Skip to content or view screen version

Anarchism, Justice and Cosmopolitanism?

CSSGJ - University of Nottingham | 02.03.2010 12:17

'Anarchism, Justice and Cosmopolitanism'? Seminar by Dr. Alex Prichard, University of Bristol, CSSGJ Open Seminar Series, University of Nottingham.

'David Apter once argued that ‘the virtue of anarchism as a doctrine is that it employs a socialist critique of capitalism with a liberal critique of socialism’ (1970: 397-398). While this is inevitably an over-simplification, for those familiar with anarchist theory and David Held’s work on cosmopolitan democracy, the argument of this paper is probably obvious. But since so few are familiar with both these literatures, the argument goes like this: David Held has ought to walk a path between and ‘Beyond Liberalism and Marxism’ (Held, 1984) and has sought to place ‘the principle of autonomy’ (1995) at the heart of his political theory. From here he has set out to recast the social democratic project in an age of globalisation (Held 2004) claiming that the liberal democratic state of the past is no longer fit for purpose and unregulated free markets are not conducive to human flourishing.
These empirical arguments are responded to politically and normatively by renegotiating the social democratic project. What this means in practice is that Held seeks to redeploy the instruments of national, subnational and transnational democratic processes, constituted by ‘multilayered citizenship’ (and institutions through which these democratic impulses are to be realised) in the interests of casting a new compromise between state, capital and labour (ibid: 13-14) and one that meets the ethical principles of cosmopolitan democracy. Viewed from the perspective of only the last, social democratic part of this summary, David Held is clearly not an anarchist. However, if we focus on the first part of the summary, look more closely at his attempt to move beyond liberalism and Marxism, his defence of autonomy, and then the attempt to recast democracy in radically new ways, things become a little less clear. Indeed, if we take his political and theoretical argument to what I will argue to be more logical conclusions, then the defence of social democracy becomes less obviously warranted and more room is opened up for an anarchist intervention in this debate about globalisation and the polis of the future. I will argue that David Held is not an anarchist, but taking his arguments to their logical conclusions suggest he could be.'

CSSGJ - University of Nottingham
- e-mail: cssgj@nottingham.ac.uk
- Homepage: http://www.nottingham.ac.uk/cssgj

Comments

Hide the following 4 comments

free for all?

02.03.2010 14:06

sounds all well and good but are we cordially and freely invited to this event? (i.e non-alligned, non-student, working class, on benefits etc).....

AFA anarchist


Good lord no!

02.03.2010 15:11

This is an academic event! Please don't bring the real world into it.

Professor Plum


If you can get into the library (just say your attending the event)

03.03.2010 22:39

then I dont think youll be turned away.

Randomer


Well done CSSGJfor great lectures at that are connected to the real world

09.03.2010 18:25

AFAantifascistaction isnt active anymore, most of the guys keep in contact ex marines, lorry drivers,packers,mcc members, many footy fans, nice guys,many went to university even & got better paid jobs!

Last time I saw AFA all together was in the old Hockley bar pool bar opposite ice nine, I had just moved back to Nottingham had been a skin but had grown long hair, many of AFA thought I was the one who was too macho, I was. Often long haired dreads seem to be the most macho, maybe movie Braveheart is to blame.

One of afa in 90s is know a architect,1 was in HLG,at least one was or is still homeless support worker, one a doorman-farmer & writer who went to uni, etc, why not!,
is there a law saying they cant??

some still came on demos, some teach at top universities or go to them unlike most of EDL& BNP.

"AFA anarchist" your either a trollolololing maybe just out of spite or a fascist, or you really have last contact! ;)

thanks again CSSGJ& good people at Nottm uni, I couldnt make lecture yesterday had work in London& I know at least one other person who couldnt make it for unforeseen reasons,
The "pink"tide,latin american conference was great & well worth paying towards!

KEEP IT REAL!thanks

anti-trollololololer