Manifesto for a Democratic Civilization

Those who control our minds rule over us. Those who rule over us control what we know, how we know, and how much we know. Öcalan’s concern in this text is the “mentality” that enslaves us, willingly even, to the destructive power of capitalism. This “mentality” makes us complicit in the destruction of society. His concern is to find ways to re-establish “the mental structures” that are needed to bring social life to the center stage of our deliberations. —Radha D'Souza (from the foreword) To understand how capitalism has come to engulf our world, we must understand how it developed out of classical civilization. Its historical roots lie in the emergence of hierarchies, power, monopolies, and the nation-state, argues Abdullah Öcalan. Capitalism: The Age of Unmasked Gods and Naked Kings is the second book in a new five-volume work called Manifesto for a Democratic Civilization. Together, they present the synthesis of Öcalan’s political thinking. This volume completes his journey through the history of civilizations, preparing the ground for the upcoming volume on The Sociology of Freedom.