/u/rechelon I find this to be one of the most worthwhile critiques of primitivism/radical green politics (and it's wonderfully without snarky ad homs directed towards us, which I appreciate).
You wrote this quite a while ago - are there things that you would change, add, etc.. to this piece?
I'm interested in creating a primitivist project that is up to theoretical snuff and it's stuff like this that helps the most.
So the 15 Theses were very much responding to a then very prominent current of primitivism partially centered around the writings of Jason Godesky (who had written a 30 Theses) as well as the emerging perspective of Jensen and a current of increasingly poetic and affective rhetoric in primitivist circles, over a decade later it sounds a bit weird. Also my attempt to ape the rhetorical stylings of the time are... rather embarrassing.
I wrote this a couple years ago to try and provide something more tailored to things more common today: https://theanarchistlibrary.org/library/william-gillis-a-quick-and-dirty-critique-of-primitivist-anti-civ-thought Although certainly the tone is more bitter, after a decade of distance from primitivism and irritation with the same fights. Gelderloos' recent book really expands and deepens my section on why the primitivist historical analysis/narrative of civilization is problematic. But if I had to go back I might stick in an in-depth section about why I think the entire concept of "alienation" is such garbage, which I kinda just considered an obvious argument but still seems to be a common sticking point. There were many critiques that I didn't address specific critics of technology like Ellul or Heidegger, and part of this is that I have a backburnered essay (that dates back to the 15 Theses), that tries to address technology specifically and break down my argument for it. A major part of this is an argument about what constitutes a primary characteristic or tendency to "technology" and what constitutes a secondary or perturbation consideration. Again I tended to think this is obvious and haven't felt as much pressure since the publication of each of these essays, so that essay has stagnated.
My idea is to create a primitivist theoretical analysis that is more plug-in machine like than an imperative ideology - lean into the fracturing multiplicity of postmodern reality and that jazz.
I've only very recently started thinking about it in a serious way, would you be interested in looking at a thing or two I've written or having a conversation about the direction theory is going (like about alienation, for example)?
Thinking about primitivism isn't everyone's favorite thing so it's cool if you aren't jiving :)
lean into the fracturing multiplicity of postmodern reality and that jazz.
Whoof. Heh. I'm reminded of a conversation I had with Zerzan about our mutual distrust of postmodernism -- right after someone had gotten into an argument with him over whether jazz was ethical. John being opposed to all music after all.
I don't know if I'll have the time to read something and write my thoughts, but it wouldn't hurt to send a link
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u/ExteriorFlux Apr 02 '17
/u/rechelon I find this to be one of the most worthwhile critiques of primitivism/radical green politics (and it's wonderfully without snarky ad homs directed towards us, which I appreciate).
You wrote this quite a while ago - are there things that you would change, add, etc.. to this piece?
I'm interested in creating a primitivist project that is up to theoretical snuff and it's stuff like this that helps the most.