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George Walford: Contradictions

April 28, 2014

Ideological development through the series can be presented as a series of stages in a continuing attempt to define the assumptions held, and as the definitions become sharper so self-contradiction becomes more direct. At one extreme statements made by the expedients display neither precision nor integration; the two poles of potential contradictions, seldom clearly distinguished,… read more »

George Walford: Military Martyrs

April 24, 2014

Systematic ideology distinguishes between a major ideology and the ways in which it finds expression; the one ideology may appear in a variety of forms, authoritarian religion and military activities, for example, both giving shape to the ideology of principle / domination. (See “The Church Military“, IC50 p. 18). Fallen Soldiers, by George L. Mosse,… read more »

George Walford: Meet Systematic Ideology (54)

April 28, 2014

(Revision of November 1991) IDEOLOGICAL COMMENTARY announces itself as a journal of systematic ideology (s.i.), but it does not claim final knowledge of this theory; the formulation that looked like the ultimate last month needs alteration now, and the account given here undergoes continuing revision. Si. starts from observation of the limited success achieved alike… read more »

George Walford: Beyond Politics (54)

August 8, 2014

BEYOND POLITICS An outline of systematic ideology by George Walford BEYOND POLITICS shows that the influence of ideology extends beyond political parties and movements. In all our purposeful activities, whether playing with the children, practising a trade or profession, fighting a war, cooking, shopping or fox-hunting, we follow a pattern set by one of the… read more »

George Walford: Angles on Anarchism (54)

April 23, 2014

JUST OUT! Angles on Anarchism by George Walford with a contribution by Peter Cadogan Angles on Anarchism breaks new ground. Neither history nor polemic, it starts from the observation that the anarchist movement has settled down among the other members of the political cast; accepted, almost respectable, but of mainly theoretical importance. It asks why… read more »

George Walford: In Harmony with Nature

September 9, 2012

Writing on Australian history R. Hughes records the readiness of Australian Aborigines to burn off square miles of territory for the sake of catching a dozen or two small animals, at the cost of destroying all slow-moving creatures in the area. He also gives the background to the practice (shared with other foraging peoples) by… read more »

George Walford: Distinction

September 9, 2012

James Lovelock helps us to grasp the distinction between the two ideologies of Precision and Principle. He points out that the accuracy of predictions derived from them provides the best test of scientific hypotheses (Precision), while facts in law (Principle) are tested in debate between adversaries and established by judgment. He goes on to note… read more »

George Walford: Perfect Nonsense

September 9, 2012

Any appearance of “absolute” causes IC‘s pointy ears to prick up; NOTHING is Absolutely True. Our present example of an assertion to the contrary comes from Elisee Reclus: “Fundamentally anarchy is nothing but perfect tolerance, the absolute acknowledgment of the liberty of others.” An admirable sentiment, one that will go directly to the heart of… read more »

George Walford: The (Anarcho-) Socialist Party (54)

September 12, 2012

CORRECTION A Party member points out an inaccuracy in the concluding paragraph of “Are They Not Anarchists?” (IC 53 p.24): at the time of publication the expulsion procedure had not been completed, although this has since been done. He also thinks it unfair to describe the separation of 25 people from a membership of some… read more »

George Walford: Down to Basics

September 9, 2012

Sir James Goldsmith has delivered, to the Caroline Walker Trust at the premises of the Royal Society, a lecture which Fourth World Review has now reprinted (Issue No. 48). Its title appears in bold print on the cover of FWR and repeatedly inside: “The Fundaments of Life.” That didn’t sound quite right, and on looking… read more »