Four years ago, philosophers and political scientists from Radboud University joined forces to shed new light on historical forms of democratic uprisings. “The idea of the Commune is interesting when we consider the concept of democracy. Particularly now,” says Mathijs van de Sande. According to the philosopher, the modern democratic model is not set in concrete and could be refreshed. “You can think about new forms as a way of broadening the democratic repertoire, but in this project we highlight historical forms of democratic action and ideas.” The idea behind this is that useful insights for contemporary reforms have already been invented.
Here's how we can learn from the Paris Commune: "We will manage everything ourselves"
72 tumultuous days in the spring of 1871: the Paris Commune. Days which still capture the imagination to this day. The Vive la Commune research project, which ended last month, adds to this. “The idea of the Commune is interesting when we consider the concept of democracy. Particularly now.”
A conference last month was the project's finale, and for Van de Sande, the development of communalism is particularly relevant at this moment in time. Libraries are full of books about the Paris Commune alone, with numerous relevant practices, ideas and institutions that are still surprisingly current. He points to civil initiatives at local level that are now back in vogue, to forms of social organisation and to grassroots movements like Occupy Wall Street or the Zapatistas fighting for independence in southern Mexico.
Thinking about war
According to Van de Sande, the current relevance of the commune also manifests itself in our present wars. “Wars are usually conflicts related to the formation of nation states,” Van de Sande explains. He feels that it is precisely the idea of the nation state that is problematised by communalism. “Communalism assumes that a political order should mainly be shaped from below, from within one's own community and living or working environment. Much of the political decision-making therein tends to be decentralised.”
At the closing conference, an example of such a decentralised form of organisation was highlighted, based on research into the Kurdish movement Rojava. This movement was named after a region in northern Syria. Since the outbreak of the civil war, locals here have formed a confederation of local communities, providing an alternative to the current oppressive dominance of the surrounding nation states, such as Syria and especially Turkey.
Vive la Commune not only draws on those famous spring days in Paris, but also on the political legacy of the Commune as an inspiring symbol and example. Political scientist Gaard Kets focuses in particular on the communalist movement in Germany, during the so-called November Revolution in 1918. Workers’ and soldiers’ councils mobilised there
to bring an end to the empire and experiment with radical forms of democratic self-government. Kets examines the democratisation of the workplace.
We will manage everything ourselves
Communalist questions also offer food for thought in the workplace. One example: Why do we shut ourselves up in an office or factory for 8 to 10 hours every day, being told what to do by a non-democratically elected manager? We can learn from movements that resisted this to think about forms of self-management, argues Kets. “Politics is also what you personally contribute to a change, inspired by historical examples or symbols.” The political scientist harks back to the motto of communalist movements: “We will manage everything ourselves, together.”
Communalism outlines ways out of various modern crises, say the researchers. One example is the climate crisis. Van de Sande: “The rationale behind citizen engagement is that it will lead to better solutions.” People who feel responsible for a problem are more likely to convert their engagement into concrete actions, says the philosopher. And those actions are often more sustainable than without such engagement, Kets points out, citing previous research on climate policy within companies. “Engaged employees offer a good guarantee of real action. Without their engagement, there is a greater chance of gesture politics.”
Contact information
- Organizational unit
- Faculty of Philosophy, Theology and Religious Studies
- About person
- Dr J.J.M. van de Sande (Mathijs)
- Theme
- Philosophy, Politics, Society