From the Publisher
"The knowledge of the commons may not be common knowledge right now, but it will be one day because Anne Norton is its prophet. 'If we are to be democrats,' she says, 'we must learn anarchy.' That means practicing the discipline needed to live with others with whom we differ and joining with others to democratize law. Part ethics, part politics, part how-to book, Wild Democracy is a brilliant cri de coeur. Written for readers of all classes and backgrounds, this book is a powerful, empathic call to the democracy of ungovernability needed to counter tyranny, authoritarianism, the rule of experts or judges, today's faceless algorithms, and whatever's coming next." — Bonnie Honig, author of Shell-Shocked and A Feminist Theory of Refusal
"Wild Democracy is a beautifully written manifesto, a path forward, a philosophical tone poem, a luscious essay, an inspiration, a very different way to see. Norton imagines what real democracy looks like—bold, anarchic, piratical—and guides us through its prospects and its pitfalls. This is the most exciting and iconoclastic book I've read in a long time." — James A. Morone, author of Republic of Wrath and Hellfire Nation"Wild Democracy is a democratic compass for the twenty-first century. Anne Norton brings a new, bold, and regenerating perspective on democracy, its practice, virtues, and ethics. This book is a must-read for anyone who cares about the present and the future of democracy. Norton shows us that democracy is not stable but is always open to change. Democratic life does not coincide with voting. It demands that people face the possibility of change with courage and discipline. Wild Democracy invites us to deeply rethink democracy as a form of life and togetherness." — Massimiliano Tomba, author of Insurgent Universality"Norton's new book Wild Democracy: Anarchy, Courage, and Ruling the Law sets out a capacious, anarchic, populist, energetic conception of democracy, above and beyond the narrow confines of political systems, lawmaking, and contemporary rivalries." — Samuel McIlhagga, Los Angeles Review of Books"This is a fine addition to literature in the past 20 years exploring how people throughout history challenged authoritarianism...Highly recommended. All readership levels." — Choice"The best work of democratic theory in decades. A provocation on every page, each indispensable for our times." — Wendy Brown, Institute for Advanced Study