Suggested questions for study groups

1. Why do we need political theory? Can we have political activism unguided by theory?

2. What is "postmodernism" and "deconstructivism"? Discuss their possible political consequenses.

3. What is the relationship between social ecology, communalism and libertarian municipalism?

4. How is communalism a dialectical approach? Is it possible to conceive a non-dialectical communalism?

5. Why does social ecology insist on maintaining a revolutionary political stance?

6. What does it mean that "revolutionary change involves a process of maturation"?

7. What defines the various parts of the communalist program as "minimum", "maximum", or "transitional"? What is their interrelationship in the program?

8. What is meant by this: "The dialectics of communalist programs lies in their developmental intention"?

9. Discuss one important local issue and try formulating it in a radical manner, as an integral part of a communalist program.

10. What kind of potentialities are universal, and what are their proper relationship to local traditions and institutions? What does this mean for the development of a program?

Suggested further reading

– "Communalism as Alternative: A Statement of the Advisory Board", in Communalism: International Journal for a Rational Society, October 2002 (Issue # 1).
– "History, Civilization and Progress: Outline for a Criticism of Modern Relativism", in The Philosophy of Social Ecology: Essays on Dialectical Naturalism, by Murray Bookchin (Revised edition, Montréal: Black Rose Books, 1995).
– "Dialectics in the Ethics of Social Ecology", in Finding Our Way: Rethinking Ecofeminist Politics (by Janet Biehl (Montreal: Black Rose Books, 1991), pp 107–131.
– "The New Municipal Agenda", in From Urbanization to Cities: Towards a New Politics of Citizenship, by Murray Bookchin (London: Cassell, 1995), pp 201–245.
– "Interview with Murray Bookchin", by Janet Biehl, in The Politics of Social Ecology: Libertarian Municipalism, by Janet Biehl (Montreal: Black rose Books, 1998), pp 145–176.