Anarcho Primitivist John Zerzan would rather we abandoned our modern pleasantries and return to the hunter-gatherer lifestyle. Now 70 years old, Zerzan reflects on the state of the world and the problem of modern technopoly:
VICE: You advocate for all of civilization to abandon technology and return to a hunter-gatherer lifestyle. How do you feel about the Skype call that we’re having right now?
John Zerzan: I was on the Art Bell show years ago and he kept saying that to be consistent with my philosophy, I should live in a cave. I said, “Yeah, you’re right, but then this conversation wouldn’t be possible.” You have to try to connect with people. You have to be part of the conversation in society or else you’re not serious.So, is that the only reason that you don’t go live in the wilderness?
Well, I guess so, although I would have to say that, like most people, I’m pretty damned domesticated. I enjoy when I’m out there, but I’m not as equipped as some people.Have you had periods where you have lived off the grid?
Not really, though I’ve gone to the mountains for a few days at a time.And when you went there, did you get a sense of what your life in the city is missing?
Sure, you unplug and connect with nature. It’s one thing to write about it, but you need to be out there in it too. Were not going to have a transition [to a hunter-gatherer existence] until we learn how to do without technology and civilization. There are practical things that need to be tackled.How do you think you would fare during the transition with your skill set?
You know, I’m 70. I lift weights, but as far as actually having primitive skills I’m pretty deficient. If [civilization] crashed overnight we’d all be in trouble. We’re so dependent on technology for everything—even the simplest things.Though that dependence and interconnectivity would seem to make a collapse more likely, right? There would be a domino effect.
I think so. They say that if one satellite fails then they’ll all start falling. But, that doesn’t mean that people wouldn’t go ahead and try and put everything right back up again.How can you convince people to give up technology?
It won’t happen unless people get tired of more and more mediation. If you’re going to be content to be a zombie staring at your little screen, of course nothing will happen. I’m hopeful that people are going to find that pretty dull.So, when did you have your epiphany about all of this?
I didn’t have one epiphany. I began to see that there is an intentionality to technology. It isn’t just some neutral thing. The Industrial Revolution wasn’t just about economics. As Foucault says, it was more about imposing discipline. It started to dawn on me, maybe technology has always been that way. People are not yet thinking too much about it, but Hollywood is thinking about it. Look atHer. Look at Transcendence. These are amazing movies that just put it right on the table. You want more technology? You want to be absolutely dehumanized and humiliated? This is what it looks like.
Read the rest of the interview at VICE. Curious about what “anarcho-primitivism” is all about? I found this primer here on the Anarchist Library. While, generally, I don’t consider myself to be an anarcho-primitivist, I’ve been flirting with anarchist literature for the past year or so. “Lighter” methodologies do exist, since the anarcho-primitivist’s are pretty much claiming that the hunter-gatherer lifestyle is the optimal way of life for the human species. David Graeber, author of Debt: The First 5000 Years published a little book called Fragments of an Anarchist Anthropology. I picked it up in Blue Stockings in NYC (where I’m sure other anarchists meet), but you can also buy a copy on amazon.
A quick way to start down this rabbit hole is to check out The New Yorker’s article with on Graeber: “Paint Bombs: David Graeber’s “The Democracy Project” and the anarchist revival.” If you’re into fiction, like I am, as one of the best ways to get ideas across (more than ideas, but living bodies of knowledge), check out the famous anarchist scifi/fantasy writer Ursula K. Le Guin. Turns out The Anarchist Library did a write up on her work: “Postmodern Anarchism in the Novels of Ursula K. Le Guin.”
