“…the unevenness of historical development of different countries and continents is in itself uneven. European countries develop unevenly in relation to one another. Nevertheless it can be maintained with absolute historical certainty that not a single one of these countries is fated, at least in the historical epoch under review, to run so far ahead in relation to […]
Today, one of the political boards I frequent took a poll of the group’s ideologies. It ran the gamut from Marxist-Leninist to Anarcho-Communist to Liberation Theology. I really like the diversity of that group, but I couldn’t really find my own label there. I did add one, “Post-Anarchist (Leftist).” I probably think a bit too […]
Yesterday I was reading a science text on physical cosmology that was quite critical of string theory and of physicists in general for allowing theory to trump evidence. In the course of his critique he claimed that the birth of science was in fact due to the Christian idea that God as absolute creator established […]
The WordPress.com stats helper monkeys prepared a 2011 annual report for this blog. Here’s an excerpt: A San Francisco cable car holds 60 people. This blog was viewed about 1,300 times in 2011. If it were a cable car, it would take about 22 trips to carry that many people. Click here to see the […]
Who will struggle for revolutionary change? Many answers have been given in the past. Marxists identify the working class as that sector of society with a vested interest in overthrowing capitalism. Black Power advocates identify people of color as the sector with a vested interest in overturning White Supremacy. Radical Feminism identifies women as bearing […]
Psychoanalytical theory declares that the end of the road is the dominion of death-in-life. History has brought [hu]mankind to that pinnacle on which the total obliteration of [hu]mankind is at last a practical possibility. At this moment of history the friends of the life instinct must warn that the victory of death is by no […]
My political philosophy has always assumed a multi-systemic approach. I was never terribly attracted to the idea that our most important systemic enemy was capitalism as claimed by socialists, nor authoritarianism as claimed by anarchists, though both of these struggles are still pivotal battles within the global revolution we so sorely need. The analysis and […]
Most activist philosophies are narrow. They focus on a range of issues that arise from an aspect of life that is truly important, but not wide or deep enough in itself. This narrowness can simply be practical; activists focus on the issues where they feel competent and relevant. Sometimes, the narrowness can become a doctrine, such as Marxism […]
I. Love, Philosophy, & Revolution I confess that I have been madly in love with philosophy since I was 18 years old. Reading my first book on religious philosophy and learning of the powerful ideas of Aquinas, Hegel, and Kierkegaard set me on a path seeking universal truths and the meaning of life. These days […]
In our time the view that we are making progress has fallen into disrepute. Certainly, any view that takes progress as a given or automatic process has little credibility. A commitment to a radical progressive agenda cannot rest on a simplistic model of linear change. Rather than being automatic, progress demands both critical reflection and […]
Everyday a new horror arises to haunt one’s soul. Death, suffering, and powerlessness challenge even the strongest hearts. The struggle to hold on to hope, courage, and life itself must be won anew against each shocking sorrow. It is no wonder that many turn from facing the depths of the abyss. Seeking for some relief […]
The aim of this blog is to advance a vision of social struggle and transformation focused on eight types of social movement development: anti-war/anti-violence, political/radical democratic, gender, sexuality, anti-racism, religion/irreligion, economics, and ecology. All of these social movement types also point to a comprehensive vision of all of life, not just activism. Though in some ways […]
(Originally published Feb. 19, 2010) In the first post of this series, I proposed that eight social movements are candidates for a new reformulation of radical left politics, in the aftermath of the 60s and the New Left. Of course, this isn’t an entirely new idea. I first came up with a version of this […]
(Originally published Feb. 3, 2010) Preliminary: This essay rethinks some earlier attempts at a comprehensive understanding of social change, most notably in a 2005 essay, In Search of Religious Radicalism, and my former blog Utopian Longings. Introduction: The period from 1955-1975, broadly called the “60s,” marks the most recent era of rapid sociopolitical change in […]
RADICAL PROGRESS 