I bought the books for my classes. A set of twelve non-intriguing books. All of which will become my best friends, worst enemies, and most dreadful companions for the next four months.
God and the State by Michael Bakunin is a required read for Foundation fo Political Thought class. I opened it up and quickly realized why he died before it got published, and why the ending of his writing was never read by another eye. The religious leaders would of had him killed. Is that how he died?
His writing is a rant on religion and God. He is so bitter that it makes me more interested in his biography than his writing. Bakunin's famous quote "If God really existed, it would be necessary to abolish Him." really makes me wonder why he thinks the way he does. Maybe he makes a good point. Maybe he's just a sad little man.
Let me know what you think.
For more on Bakunin, you might find my book, Bakunin: The Creative Passion, useful. Seven Stories Press is putting it out in paperback soon, and the hardcover can be purchased online. But briefly, Bakunin died from various ailments. His attacks on religion were based on his understanding that the belief in God was not justified by any evidence and that religion was used to control and dominate people. Whether he was right is a question for his readers to decide.
ReplyDeleteAnd he may have been sad, but he wasn't little--he was about 6 foot four, and about 300 pounds!
I have to say, God and the State may not be the best intro to Bakunin, as it is taken out of a much larger piece and doesn't really develop his anarchist ideas fully.
Good luck with your course.
Mark Leier
Thank you for your insight. I do wish to read your book. Is it found in the libraries? I hope so. Please feel welcome to comment often, I find any insights on Bakunin very interesting and helpful.
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