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uncle_lauren's review against another edition
challenging
informative
3.75
this isn't the book or author's fault necessarily, but you can tell when an academic writes something because the syntax and diction makes it a tough read. that being said, there were some really good points made about how the left is on such a strong crusade against religion (mainly christianity) that they have isolated all other forms of spiritualism that other cultures and races partake in
ask_katzeff's review against another edition
4.0
Fantastic booklet that gives a great overview of occult currents in proto- and early anarchist history! Plus it contains a couple of essays on 'conspiracy' in contemporary social movements that is really worth a read for anyone interested in activism and social organising.
The only thing I found a bit curious was the books premise that the connection between anarchism and occultism is somehow an underexposed topic. Having read my share of Hakim Bey/Peter Lamborn Wilson (pretty much mandatory reading in the early days of the alterglobalization movement that Lagalisse also breifly covers) I was already well aware of the occult (pre)histories of anarchism. However Lagalisse does not refer to Wilson at all. I'm curious as to why. Is Wilson himself too occult for a serious academic like Lagalisse?
The only thing I found a bit curious was the books premise that the connection between anarchism and occultism is somehow an underexposed topic. Having read my share of Hakim Bey/Peter Lamborn Wilson (pretty much mandatory reading in the early days of the alterglobalization movement that Lagalisse also breifly covers) I was already well aware of the occult (pre)histories of anarchism. However Lagalisse does not refer to Wilson at all. I'm curious as to why. Is Wilson himself too occult for a serious academic like Lagalisse?
cannot_cross_water's review against another edition
2.0
jesus this was so annoying. most of the text is just a reference to an ocean of other publications - i mean, i did find a lot of great new reading, but... name dropping and random tangents of just vaguely related concepts completely drowned the original thesis - which, in my opinion, was pretty weak in the first place. If not wrapped in a cumbersome academic style, these quite simple thoughts could fit into a couple page long article.
(Claiming that the Marxian dialectic is 'occult' because he is based on Hegel who is vaguely inspired by Corpus Hermeticum is imho a tiiiiny bit of an overstretch.)
(Claiming that the Marxian dialectic is 'occult' because he is based on Hegel who is vaguely inspired by Corpus Hermeticum is imho a tiiiiny bit of an overstretch.)
skahn's review against another edition
4.0
It was a delight to find two of my favorite themes, anarchism and occultism, engaged academically. The truth is? Hermeticism and revolutionary politics have been good friends for a very long time. Though its origins in multicultural Spain cannot be underestimated, Hermeticism has advanced universal egalitarian liberation and is embodied by (real documented freemasons) like Proudhon, Bakunin, and Hegel - among many others.
Adorno and Eco are wrong to dismiss occultism as backwards (or tending entirely towards far-right ideology). The facts do not agree with their theories.
Adorno and Eco are wrong to dismiss occultism as backwards (or tending entirely towards far-right ideology). The facts do not agree with their theories.