Working Translations

Working Translations

E. Armand, The Anarchist Individualist Initiation — II

July 16, 2019 Shawn P. Wilbur
The Anarchist Individualist Initiation E. ARMAND [ENGLISH TEXT ONLY] ☜ 1. Sketches of the Social Milieu. Harmful Authority. 3. Anarchism. Anti-authoritarian or anarchist individualism. Its aspirations. ☞ 2. Les réformateurs et les transformateurs du milieu social. 7) La douleur universelle Ils sont rares ceux qui, du haut d’un optimisme béat, proclament que la Société . est parfaite. Si bien que les réformateurs, améliorateurs ou transformateurs de la Société sont légion. Il est si peu exact que les hommes soient contents de leur sort, que tout le monde se plaint de son lot, même les mieux partagés. Sans rechercher le degré […]
Working Translations

E. Armand, The Anarchist Individualist Initiation (front matter) (FR/EN)

July 15, 2019 Shawn P. Wilbur
Related links: E. Armand—Main Page The Anarchist Individualist Initiation (English text only) Notes on “The Anarchist Individualist Initiation” E. Armand, “Qu’est-ce qu’un Anarchiste?” (1908) Le Rétif (Victor Serge), “To Be and to Appear” (1909) Eugène Bizeau, “Anarchist Individualist Initiation” (1924) [verse] The Anarchist Individualist Initiation E. ARMAND E. Armand’s Anarchist Individualist Initiation (1923) is arguably one of the great “lost” classics of the anarchist tradition, not simply as one of the most extensive expositions of anarchist individualism, but as one of the more carefully elaborated treatments of anarchist thought in any form. Part manifesto and part textbook, it manages to […]
Working Translations

Elisée Reclus, “Why Are We Anarchists?” (1899)

July 13, 2019 Shawn P. Wilbur
Pourquoi sommes-nous anarchistes ? Les quelques lignes qui suivent ne constituent pas un programme. Elles n’ont d’autre but que de justifier l’utilité qu’il y aurait d’élaborer un projet de programme qui serait soumis à l’étude, aux observations, aux critiques de tous les révolutionnaires communistes. Peut-être cependant renferment-elles une ou deux considérations qui pourraient trouver leur place dans le projet que je demande. Nous sommes révolutionnaires parce que nous voulons la justice et que partout nous voyons l’injustice régner autour de nous. C’est en sens inverse du travail que sont distribués les produits du travail. L’oisif a tous les droits, même […]
Working Translations

Elisée Reclus, “The Anarchist” (1902)

July 11, 2019 Shawn P. Wilbur
By definition, the anarchist is the free man, [1] the one who has no master. The ideas that he professes are indeed his own through reasoning. His will, springing from the understanding of things, focuses on a clearly defined aim; his acts are the direct realization of his individual intent. Alongside those who devoutly repeat the words of others or the traditional saying, who make their being bend and conform to the caprice of a powerful individual, or, what is still more grave, to the oscillations of the crowd, he alone is a man, he alone is conscious of his value in the face of all these spineless and inconsistent things that dare not live their own lives.

[…]

Working Translations

What is the Anarchist Entente? (1928)

July 11, 2019 Shawn P. Wilbur
Each tendency makes its own propaganda, each association functioning as it sees fit, each paper expounding its specific claims. No polemics between persons or tendencies. Neither shop competition nor struggles to monopolize. Neither absorption, nor fusion, nor confusion. To each its place its place in the sun, its tactics, its path and its pace, its achievements and its experiences, provided that it does not entail recourse to the State or to governmental sanctions. Peace among us and war to the archists.

[…]

Working Translations

Benjamin R. Tucker on (both of) the French anarchists (1904)

June 19, 2019 Shawn P. Wilbur
— I have recently had the pleasure of paying a visit to the camarade Benj. R. Tucker, whose ideas have been made known to you through our study of the work of Mr. Paul Ghio. Benj. R. Tucker is a great admirer of Max Stirner and of Proudhon, no one will doubt it, and of Mr. Henry Maret. He does not give of himself lightly, so we can only congratulate ourselves on his cordiality, as well as the graciousness of Mme. Tucker. Benj. R. Tucker is not very affectionate toward the libertarians of this country and it was not without  a smile that he frankly declared to us that “there are not three anarchists in France.”

[…]

manifestos

E. Armand, “Plan for an Anarchist Individualist International” (1927)

June 13, 2019 Shawn P. Wilbur
To spend time with anarchists, just to find oneself as miserable as among the archists—the game is not worth the candle…

To spend time with anarchists, just to be smothered in an atmosphere of intellectual mutilation or a crippling of the life of the senses—that is truly not worth the trouble.

And an Anarchist Individualist International is only possible if those who form it possess first of all have a mentality and habits of their own, very much of their own, released from concerns about experimentation, freed from the fear of living.

[…]

manifestos

An Individualist Program (El Unico, 1912)

June 12, 2019 Shawn P. Wilbur
Documents Un programme individualiste Abolition of tout tribut : loyer, rente, dime ou impôt. Suppression de toute institution militaire, multitudiniste ou patronale. Abolition de tout démarcation : borne, poteau-frontière. Une seule langue universelle. Négation de tout titre. Education générale pour tous. Vie garantie à tous les enfants, vieillards ou inaptes. Celui qui veut manger, qu’il travaille. F. Internationale Individualiste. (El Unico, 12 mars 1912). Documents An individualist program Abolition of all tribute: rent, income, tithe or tax. Suppression of every military, multitudinist or employers’ institution. Abolition of every dividing line, boundary marker or border post. One single universal language. Denial of every […]