Farewell To Gorz

Andre Gorz, a writer who (for good and ill) had some influence on the growth of the modern Green movement (but whose "post industrial" and "post working class" ideas also may have informed some Eurocommunist and Blairite/Giddensite "third way" politics) has committed suicide along with his British-born wife Dorine last weekend.

Yahoo News Story

Gorz, originally Gerhard Hirsch, (and sometimes writing under the pen name Michel Bosquet) was author of the 1980 book "Farewell To The Working Class". He played a role in popularising the work of Ivan Illich and the Club of Rome and based much of his important work around a humanist, eco-socialist perspective opposed to both productivist/authoritarian versions of Marxism and what he saw as anti-humanist Deep Ecology.

He was an important New Left thinker, but gradually moved to some more controversial and right-wing positions on issues like US missile deployments.

Some wags have commented, perhaps in poor taste, that the Working Class has said farewell to Andre Gorz.....

Here is the English language Wikipedia entry on Gorz - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andr%C3%A9_Gorz

Last year Gorz wrote of his wife: "You have just turned 82. You are still beautiful, gracious and desirable. We have been living together for 58 years and I love you more than ever."

Derek Wall carries the story on his Another Green World blog.