The conquest of bread

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Peter Kropotkin: The conquest of bread (1927, Vanguard Press)

214 pages

English language

Published Oct. 29, 1927 by Vanguard Press.

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5 stars (6 reviews)

"Le titre du livre : La Conquête du Pain doit être pris dans le sens le plus large, car « l’homme ne vit pas de pain seulement. » À une époque où les généreux et les vaillants essaient de transformer leur idéal de justice sociale en réalité vivante, ce n’est point à conquérir le pain, même avec le vin et le sel, que se borne notre ambition. Il faut conquérir aussi tout ce qui est nécessaire ou même simplement utile au confort de la vie ; il faut que nous puissions assurer à tous la pleine satisfaction des besoins et des jouissances. Tant que nous n’aurons pas fait cette première « conquête », tant qu’il « y aura des pauvres avec nous », c’est une moquerie amère de donner le nom de « société » à cet ensemble d’êtres humains qui se haïssent et qui s’entre-détruisent, comme des animaux féroces …

50 editions

Review of 'The conquest of bread' on 'Goodreads'

5 stars

Required reading for anyone exchanging labor for wages.

I found the book quite sharp and still thought-provoking for something written a century ago. Its message is relevant as ever, as we're plunged into the dystopia of corporatism and decay by those at the top exploiting the labor force. It is radical and revolutionary and I would heartily recommend it for anyone interested in the actual meaning and nature of work and its dynamics and how societies organize and form around both labor and culture.

Review of 'The conquest of bread' on 'Goodreads'

5 stars

Required reading for anyone exchanging labor for wages.

I found the book quite sharp and still thought-provoking for something written a century ago. Its message is relevant as ever, as we're plunged into the dystopia of corporatism and decay by those at the top exploiting the labor force. It is radical and revolutionary and I would heartily recommend it for anyone interested in the actual meaning and nature of work and its dynamics and how societies organize and form around both labor and culture.

There's a reason this book is synonymous with anarchist communism

5 stars

Sure, some parts are out of date. But so much of it remains true even today. There's a saying about lectures that say that the best questions a lecturer can get are the ones answered by the very next slide. Well, that is exactly what happened to me, again and again, with the chapters of this book. Most amazingly, a question a friend raised in a discussion we had about chapter 8 was answered by the very first sentence of chapter 9. Can't be better than that.

Subjects

  • Communism
  • Anarchism and anarchists

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