John Zerzan facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
John Zerzan
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Zerzan in 2010
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| Born | August 10, 1943 (age 81) Salem, Oregon, U.S.
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| Era | Contemporary philosophy |
| Region | Western philosophy |
| School | Anarcho-primitivism, post-left anarchy |
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Main interests
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Hunter-gatherer society, civilization, alienation, symbolic culture, technology, mass society |
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Notable ideas
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Domestication of humans, rewilding |
John Edward Zerzan (born August 10, 1943) is an American anarchist and primitivist writer. Anarchists believe in societies without rulers or forced authority. Primitivists think that human society was better before modern civilization.
Zerzan's writings criticize modern agricultural civilization. He believes it naturally leads to unfairness and control. He suggests we look at how hunter-gatherers lived for ideas about a truly free society. He often criticizes things like domestication (taming animals and plants) and symbolic thought. This includes things like language, numbers, art, and the idea of time.
His main books include Elements of Refusal (1988), Future Primitive and Other Essays (1994), and Twilight of the Machines (2008).
Contents
Early Life and Education
John Zerzan was born in Salem, Oregon. His family background is from Czech and Slovakian countries. He earned his first degree in political science from Stanford University in 1966.
From 1967 to 1970, Zerzan worked as a union organizer in San Francisco. A union organizer helps workers form groups to protect their rights. He then went back to school. He received a master's degree in History from San Francisco State University in 1972. He also studied at the University of Southern California for a higher degree but left before finishing his final paper in 1975.
Activism and Ideas
In 1966, Zerzan was arrested during a peaceful protest against the Vietnam War in Berkeley. He spent two weeks in jail. After this, he decided he would not be willingly arrested again.
In the late 1960s, he worked as a social worker in San Francisco. He helped organize a union for social workers. He was elected vice president in 1968 and president in 1969.
Over the next 20 years, Zerzan wrote for several anarchist magazines. He started to question modern civilization in the early 1980s. He began to think that civilization itself was the cause of many world problems. He believed that a hunter-gatherer way of life offered the most equal model for humans. This model, he felt, allowed for better relationships among people and with nature.
Zerzan became more widely known during the trial of Ted Kaczynski. Kaczynski was a controversial figure known for his extreme views. Zerzan read Kaczynski's writings and visited him during his trial. A reporter from the New York Times interviewed Zerzan. This interview, titled "Prominent Anarchist Finds Unsought Ally in Serial Bomber," made Zerzan more famous. Kaczynski later disagreed with Zerzan and other primitivists.
In 2014, Zerzan had a public debate with Zoltan Istvan at Stanford University. They have very different ideas about technology. Zerzan believes technology is harmful to humans, animals, and the Earth. Istvan, a transhumanist, thinks technology is good for humanity and the planet.
Zerzan is connected to the anarchist community in Eugene, Oregon.
Zerzan's Philosophy
Zerzan is an anarchist thinker. His ideas are part of anarcho-primitivism, green anarchism, and neo-luddism. These philosophies generally criticize modern society and technology. He especially focuses on the critique of technology, arguing it has negative effects.
Zerzan has also shared his views on other thinkers. For example, he has said that linguist and activist Noam Chomsky is not a true anarchist. Zerzan described Chomsky as more of a "liberal-leftist" in politics.
Radio Show
John Zerzan uses his radio show, AnarchyRadio, to share his ideas. The show airs on KWVA at 88.1 FM in Eugene, Oregon. It is also streamed live online. Zerzan started the show in 2000.
AnarchyRadio is a call-in show. Listeners can call in during the show to talk with Zerzan. Until 2024, the show aired every Tuesday. Now, it airs on the second and fourth Tuesdays of each month. Zerzan said this new schedule is "more manageable" for him at his age.
In 2014, AnarchyRadio received media attention because of a past caller. It was discovered that a person who later became known for a very serious incident had called the show in December 2011. The caller used a different name and disguised his voice. During the call, which lasted about seven minutes, the caller talked about a chimpanzee named Travis. Travis was known for an incident in 2009 where he injured a person. The caller said he was a fan of Zerzan's work. He also said that Travis was not "an untamed monster" but was "civilized."
Zerzan later spoke about the call in an interview. He said it was "hard to grasp" and "upsetting" to realize he had spoken with the person who later became known for such a serious event.
Selected Works
Books and Pamphlets
- When We Are Human: Notes From The Age Of Pandemics, July 2021.
- A People's History of Civilization, April 20, 2018.
- Time and Time Again. Detritus Books, 2018.
- Why hope? The Stand Against Civilization. Feral House, 2015.
- Future Primitive Revisited. Feral House, May 2012.
- Origins of the 1%: The Bronze Age pamphlet. Left Bank Books, 2012.
- Origins: A John Zerzan Reader. Joint publication of FC Press and Black and Green Press, 2010.
- Twilight of the Machines. Feral House, 2008.
- Running On Emptiness. Feral House, 2002.
- Against Civilization (editor). Uncivilized Books, 1999; Expanded edition, Feral House, 2005.
- Future Primitive. Autonomedia, 1994.
- Questioning Technology (co-edited with Alice Carnes). Freedom Press, 1988; 2d edition, New Society, 1991.
- Elements of Refusal. Left Bank Books, 1988; 2d edition, C.A.L. Press, 1999.
Articles
- Telos 141, Second-Best Life: Real Virtuality. New York: Telos Press Ltd., Winter 2007.
- Telos 137, Breaking the Spell: A Civilization Critique Perspective. New York: Telos Press Ltd., Winter 2006.
- Telos 124, Why Primitivism?. New York: Telos Press Ltd., Summer 2002.
- Telos 60, Taylorism and Unionism: The Origins of a Partnership. New York: Telos Press Ltd., Summer 1984.
- Telos 50, Anti-Work and the Struggle for Control. New York: Telos Press Ltd., Winter 1981–1982.
- Telos 49, Origins and Meaning of World War I. New York: Telos Press Ltd., Fall 1981.
- Telos 28, Unionism and the Labor Front. New York: Telos Press Ltd., Summer 1978.
- Telos 27, Unionization in America. New York: Telos Press Ltd., Spring 1976.
- Telos 21, Organized Labor versus The Revolt Against Work: The Critical Contest. New York: Telos Press Ltd., Fall 1974.
See also
In Spanish: John Zerzan para niños
- Neotribalism
- Species Traitor, a publication where John Zerzan often writes.
- Surplus, a Swedish movie (2003) that includes an interview with John Zerzan.
Images for kids
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John Zerzan in 2010.
