Love and revolution

Matt York lectures in political theory and philosophy at University College Cork.

‘This book is a gift of love and a tool for freedom. Matt York powerfully, and accessibly, shows us that love is a political and theoretical basis upon which a truly free and (r)evolutionary society must be, and in some places already is being, created.'Marina Sitrin, Associate Professor of Sociology, SUNY Binghamton, author of Horizontalism and Everyday Revolutions‘I recommend that anyone who is serious about striving for social change read Matt York’s spot-on book and consider embracing its philosophy of a permanent revolution of love and community. This book reflects the core values that have guided my half century of organising for liberation.'Keith McHenry, co-founder of the global Food Not Bombs movement, author of The Anarchist Cookbook and Hungry for Peace‘In Love and revolution, Matt York develops a theory of love grounded in activist practices from real movements for social and political change. This book is essential reading for anyone holding on to hope for the commons in a world of privatisation.'Richard Gilman-Opalsky, Professor of Political Theory and Philosophy, University of Illinois, author of The Communism of Love'A distinctive strength lies in the book’s construction. It does not proceed as a purely theoretical monograph, nor as an ethnographic case study. Instead, it combines sustained engagement with political theory and a methodological commitment to collective visioning drawn from social movements. Reflections emerging from activist processes – assemblies, discussions, participatory research – are woven directly into the conceptual chapters. The result is a dialogical structure: theory is tested against movement experience, and movement experience is interpreted through theoretical lenses. This hybrid architecture reinforces a politics of immanence in which knowledge is not extracted from movements but co-produced with them, stressing again that love must be both thought and practiced.'Capitalism Nature Socialism

• Foreword by John P. Clark Part I: Locating (r)evolutionary loveIntroduction 1 The anarchy of love 2 Collective visioning: Utopia as process Part II: A collective vision3 The dystopian present 4 The deep commons 5 Activating the Agapeic web 6 The collective heart: Co-constituting free society Conclusion Bibliography