Manifesto for a Democratic Civilization, Volume 1: Civilization: The Age of Masked Gods and Disguised Kings

by Abdullah Ocalan, David Graeber (Preface by), Havin Guneser (Translator)

Overview

This manifesto is the definitive work of Abdullah Öcalan, crucial for understanding the Kurdish revolution. Here Öcalan outlines a democratic alternative for the Middle East.

A criticism that limits itself to capitalism is too superficial, Öcalan argues, and turns his eyes to the underlying structures of civilization. Rethinking the methods of understanding culture, politics, and society, he provides the tools for what he calls a sociology of freedom.

Civilization: The Age of Masked Gods and Disguised Kings is the first book in a new five-volume work called Manifesto for a Democratic Civilization.

In this work, Abdullah Öcalan distills 35 years of revolutionary theory and praxis and 10 years of solitary confinement in Turkish prisons. These reflections represent the essence of his ideas on society, knowledge, and power.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9788293064428
Publisher:	New Compass Press
Publication date:	10/01/2015
Series:	Manifesto for a Democratic Civilization , #1
Pages:	216
Product dimensions:	5.90(w) x 8.90(h) x 0.60(d)

About the Author

Abdullah Öcalan (1948-) co-founded the militant Kurdish movement PKK in 1978. Öcalan was abducted in 1999 and is still imprisoned on the island of İmralı. While in prison, Öcalan has initiated a bold peace process with Turkey, and explored alternatives to a Kurdish nation-state. Öcalan "is still regarded as the undisputed leader by a majority of the Kurdish people."

Havin Guneser is an engineer, journalist, and women's rights activist. She is a spokesperson for the International Initiative "Freedom for Abdullah Öcalan-Peace in Kurdistan."

David Graeber is an anthropologist and activist. He is professor of anthropology at the London School of Economics and has been active in numerous direct action groups. One of his best known books is "Debt: The First 5000 Years" (2011).

Table of Contents

Editorial Note by International Initiative

Preface by David Graeber

Introduction

1. On Method and the Regime of Truth

2. The Main Sources of Civilization

– The Contribution of the Taurus-Zagros Arc to Humanity

– Problems Associated with the Expansion of Aryan Culture and Language

– Interpreting the Evolution of Social Structures in the Fertile Crescent

– At the Skirts of the Mountains

3. Urban Civilized Society

— An Analysis of Sumerian Society

— An Analysis of Civilized Society

— Problems Associated with the Expansion of Civilized Society

— Stages of Civilized Society and Problems Associated with Resistance

— Final Remarks

Notes

Index

Editorial Reviews

Considering the circumstances under which the book was written, I’d say the achievement here is quite impressive. Abdullah Öcalan seems to have done a better job writing with the extremely limited resources allowed him by his jailers than authors like Francis Fukuyama or Jared Diamond did with access to the world’s finest research libraries.

— David Graeber

From the Publisher