Emergence and Anarchism

In complex systems like living organisms, ecosystems, and societies, things emerge out of vast interactions to produce something novel that is greater than the sum of its parts. Emergence and Anarchism argues that understanding emergence and living systems gives us a better grasp of how a just society can be achieved. Nappalos offers a theory of liberation that focuses on the concepts of power, agency, motivation, and how to shape our actions within larger social forces producing emergence. Ambitious and accessible, Emergence and Anarchism is a novel work of anarchist theory in an era where our questions outpace answers.

“Nappalos’ book is a rare piece of contemporary radical work and a needed contribution to contemporary understandings in our crisis-ridden world of how and why people stop obeying and begin refusing, both as individuals and en masse.” —Deric Shannon, editor of The End of the World As We Know It: Crisis, Resistance, and the Age of Austerity

“As one who accepts dialectics as central to history, a notion Nappalos rejects, I found his discussion of emergence, systems and agency interesting and challenging. He asks important questions and pursues them in largely unmapped terrain, a good example for those who want to make revolution.” —Noel Ignatiev, author of How the Irish Became White