and the Situationist International.
Benjamin Franks is a Lecturer in Social and Political Philosophy at the University of Glasgow.