The Movement of the Free Spirit: General Considerations and Firsthand Testimony Concerning Some Brief Flowerings of Life in the Middle...

The Movement of the Free Spirit: General Considerations and Firsthand Testimony Concerning Some Brief Flowerings of Life in the Middle...
ISBN-10
0942299701
ISBN-13
9780942299700
Category
Philosophy (General)
Pages
302
Language
English
Published
1994
Publisher
Zone Books
Author
Raoul Vaneigem

Description

This book by the legendary Situationist activist and author of The Revolution of Everyday Life is a fiercely partisan historical reflection on the ways religious and economic forces have shaped Western culture. Within this broad frame, Raoul Vaneigem examines the heretical and millenarian movements that challenged social and ecclesiastical authority in Europe from the thirteenth to the sixteenth century.

Although he discusses a number of different groups, such as the Cathars and the Joachimite millenarians, his main emphasis is on the various manifestations of the movement of the Free Spirit in northern Europe. At the core of these heresies, Vaneigem sees not only resistance to the power of state and church but also the immensely creative invention of new forms of love, sexuality, community, and exchange.

Vaneigem vividly portrays the radical opposition presented by these movements to the imperatives of an emerging market-based economy, and he evokes crucial historical parallels with other anti-systemic rebellions throughout the history of the West. The book is especially valuable for its translations of original texts and source materials.

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