Disruptive Elements is a collection of previously hard to find or untranslated writings of French anarchists from the mid-19th to the early 20th century. Much of the material presented here was translated specifically for this book, and offers up a lost thread from the fabric of history, one we find particularly vibrant. The editors do not presume to provide a monolithic, complete, or definitive story about French anarchist individualism, nor do we propose answers, conclusions, or closure on any of the ideas presented. We sought out the writings of many of the major figures of the milieu, chose those that most compelled us, and collected them here. So, a few important people have been left out: Rirette Maîtrejean makes no appearance for example (she took over publication of L’Anarchie after Libertad’s death and merits our attention).



We have set out to do a number of things in publishing this material. First, to provide insight on the lives of forgotten anarchists through their own writings. Far too little is known about many of the authors herein, despite the strength of their ideas, their prolific publishing accomplishments, and the mutual interests they share with many anarchists today (i.e., a strong affinity to the ideas of Max Stirner, a deep disdain for the Left, constantly developing theories on anarchist association, and an unflinching critique of authority paired with the insistence that putting an end to an old one should never mean submission to a new one). Though they played an early and prominent role in developing and propagating anarchist thought and action, their lives and writings have gone unknown or under-acknowledged for too long. Many of them led vibrant and inspiring lives as illegalists, propagandists, deserters, travelers and staunch individualists.



Contents:

Bonjour by Le Voyeur

The Philosophy of Defiance, or, A Pardon for Cain (1854) by Félix P…

Section One: Ernest Coeurderoy (1825-1862)

Hurrah!!! or Revolution by the Cossacks (excerpts)

Citizen of the World Jours d’exil (1854-55)

Hurrah!!! Or the Revolution by the Cossacks (excerpt)

Section Two: Joseph Déjacque (1821-1864)

The Revolutionary Question (excerpts)

Le Libertaire: the opening editorial to the 1858 debut issue

Scandal

The Servile War

Section Three: Zo d’Axa (1864-1930)

Zo d’Axa, Pamphleteer and Libertarian Journalist by Charles Jacquier

Any Opportunity

On the Street

Section Four: Georges Darien (1862-1921)

Le Voleur (exerpts)

Enemy of the People

Bon Mots!

The Road to Individualism

Section Five: Octave Mirbeau (1848-1917)

Ravachol

Murder Foul and Murder Fair

Voters Strike!

Moribund Society and Anarchy (preface)

Octave Mirbeau Obituary

Section Six: Émile Pouget (1869-1931)

Boss Assassin

In the Meantime, Let’s Castrate Those Frocks!

Revolutionary Bread

Section Seven: Albert Libertad (1875-1908)

Albert Libertad by Anonymous

The Patriotic Herd

The Greater of Two Thieves

To Our Friends Who Stop

Individualism

To the Resigned

Albert Libertad by M. N.

Section Eight: Illegalism

The “Illegalists” by Doug Imrie

An Anarchist on Devil’s Island by Paul Albert

Expropriation and the Right to Live by Clement Duval

Obituary: Clement Duval by Jules Scarceriaux

Why I Became a Burglar (1905) by Marius Jacob

The Paris Auto-Bandits (The “Bonnot Gang”) by Anonymous

“Why I Took Part in a Burglary, Why I Committed Murder” by Raymond Callemin

Is the Anarchist Illegalist Our Comrade? by É. Armand

Conclusions

Section Nine: Stirner’s Influence in France

Stirner versus Proudhon (1905) by Maxime Leroy

The Theory of the Individual in Chinese Philosophy: Yang-Chou by Alexandra David-Néel

Le Stirnérisme by Émile Armand

Section Ten: Émile Armand (1872-1963)

É. Armand as I Knew Him by Mauricius

A Picture of the Situation

The Workers, The Unions, and the Anarchists

Section Eleven: Pierre Chardon (1892-1920)

Pierre Chardon by Émile Armand

Intellectuals Such as They Are

The Democratic Illusion

Expansive Individualism

“Our” Subjectivism

Portrait

Two Attitudes

Letters to É. Armand (excerpts)

Pierre Chardon by M.P.

Section Twelve: The Critique of Collectivism

Individualism and the Social Question by André Lorulot

Reflections on Individualism (1910) by Manuel Devaldès

“A La Bastille!...”: An Individualist Looks at the French Revolution by E. Bertran

The Absurdity of Politics (1919) by Paraf-Javal

Men Disgust Me by André Lorulot

Section Thirteen: Free Sexuality and Naturism

The Naturists: Precursors of Ecology by Dominique Petit

A Polemic: On Naturalism and the Sexual Question by Pierre Chardon

The Utopians and the Sexual Question by Émile Armand and Hugo Treni

de Sade Introduction by É. Armand

The Real De Sade

Proudhon’s Repressed Sexuality by Daniel Guérin

Section Thirteen: Voila Tout

Addeddate 2017-01-19 07:33:22 Coverleaf 0 Identifier DisruptiveElements Identifier-ark ark:/13960/t3033xh0p Ocr ABBYY FineReader 11.0 Ppi 300 Scanner Internet Archive HTML5 Uploader 1.6.3