By Hanna Waldman
In an intimate yet global gathering, a group of like-minded individuals from multiple continents came together for the first time under the banner of the Mutual Aid Reading Group, organized by the Labor Committee of Workers’ Solidarity Alliance.
Participants, including Clarissa (who masterfully facilitated the discussion), Sachio, Danielle, Rebecca, Melissa, Gen, and Adam, took part in a thought-provoking discussion aiming to delve into the ever-relevant concept of Mutual Aid, as described by anarchist philosopher Peter Kropotkin.
The session began with introductions and shared hopes and fears for the discussion. The complexity of Kropotkin’s Mutual Aid soon became apparent—it has been misused as a buzzword synonymous with charity or donations, particularly during the pandemic. However, as the reading group explored, it’s much richer and quite multidimensional, with its roots deeply embedded in the sciences.
Sachio took the lead by summarizing Kropotkin’s magnum opus, published in 1902. The key message: Mutual support among species is a significant factor in evolution, which Kropotkin contrasts with the acts of selfishness found in systems like capitalism, where grassroots processes are often taken over by centralizing forces.
Rebecca wisely reminded the group that Kropotkin didn’t believe mutual aid to be the single most important factor in evolution. He maintained an intellectual humility, acknowledging that more research was needed to understand its relationship with individualism.
Clarissa brought up an intriguing point regarding the disproportionate focus on competition and war in historical studies. Kropotkin sought to redress this imbalance by shining a light on cooperation and mutual aid.
Reflections were abundant and insightful. Sachio expressed admiration for Kropotkin, even as he acknowledged a potential fallacy in deriving an ethical argument from biological sciences. Danielle raised similar concerns, questioning Kropotkin’s selective use of animal examples to support his thesis.
Adam brought the historical perspective into focus, reminding the group of the influence of the Progressive Era’s mindset on Kropotkin’s work. Alex drew a parallel between Kropotkin’s mutual aid and the symbiotic networks found in nature—like mycorrhizal networks, wherein individual competition and mutual aid coexist depending on the environmental context.
Gen introduced the issue of reciprocity, suggesting that Kropotkin held mutual aid in higher esteem. This led to a broader discussion initiated by Harold Barkley’s perspective on stateless societies and their often problematic male domination, even when centered on mutual aid.
Rebecca, digesting the rich tapestry of ideas, questioned whether the mutualism observed in nature could be equated to what we see in society—were we conflating two separate phenomena?
We closed the session by reflecting on what Mutual Aid means to us today as Anarchist-Syndicalists, the scientific worldview of Kropotkin’s time, the connection of his ethical and political values to his scientific perspective, and the conditions under which mutual aid can be revolutionary.
This discussion, the first of more to come, only scratched the surface of the group’s exploration into Mutual Aid. The richness of the discourse left the group eager to reconvene, further unravel Kropotkin’s legacy, and explore how they can apply these learnings practically in their lives. As they move forward, they remain conscious of their commitment to live their politics, striving for intellectual growth and mutual support.
The next meeting, to discuss the Introduction to Mutual Aid, is scheduled for 16 July at 8pm EDT (12am on 17 July, GMT). All are welcome to enjoy a lively, educational, and friendly discussion, and having read the text is not required. We look forward to seeing you there!
Link to the July 16 8pm est meeting, WSA Mutual Aid reading group –
https://meet.jit.si/MutualAidReadingGroup2023
Link to the Audio of the Introduction to Mutual Aid-
Philly Metro Area WSA 