Two Cheers for Anarchism

Six Easy Pieces on Autonomy, Dignity, and Meaningful Work and Play

By: James C. Scott

Narrated by: Jeremy Arthur

James Scott taught us what's wrong with seeing like a state. Now, in his most accessible and personal book to date, the acclaimed social scientist makes the case for seeing like an anarchist. Inspired by the core anarchist faith in the possibilities of voluntary cooperation without hierarchy, Two Cheers for Anarchism is an engaging, high-spirited, and often very funny defense of an anarchist way of seeing - one that provides a unique and powerful perspective on everything from everyday social and political interactions to mass protests and revolutions.

Through a wide-ranging series of memorable anecdotes and examples, the book describes an anarchist sensibility that celebrates the local knowledge, common sense, and creativity of ordinary people. The result is a kind of handbook on constructive anarchism that challenges us to radically reconsider the value of hierarchy in public and private life, from schools and workplaces to retirement homes and government itself.

Beginning with what Scott calls "the law of anarchist calisthenics", an argument for law-breaking inspired by an East German pedestrian crossing, each chapter opens with a story that captures an essential anarchist truth. In the course of telling these stories, Scott touches on a wide variety of subjects: public disorder and riots, desertion, poaching, vernacular knowledge, assembly-line production, globalization, the petty bourgeoisie, school testing, playgrounds, and the practice of historical explanation.Far from a dogmatic manifesto, Two Cheers for Anarchism celebrates the anarchist confidence in the inventiveness and judgment of people who are free to exercise their creative and moral capacities.

©2012 Princeton University Press (P)2012 Audible, Inc.

Good

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Three cheeers for Two cheers for Anarchism

This is one of my favorite Audiobooks, I loved it so much I went and bought the physical version to sneak into work. Regardless of your personal political leanings or feelings about Anarchism, give James C Scott a chance, and youll probably find yourself rethinking some of those veiws

No pauses...

I suspect it was the editor who removed every breath the reader took. It was so hard to follow, almost as if the read were reading a list of words. There was not a moment to digest anything Scott wrote.

Good Overall

He does a solid job of explaining what states do in order to run more efficiently, and why this can be and often is, harmful for human freedom. I'd argue that he describes more of a minimalist libertarian marxism style state than true anarchism, but that doesn't take away all of the good that this book does in exposing and laying bare all of the faults on modern nation states.

If I had gone into this without having extensively read the various works written by the major Anarchist thinkers I probably would have gotten more out of it. It's a good, easy read, albeit a repetitive one if you have already read his work Seeing Like a State. He doesn't really break any new ground but puts his own simple twist on existing ideas. Its short however and does offer some legitimately good nuggets of insight.

Short and also Sweet.Defining anarchy as Mutualism

A nice effective delivery, Greek reason style.

Coming at us with INSIGHT into our over regulations of ourselves.

I put this with Blueprint by Nick Cristakis, how community identity is in our DNA. Same observation of human behavior from different perspectives

Shorter than “Seeing Like a State”

Contains many of the same arguments as SLAS, yet shorter and more informal. Also includes some new observations about political order and anarchy. I find his thinking provocative.

Expected much more

Super dry with pompous tone to the book. Too high brow even for my tastes. Oh well... Next on list Conquest Of Bread.