Month: December 2018

From the Archives

J. Wm. Lloyd, et al., “The Whisper Song of the Catbird” (1911)

December 18, 2018 Shawn P. Wilbur
September 14, 1908.—Yesterday, while a visitor was mending his automobile down near the woodpile, I noticed the low singing of a bird, apparently very close and behind me, in some tall weeds between the grape-vines and the woodpile. Today I heard it again, and thought it a Catbird’s voice. After repeated trials, I at last located the singer. He was a Catbird, not over four or five feet from me, sitting trustfully on a stick among the weeds, quite unconcerned, and singing in such a low, fine voice that I could only just hear him.

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Contr'un

Anarchism as a Fundamentally Unfinished Project

December 16, 2018 Shawn P. Wilbur
My argument about the anarchist tradition, in its most modest form, is that there is nothing about the history of variously “anarchist” ideas—particularly when the tale begins in 1840 or before—that precludes a real, future convergence toward an anarchism that both focuses on anarchy (in its strongest senses) and provides a vehicle for the sort of social reforms that have most often been promoted in the name of “anarchism.”

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art-liberty

In Search of “The Writings of Calvin Blanchard”

December 14, 2018 Shawn P. Wilbur
[one_third padding=”0 10px 0 0px”][/one_third][two_third_last padding=”0 0px 0 10px”] The following advertisement appeared in the New York Tribune, on February 28, 1864: DON’T KILL THE UNION.—POLITICIANS, STAY your vampirism, put off your diabolical raffle for Presidency and spoils (or play it only of empty form to satisfy the constitution) just this once. That raffle caused secession. That raffle is now the sole hope and dependence of secession. That raffle—that game of caucus and ballot box—is the most woeful delusion, and the swiftest and deepest social damnation that ever was or ever can be inflicted. Apropos, I have discovered the art […]
Emperor Norton Project

Emperor Norton Project

December 13, 2018 Shawn P. Wilbur
Proclamations for 1859 Proclamations for 1860 Proclamations for 1861 Proclamations for 1862 Proclamations for 1863 Proclamations for 1864 Proclamations for 1865 Proclamations for 1866 Proclamations for 1867 Proclamations for 1868 Proclamations for 1869 Proclamations for 1870 Proclamations for 1871 Proclamations for 1872 Proclamations for 1873 Proclamations for 1874 Proclamations for 1875 Proclamations for 1876-79 Notes: S. F. Mirror — 1861 Published Proclamations A collection of The Proclamations of Emperor Norton is available in pdf form in the Libertarian Labyrinth library. It will be updated as new material is unearthed. “Have We an Emperor among us?” Evening Bulletin (San Francisco) 8 […]
art-liberty

Calvin Blanchard, “The Art of Real Pleasure” (1864)

December 12, 2018 Shawn P. Wilbur
[one_third padding=”0 10px 0 0px”] Calvin Blanchard/Art-Liberty page [/one_third][two_third_last padding=”0 0px 0 10px”] THE ART OF REAL PLEASURE: THAT NEW PLEASURE, FOR WHICH AN IMPERIAL REWARD WAS OFFERED 1864 Entered, according to Act of Congress. in the year 1864. By Calvin Blanchard, in the Clerks Office of the District Court of the United States, for the Southern District of New York. VENUS, QUEEN OF LOVE AND BEAUTY. As painted by Titian. Is’nt she charming? Well, imagine her charms increased tenfold, and you will have some idea of the ravishing beauties to whom you are about to be introduced. And if […]
Proudhon Library

P.-J. Proudhon, The General Idea of the Revolution in the Nineteenth Century (1851)

December 10, 2018 Shawn P. Wilbur
This is the text of John Beverly Robinson’s 1923 translation of The General Idea of the Revolution in the Nineteenth Century, which remains the only published translation. I am in the midst of retranslating the work, in part to deal with some fairly serious problems with the treatment of anarchie, which can be examined in the partial revision linked below. As partial revision becomes complete, I’ll be providing the old and new versions in parallel here. General Idea OF THE REVOLUTION in the Nineteenth Century (Selected studies on revolutionary and industrial practice)   CONTENTS   To the Bourgeoisie. . . […]
French texts

System of Economic Contraditions, Chapter 10: Seventh Epoch — Credit

December 10, 2018 Shawn P. Wilbur
This is a comparison of the original French text with the partial translation in Proudhon’s Solution of the Social Problem. [one_half padding=”0 10px 0 0px”] CHAPITRE X. SEPTIÈME ÉPOQUE. — LE CRÉDIT. [/one_half][one_half_last padding=”0 0px 0 10px”] CHAPTER X. SEVENTH EPOCH. — CREDIT. [/one_half_last] [one_half padding=”0 10px 0 0px”] Il a été donné à un homme, notre contemporain, d’exprimer tour à tour les idées les plus opposées, les tendances les plus disparates, sans que personne osât jamais suspecter son intelligence et sa probité, sans même que l’on répondît à ses contradictions autrement qu’en les lui reprochant, ce qui n’était pas […]
Pantarchy

Stephen Pearl Andrews, “The Science of Universology” (XXV–XXXVI)

December 9, 2018 Shawn P. Wilbur
[one_third padding=”0 10px 0 0px”] The Science of Universology appeared in 36 installments in the free religionist paper, The Index, between January 4, 1877 and June 19, 1879, following the conclusion of a debate between Andrews, Benjamin R. Tucker and William Batchelder Greene regarding Proudhon. It is essentially a third book-length examination of Andrews proposed universal science, following two volumes published in book form: The Primary Synopsis of Universology and Alwato: The New Scientific Universal Language (1871) The Basic Outline of Universology (1872) (An early discussion of universology appeared in the Spiritual Telegraph in 1857.) Andrews’ mature projects—Universology, the Pantarchy, […]
Contr'un

The Shape of Anarchist History

December 9, 2018 Shawn P. Wilbur
Retracing steps I took in my research 20-25 years ago is a fascinating and frequently rewarding experience, particularly now that I’m working with some figures who are perhaps marginal even to the rather loose, broad account of the anarchist and near-anarchist traditions that I’ve been constructing. Most recently, I’ve been working my way back through the writings of Calvin Blanchard (“Announcer of the Religion of Science, Professor of Religio-Political Physics, Expositor of the Statics and Dynamics of God Almighty, Advocate for the Constitution Manifest in Human Nature, and Head Member of the Society for Abolishing Utopia, and Humbug, and Failure,” etc.), the libertarian Comtean who, perhaps even more than Stephen Pearl Andrews, made a practice of expressing anarchistic ideas in a language far more directly suited to the promotion of regimes of authority.

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Calvin Blanchard

Calvin Blanchard on Art-Liberty (1860)

December 7, 2018 Shawn P. Wilbur
[one_third padding=”0 10px 0 0px”] Art-Liberty [category feed] “My Undertaking and its Auspices” (1861) Those Peculiar Advertisements (1864–1865) Writings in the Boston Investigator (1861–1866) “Last Words of Calvin Blanchard” (1868) “In Search of The Writings of Calvin Blanchard“ Works by Calvin Blanchard: Blanchard’s bulletin to independent thinkers [1856—] The new crisis, or, Our deliverance from priestly fraud, political charlatanry, and popular despotism, 1857. The Essence of Science; or, The catechism of positive sociology, and physical mentality. By a student of Auguste Comte. New York, C. Blanchard, 1859 The religion of science: or, The art of actualizing liberty, and of perfecting […]