“In comparing social with cerebral organisations one important feature of the brain should be kept in mind; we find no boss in the brain, no oligarchic ganglion or glandular Big Brother. Within our heads our very lives depend on equality of opportunity, on specialisation with versatility, on free communication and just restraint, a freedom without interference. Here too local minorities can and do control their own means of production and expression in free and equal intercourse with their neighbours. If we must identify biological and political systems our own brains would seem to illustrate the capacity and limitations of an anarcho-syndicalist community.”
— Grey Walter
“Here too local minorities can and do control their own means of production and expression in free and equal intercourse with their neighbours. If we must identify biological and political systems our own brains would seem to illustrate the capacity and limitations of an anarcho-syndicalist community.” Grey Walter
@neilWellll, yes and no. The brain is only anarchic on small scales, but it is actually hierarchically organized on more macro levels
@neil Later on Stafford Beer also observes that the brain is neither fully centralised nor completely decentralised. Instead it’s some complicated diversity of tactics operating holistically.
@bob > complicated diversity of tactics operating holisticallyThis feels also the best approach to political organisation, also. I’m reading Anarchist Cybernetics at the moment which proposes the viable system model as a means to describe strategy as well as tactics in anarchist organising.
@TheFerridge Good point. Would you say this is more anatomical or functional hierarchy? See Bob’s comment. I believe Beer’s approach is more nuanced extension of Walter.