“All right, but apart from the sanitation, the medicine, education, wine, public order, irrigation, roads, a fresh water system, and public health, what have the Romans ever done for us?” - Life of Brian

I have been thoroughly enjoying the conversations held here lately about the crash of civilization both as a fantasy and as a potential reality, along with the many strains of thinking about how best to live through such a thing. It may seem that I have been unfairly singling out certain individuals or groups within that discussion, but it has been with the sincere attempt at inspiring a heated, open, direct and challenging conversation. I hope it has been as successful for others’ purposes as it has been for mine. It has enabled me to think through many issues (both pro and con) which I had glossed over or misunderstood in the past. I’m sure I still have a ways to go but it is heartening to see people putting such seriousness into these subjects.

Which leads me to the actual critique of civilization itself. As an art school drop-out, to me the purpose of having a critique is so that you can collaboratively communicate with an artist about their work, so as to give them outside insight to make their work better, more successful or more aesthetically pleasing. Likely it won’t surprise you that I was often one to deliver very blunt (and often unwelcome critiques), but I did so (and still do so) under the belief that it challenges people to create better work.

My goal in telling that story of my personal history is twofold. One, it’s intended to sketch in details of me as a more fleshed-out character, and two, I’m hoping to open a conversation about the nature and purpose of criticism or critique.

Wikipedia reveals that the word “critic” comes down to us from the ancient Greeks (kritikós and krités), “meaning a person who offers reasoned judgement or analysis, value judgement, interpretation, or observation.” And it further explains that “critique” has a rich history in philosophy, meaning “a systematic inquiry into the conditions and consequences of a concept or set of concepts, and an attempt to understand its limitations.” As can be seen, the anarcho-primitivist critique of civilization fits very well into both meanings.

But at the same time, in my own usage of the term, you only critique something which you would like to make better. If you want to destroy a work of art, then you smash it on the floor or rip a whole through the canvas. You don’t sit the artist down and tell them in what ways their work failed and how they could improve it. In other words, I see the purpose of critique as being improvement rather than refutation. You attack in order to trigger a defense and cause something to strengthen itself (otherwise you would simply deal a destructive death blow and be done with it).

And this is ultimately the same light in which I have come to see the anarcho-primitivist critique of civilization: I see it not as a practical destruction or even a philosophical refutation of civilization, but as the ultimate fulfillment of modern civilization. If you look at the goals of the modern primitivists, you will see them say that tribalization and a return to hunter-gatherer societies will enable us to be healthier, live longer, be happier, more free, and to more fully experience the richness of human experience. Though the reputation of Western civilization (particularly the American variant of it) has grown very sullied over these past few years as we have come face to face with our failures and paradoxes, it is undeniable that the goals of the even the most radical anarcho-primitivist philosopher were cribbed almost whole cloth from the now-buried ideals of Western civilization: individual expression, freedom, health, happiness, fulfillment. Anarcho-primitivists are not working at cross-purposes here; they are keeping alive the dreams and ideals upon which all of our lives are in fact founded. Hell, they are really the American Dream writ-large, are they not? They are the settler who moves West to escape repression, live off the land and learn from the Indians. They do not diminish our ideals but elevate them to a new level and offer new insights and contexts for how to think about problems that have plagued us for a long time.

Furthermore, the anarcho-primitivist critique of civilization makes use of what tools? Philosophy, economics, history, anthropology, ecology, psychology, comparative analysis, scientific methodology. In short, these are the tools of civilization. These are the fruits of thousands upon thousands of lives and man-hours spent across generations and milennia. And that is without even speaking of how anarcho-primitivists make use of the physical technology of civilization: the computer, the internet, the printing press, the written language. Some primitivist philosophers, such as John Zerzan, have notably been criticized for this apparent contradiction, that they rely on the constructs of civilization to criticize it.

My point is in all this: in order to fully refute something, you must fully refuse it. You must unlearn the English language, forget all of history and culture and go live naked in the woods and never talk to anyone again. But then, you’re left wondering, how will my ideas spread? Precisely. They won’t - you will have removed yourself from the thoroughly imperialist notion that you need to colonize others with your viewpoints. However, if you’re more inclined to use the best of civilization to effect a change on the worst excesses of civilization, then by all means do so. Because that is exactly what civilization needs, not only to survive whatever comes next, but also to thrive, and even to progress (which I know is a four-letter word among primitivists). So, for those of you out there on the edges critiquing civilization, please continue. What you’re doing is very valuable and you’re raising a lot of extremely important and useful points about the paradoxes and unsustainable patterns of our current situation. And in so doing, you make all of us stronger.

God save the Queen!

[cross-posted from my main blog]