Anti-Civilization

Anti-Civilization
Basic Information
Aliases	Anti-Civ
Alignments	Anarchists (most)
Ideological Influences
Influenced	Post-Left Anarchy Post-Civilization
Ideological Information
Notable Theorists	Edward Carpenter Fredy Perlman Jacques Camatte Ted Kaczynski John Zerzan Derrick Jensen Wolfi Landstreicher File:FB.png Flower Bomb Margaret Killjoy
Character Information
Likes	Nature Simple lifestyle Hunting Gathering Tribes
Dislikes	Civilization State Capitalism Socialism Progress Patriarchy Agriculture Industry Division of labor Technology Science Work

Anti-Civilization is a diverse set of theories, beliefs and critiques describing civilization, being opposed to it.

Beliefs

Roots of Civilization

Many anti-civilization writers and activists consider different things to be the beginning of civilization, but they mostly agree in what they oppose.

According to John Zerzan, anarcho-primitivist writer, domestication is domination of animals and plants by humans, claiming that it's the source of civilization. The claim that civilization started when humans started to settle down, dividing labor, is also popular among anti-civilizationists. They often believe that shift from hunter-gatherer lifestyle into settled agrarian lifestyle started coercion and stratification.

Critques

State

Anti-Civilizationists consider the state to be coercive institution that was created for controlling the population. Most of them blame agriculture, settling and related to it populational growth for creation of the state. First officially documented state, Mesopotamia, was created when humans invented irrigation - technology that hydrated fields to make more and better crops. This kind of mass production not only domesticated nature, but also humans, and led to creation of first oppressive state institution. Keeping production thriving needed bureaucracy to make it effective. First money was created to exchange goods. Primal faiths and spirituality of people was used to subjugate them, and class of priests emerged. WIP

Capitalism

They say that capitalism commodified main things necessary to survive, like food, water, clothing and shelter, simultaneously claiming that in more primitive society these things would not be a commodity to buy from companies, but something that naturally belongs to all Earth's inhabitants. Money is seen as artificial mediation of natural exchange between individuals and groups, and leading to wealth accumulation that finally leads to irreversible stratification of society.

Socialism

As Alfredo Bonanno said, changing the mode of production merely changes te mode of exploitation. Anti-civilizationists took this literally, and consider every mode of industrialized production to be ultimately oppressive. They claim that socialism doesn't really differ from capitalism; even if wage labor disappears, institutions of capital still are present in society: banks, military, police, laws, courts, shops, factories, technologized farming, etc.

It's important to say that not all anti-civs, like Camatte were opposed to communism.

Gender and Patriarchy

Some communists claim that patriarchy, family and gender roles were first class division. Some anti-civs took this analysis and say that civilization led to division between men and women.

Margaret Killjoy claims that primitive societies also had gender inequalities, like men hunting and women gathering, or men fighting with other tribes and women taking care of children. Gender roles emerged in primitive societies before civilization, but also we can overcome them in post-civilized society.

Industry

Ted Kaczynski claimed that the industrial revolution was a disaster for the human race. Industry is seen as damaging both natural ecosystems and human health. Growing cities "consuming" natural environments, cutting forests for building of factories and farms, omnipresent microplastics, mass production of polluted food, among many, many others. WIP

Agriculture

They say that agriculture started the first beginning of oppression, coercion, alienation and stratification of society. When humans started to settle down and domesticate animals and plants, it arose above nature and put itself in the role of a "householder" but also exploiter of nature and planet. WIP

Technology

Many anti-civilizationists consider technology and mass produced material possessions to be enslaving the human race and nature. WIP.

Symbolic thought

It's important to mention that not all anti-civilization writers oppose symbolic thought, like language, mathematics, art and measurements.

Radical primitivists like John Zerzan claim that language, maths, art and time measurements detaches us from reality, and creates an abstract illusion.

In Post-Civilization texts author was open to use of symbolic thought, considering it to be a positive product of progress.

Entertainment

Wolfi Landstreicher said, that mass produced entertainment, like pop music, Hollywood movies and video games are another tool of control, that kills creativity.

Relations

Civilization Destroyers

• Contemporary Anarchism - A good critic of civilized society.
• Green Anarchism - Nature shall be protected. Against industry and capitalism!
• Post-Civilization - Interesting alternative to primitivism.
• Camattism - Communism, as classless, stateless, moneyless society cannot exist in civilization.
• Kaczynskism - The Industrial Revolution and it's consequences...
• Zerzanism - Domestication of animals and plants led to domestication of humans by capital.
• Anarcho-Nihilism - We both hate civilization, but why atomization?
• Deep Ecology - Earth is like an organism, civilization is like a cancer.
• Mutual Aid - Best way to make exchange, but Kropotkin sucks ngl.

Leviathan Bootlickers

• Capitalism - System responsible for everything wrong with the world, inseparable from civilization, technology and environmental destruction.
• Conservatism - You cry about traditional values disappearing, yet you worship technological and economical progress. You dumbass should see that technology and capitalism are things that make your retarded traditions disappearing. Also, "western christian civilization" isn't really "traditional".
• Hobbesianism-State of nature was the greatest era of humanity and your theories are pure evil,Leviathan worshipper!