Mutual Aid: A Factor of Evolution (Dover Books on History, Political and Social Science) [Paperback]

Peter Kropotkin (Author)

Book Description

Series: Dover Books on History, Political and Social Science | Publication Date: April 7, 2006

In a work of stunning and well-reasoned scholarship, a famous anarchist posits that the most effective human and animal communities are essentially cooperative, rather than competitive. Essential to the understanding of human evolution as well as social organization, this book offers a powerful counterpoint to the tenets of Social Darwinism.

Product Details

• Paperback: 336 pages
• Publisher: Dover Publications (April 7, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0486449130
• ISBN-13: 978-0486449135
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.1 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #353,823 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #5 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Nonfiction > Politics > Ideologies > Radical Thought
  • #79 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Nonfiction > Philosophy > Political

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

21 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Shredding our cultural bias about nature, June 3, 2005

By 

F. Galea "frank-galea.blogspot.com" (San Francisco) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Mutual Aid: A Factor of Evolution (Paperback)

Anarchist classic, rooted in observation of natural phenomena and history. Challenges the conception that capitalism is a natural progression of Darwinism at work in the wild. The author cites numerous examples of compassion and innate goodness at work outside the bounds of a structured power-based society. The study covers cooperation among animals, instances of non-hierachical interactions from primitive tribes to mediaeval cities, and on to his contemporary labor unions. It has been some years since I read it and I plan to revisit this title soon.

35 of 40 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Mandatory for any interested in any humanity or science., March 3, 1999

By 

Nick Cucinella (Albion, Michigan) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Mutual Aid: A Factor of Evolution (Paperback)

This book shows how Darwin's findings were all too influenced by Malthus and were a direct reflection of the Capitalistic political area he was from. Kropotkin witnessed in Siberia that animals rather than competing to stay alive, had to work together to stay alive.

Kropotkin stresses that cooperation is the main factor in evolution, not competing forces that Darwin and his contemporaries thought.

Kropotkin gives a number of examples of inter and intra-species working together to survive and thus evolve.

Kropotkin explores a number of societies. Steven J. Gould has given credence to Kropotkin, yet he is largely ignored in evolution texts.

This book changed the way I think about evolution and helped me to realize how a study as influencial as Darwin's could be biased.

18 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Required bio reading, August 16, 2002

By 

Kathryn G. Moberg "kathybookgirl" (Saline, MI United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Mutual Aid: A Factor of Evolution (Paperback)

This book, which appears to be about the only surviving scientific text from Kropotkin's work, is very interesting and insightful. The first two chapters which deal with animals I found most interesting, because they address the roots of the falsehood of social-darwinism. Kropotkin then proceeds to move through the different stages of human society and describes the mutual aid a compassion fetures therein. It is a fantastic book and I highly recommend it. It is a scientific text, but it has major political implications and is very accessible.