Peter H. Marshall

Anarchism is a philosophical and political creed which many individuals have subscribed to over the centuries, and for which many have been persecuted by other more authoritive ideologies like fascism and state socialism. There have been anarchist-inspired revolutions - in Spain, in the Ukraine, in Mexico - which have in turn led to (however short-lived) anarchist administrations. But anarchism's power has, first and foremost, been the power of the lone protestor, the dissenter who is unafraid to expose himself to reprisal for the sake of preaching the real gospel of liberty, equality and fraternity which so many so-called revolutionaries usually leave in tatters once they graduate from barricades to corridors of power. The author argues that the spirit of anarchism is in the voice of Tolstoy, of Gandhi, of Bakunin and of Godwin, of Camus and of Chomsky.

A History of Anarchism

Demanding the Impossible

William Godwin

William Godwin-husband of Mary Wollstonecraft, father of Mary Shelley, friend of Coleridge, Lamb, Hazlitt, and mentor of Wordsworth, Southey, and Shelley-has been recently recognized as an original moral and revolutionary thinker and a novelist of great skill, a man whose influence was far wider than is usually assumed. In a new biography of this flamboyant and fascinating character, Marshall places Godwin in his social, political, and historical context, traces the development of his ideas, and critically analyzes his works. Marshall steers his course.with unfailing sensitivity and skill. It is hard to see how the task could have been better done.-Michael Foot, The Observer An ambitious study that offers a thorough exploration of Godwin's life and complex times.-Linda Simon, Library Journal

The Philosophers Stone

In this account of his mature thinking, Peter Marshall develops a dynamic and organic philosophy for the coming millennium which he calls liberation ecology. Liberation ecology is holistic in viewing the world as a harmonious whole and all beings and things as interwoven threads in nature's web. It is intuitive in recognizing intuition as the main source of knowledge and the imagination as the great organ of morality. It is ecological in seeing human beings as fellow voyagers with other species in the magnificent odyssey of evolution. Above all, it is libertarian in seeking to release humanity, society and nature from their existing burdens so that they can unfurl and realize together their full potential. Exploring our strengths and possibilities, this book presents the ideas and values needed to ride the winds of change at this crucial stage in our development and in the history of the world. It provides a new philosophy for a new era, an uplifting and inspired vision which combines ancient wisdom and modern insights, reason and feeling, science and poetry, myth and the marvellous. It offers a guide for the future on how to rive in the most fulfilling way and how to create a genuinely free and sustainable society in harmony with nature.

A New Philosophy for a New Era

Riding the Wind

This book places the contemporary debate over green issues in its historical context and illuminates what is loosely called 'earth wisdom'. The book traces the development of ecological thought from its origins in ancient religions, and philosophies to modern science and ethics, covering the Taoists, the Egyptians, the Greeks, the Celts and North American indians, as well as alchemy, the Enlightenment, Romantics, Darwinism and Gaia. - blurb.

An Exploration of Ecological Thinking

Nature's Web

Providing an overview of the intellectual roots of the worldwide environmental movement - from ancient religions and philosophies to modern science and ethics - this book synthesises them into a new philosophy of nature in which to ground our moral values and social action.

Rethinking Our Place on Earth

Marshall presents the story of Rudolf II, an emperor more interested in the great talents and minds of his times than in the exercise of his power. This is a human story, involving the sweep of culture and history. It offers a perspective on a pivotal moment in the history of Western civilisation.

Alchemy, Astrology and Magic in Renaissance Prague

The Theatre of the World

A captivating portrait of the crucible of magic, science, and religion at the court of the doomed dreamer Rudolf II in Renaissance Prague. At the end of the sixteenth century, the greatest philosophers, alchemists, astronomers, and mathematicians of the day flocked to Prague to work under the patronage of the Holy Roman Emperor Rudolf II. The Theatre of the World is the enchanting story of Rudolf II, an emperor more interested in the great talents and minds of his times than in the exercise of his power. Rarely leaving Prague Castle, he gathered around him a galaxy of famous figures: the Italian painter Giuseppe Arcimboldo, the Danish astronomer Tycho Brahe, the German mathematician Johannes Kepler, and the English magus John Dee. Entranced, like Hamlet, by the new Renaissance learning, Rudolf found it nearly impossible to make decisions. He faced the threats of religious discord and the Ottoman Empire, along with deepening melancholy and an ambitious younger brother. As a result, he lost his empire and nearly his sanity, but he enabled Prague to enjoy a golden age of peace and creativity before Europe was engulfed in the Thirty Years War. "The Theatre of the World" is a beguiling and dramatic human story filled with angels and devils, high art and low cunning, talismans and stars. It offers a captivating perspective on a pivotal moment in the history of Western Civilization. "From the Hardcover edition."

Peter H. Marshall

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