Emperor Norton Project

The Departed (two poems, 1871)

These two poems amount to a sort of roll-call of some of the Bay Area’s most colorful characters, including, of course, Emperor Norton I. I’ll take some time in the near future to add some material about some of the others. NOTES: “A familiar figure for many years was the ‘Gutter Snipe.’ His shoulders were covered all seasons with an old white oilcloth cape. He went about the streets head down, rummaging among the gutters, picking up bits of vegetables and fruit, wiping the dirt off with his sleeve, and eating them. He never spoke to any one, never looked […]
encyclopedia entries

Anarchist Encyclopedia: Ballotage (Second ballot)

Entries from the Anarchist Encyclopedia [one_half padding=”0 10px 0 0px”] BALLOTTAGE n. m. Résultat négatif obtenu dans une élection où aucun des candidats n’a réuni la majorité absolue : scrutin de ballottage. ― Les élections législatives donnent lieu à ballottage, si le nombre des votants est inférieur à la moitié des inscrits où si aucune liste n’obtient le quotient électoral. Le scrutin de ballottage a lieu quinze jours après le premier tour de scrutin ; si aucune liste n’atteint le quotient, les sièges sont attribués aux candidats ayant obtenu le plus de suffrages. ― Dans les élections départementales et municipales, […]
encyclopedia entries

Anarchist Encyclopedia: Gag (Bâillon)

Entries from the Anarchist Encyclopedia [one_half padding=”0 10px 0 0px”] BÂILLON n. m. Tampon ou objet quelconque que l’on met dans ou sur la bouche de quelqu’un, pour l’empêcher de crier. Le mot bâillon est également employé au figuré, pour désigner les raisons qui ont imposé silence à quelqu’un. Exemple : Les politiciens menacent les puissants du jour avec l’espoir qu’on leur mettra un bâillon d’or sur la bouche. Il existe autant de bâillons moraux que de bâillons matériels. La crainte de se trouver sans travail est, pour l’ouvrier prêt à la révolte, un bâillon : pour ne pas plonger […]
Glossary

Authority and Authority-effects

A CONTR’UN GLOSSARY RELATED POSTS: But what about the children? (A note on tutelage) Bakunin and Proudhon / Authority and Anarchy Anarchy and its Uses The “authority” of the bootmaker Mikhail Bakunin, “What is Authority” (1870) Authority: The OED presents a wide range of definitions, of which the one most pertinent to anarchist concerns is (II.2) “Power or right to give orders, make decisions, and enforce obedience; moral, legal, or political supremacy.” The general heading (II.) is “Power to enforce obedience or compliance, or a party possessing it” and this is distinguished from the following set of definitions (III), which […]
Contr'un

Anarchy: Historical, Abstract and Resultant

  What follows is a look at three possible senses of anarchy related to Proudhon’s work, together with a sketch of their possible relations as developments from one another. The intention here is to simply present some basic definitions as a kind of hypothetical framework, which can then be tested against close readings of the relevant texts. Historical anarchy: In a society organized around the principle of authority, resistance appears as anarchy, whether it is the active resistance of those oppressed or simply the friction generated by the contradictions of an authority-based society. This is the sense that Proudhon most […]
Sébastien Faure
encyclopedia front matter

Anarchist Encyclopedia: Preamble

[one_half padding=”0 10px 0 0px”] L’ENCYCLOPÉDIE ANARCHISTE est placée sous la direction de Sébastien FAURE. La Rédaction en est assurée par : des théoriciens, militants et écrivains anarchistes ; des théoriciens, militants et écrivains syndicalistes ; des théoriciens, militants et écrivains révolutionnaires ; des spécialistes et techniciens sans parti. Bien-être pour tous! Liberté pour tous! Rien par la contrainte: Tout par l’entente libre! Tel est l’Idéal des Anarchistes. Il n’en existe pas de plus précis, de plus humain, de plus élevé. L’ENCYCLOPÉDIE ANARCHISTE n’est pas une entreprise commerciale, c’est une œuvre d’éducation libertaire. Ceux qui la rédigent et ceux qui […]
Anarchist Encyclopedia

The Anarchist Encyclopedia — front matter

[one_third padding=”0 10px 0 0px”] THE ANARCHIST ENCYCLOPEDIA: Front matter A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z translated entries [/one_third][two_third_last padding=”0 0px 0 10px”] THE ANARCHIST ENCYCLOPEDIA is under the direction of Sébastien FAURE. Its Composition is insured by: anarchist theorists, militants and writers; syndicalist theorists, militants and writers; revolutionary theorists, militants and writers; specialists and technicians without party. Well-being for all! Liberty for all! Nothing by constraint: Everything by free agreement! Such is the Ideal of the Anarchists. There exists […]
Anarchist Encyclopedia

The Anarchist Encyclopedia — Z

THE ANARCHIST ENCYCLOPEDIA: Preface A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z translated entries   ZÉLATEUR, TRICE ZEALOT The term zealot can be applied to anyone, man or woman, who devotes himself or herself to a movement, a doctrine, or a party. But the use of this word has become very rare in everyday language: usually, it even carries a shade of mockery towards the person thus described. A zealot is, in the minds of many, an individual whose brain is unbalanced […]
Anarchist Encyclopedia

The Anarchist Encyclopedia — V

VACANCES VALEUR (LA) ET LES CONSÉQUENCES DE SON ABOLITION VANDALISME VANITÉ VAUTOUR VÉGÉTALISME VÉGÉTARIEN (FR/EN) VEGETARIAN n. From the Latin adjective vegetus, which means to vegetate, which has been synonymous with vigorous, since that word vegetate, taken in its literal sense, expresses everything that grows normally, and consequently vigorously. — One who practices vegetarianism. VÉGÉTARISME VÉNALITÉ VENT VÉRITÉ VERITE (LA) ET L’ÉGLISE CATHOLIQUE VERTU et VICE VIE VIOLENCE VIOLENCE VIOLENCE (RÉFLEXIONS SUR LA) VIOLENCE ANARCHISTE (LA) VIRGINITÉ VIVRE VOL VOLCAN VOLONTÉ VOLUPTÉ