Murray Bookchin, Brian Morris, Rodney Aitchtey, Graham Purchase, Robert Hart and Chris Wilbert, Deep Ecology & Anarchism (London: Freedom Press, 1993)
Deep Ecology: Not Man Apart
by Rodney Aitchtey
‘He [Thoreau] believed that there would be no regeneration of society without self-reform of the individual.’ p.17
‘Aldo Leopold (1886–1948) said, ‘We abuse land because we regard it as a commodity belonging to us. When we see land as a community to which we belong, we may begin to use it with love and respect.’’ p. 20
‘For a deep ecologist it is an emotional attachment or expansion of consciousness which underlies being and interrelation with nature. Naess calls it Self-realisation when one’s self is widened and deepened. Protection of nature becomes second nature, it becomes naturally protection of one’s very own self! Distinctions are overcome: one’s self and other cease to be considered as separate. Thus, one identifies with the threatened forest, and acts accordingly.’ p.22
Reflections on ‘Deep Ecology’
by Brian Morris
‘Democracy ends as soon as you enter the office or factory gate.’ p.44
Deep Ecology, Anarchosyndicalism, and the Future of Anarchist Thought
by Murray Bookchin
‘The most crucial contradictions of capitalism are not those within the system but between the system and the natural world.’ p.57
The Apple Falls from Grace
by Chris Wilbert
In these ways capitalism has separated us from the source and knowledge of production of essentials such as food, we are encouraged to trust the experts who are motivated mainly by profits [3] and we are learning that we should not. Without such knowledge of production for food, no moral responsibility for social and environmental consequences of one’s decisions of what to buy seems possible[4].’ p.60
‘Alternatives do exist, and ways of breaking out of this impersonal, morally irresponsible system, to bring the knowledge and meaning of food production and nature back into our lives, can and must be found.’ p.60
‘[Claire] Russell has interpreted this myth, along with similar other ones from other cultures along with anthropological studies of societies in Papua New Guinea, as being connected with Kinship. She arrives at some significant conclusions in connection with fruit trees:-
From evidence about modern societies that practice simple farming, I was able to show that the Fruit tree is the oldest form of property fixed to a place, and the theft of fruit the oldest form of crime in farming societies (the original sin). Moreover, since Fruit trees may last more than a generation, the fruit tree is the oldest form of heritable fixed property. Since it is important that fruit trees be cared for, it becomes important to control and certify kinship succession. Hence the fruit tree gives rise to the family tree. At this stage of cultural evolution, to ensure regular kinship succession, mating regulations begin to be connected with property.[18]’ p.61