Anarchist Cybernetics: Control and Communication in Radical Politics

Description

Igniting a new field of scholarly inquiry, this pioneering book introduces cybernetic thinking to politics and organisational studies to explore the continuing development of the radical idea of participatory democracy within organisations. From Occupy, to the Indignados and the Arab Spring, the uprisings that marked the last decade ignited a re-emergence of participatory democracy as a political ideal within organisations. This pioneering book introduces cybernetic thinking to politics and organizational studies to explore the continuing development of this radical idea. With a focus on communication and how alternative social media platforms present new challenges and opportunities for radical organising, it sheds new light on the concepts of self-organisation, consensus decision making, individual autonomy and collective identity. Revolutionising the way in which anarchist activists and theorists think about organisations, this unprecedented investigation makes a major contribution to the larger discussion of direct democracy.

Thomas Swann is a Lecturer in Political Theory at Loughborough University.