¶2 But, it will doubtless be asked, why must cyclical development be accomplished in this descending direction, going from the higher to the lower, which, as one will easily notice, is the very negation of the idea of ‘progress’ as moderns understand it?1 It is because the development of all manifestation necessarily implies an ever greater distancing from the principle from which it proceeds; starting from the highest point, it tends necessarily downwards, and, like heavy bodies, it tends towards it with ever-increasing speed, until it finally meets a stopping point.2 This fall could be characterised as a progressive materialisation, for the expression of the principle is pure spirituality; we say the expression, and not the principle itself, for the latter cannot be designated by any of the terms that seem to indicate any opposition whatsoever, being beyond all oppositions.3 Moreover, words like ‘spirit’ and ‘matter’, which we borrow here for convenience from Western language, have for us little more than a symbolic value; they cannot, in any case, truly suit what is in question except on condition of setting aside the special interpretations given to them by modern philosophy, of which ‘spiritualism’ and ‘materialism’ are, in our eyes, only two complementary forms that imply each other and that are equally negligible for anyone who wishes to rise above these contingent points of view.4 But moreover, it is not pure metaphysics that we propose to treat here, and that is why, without ever losing sight of essential principles, we can, while taking the indispensable precautions to avoid all ambiguity, allow ourselves the use of terms which, although inadequate, seem capable of making things more easily comprehensible, to the extent that this can be done without however denaturing them.5
Summary
Guénon explains why cyclical development goes from higher to lower, contradicting the modern idea of progress. All manifestation necessarily distances itself from its principle. Starting from the highest point, it falls downwards with increasing speed like a heavy body until it meets a stopping point. This fall is a progressive materialisation, because the expression of the principle is pure spirituality, while the principle itself is beyond all oppositions. Guénon clarifies that terms like ‘spirit’ and ‘matter’ have only symbolic value, provided one sets aside modern interpretations. Spiritualism and materialism are two complementary forms, equally negligible from a higher standpoint. He adds that he is not treating pure metaphysics here, but uses these inadequate terms to make things more comprehensible without denaturing them.
General notes
- développement cyclique … sens descendant — Rendered as 'cyclical development … descending direction'. Guénon here sets forth a fundamental principle of traditional cosmology: every manifested cycle begins at a point of maximum perfection (the 'higher', the spiritual, the principle) and gradually descends towards increasing materialisation (the 'lower'). This descent is not a fall in the moral sense, but an inevitable consequence of manifestation itself, which is by definition a distancing from the immutable Principle. The modern conception of 'progress' (linear ascent towards a better state) is therefore the exact inverse of cyclical law, which is why Guénon considers it an illusion characteristic of the Kali-Yuga. ↩︎
- vitesse sans cesse croissante — Rendered as 'ever-increasing speed'. Guénon here takes up again the physical image of acceleration (already evoked above). In the cyclical order, manifestation does not obey a constant speed, but a progressive acceleration: the further one moves away from the principle, the more the movement accelerates, until a point of rupture or reversal. This acceleration explains both the impression of 'time speeding up' in the terminal phases of a cycle and the violence of the final crises. ↩︎
- principe … au delà de toutes les oppositions — Rendered as 'principle … beyond all oppositions'. A capital distinction between the absolute Principle (Being, the One, God beyond the subject-object distinction) and its manifestations. The Principle itself is neither spiritual nor material, for these categories appear only at the level of manifestation. In traditional metaphysics, it is said that it is 'beyond being and non-being', or that it is 'without qualities' (nirguna). Speaking of 'pure spirituality' for the expression of the Principle is a convenient approximation, but improper at the absolute level. ↩︎
- « spiritualisme » et « matérialisme » … deux formes complémentaires — Rendered as 'spiritualism' and 'materialism' … two complementary forms'. Guénon rejects the modern opposition between spiritualism and materialism as a false alternative. Both, according to him, share the same erroneous presupposition: that of the autonomy of human thought and ignorance of transcendent metaphysical principles. Materialism reduces everything to matter; spiritualism (modern) remains trapped in a conceptual conception of spirit, devoid of real metaphysical scope. For Guénon, true tradition surpasses these two twin errors. ↩︎
- termes inadéquats mais nécessaires — Rendered as 'inadequate but necessary terms'. Guénon here justifies his method of exposition: he uses imperfect terms (spirit, matter, etc.) but defines them clearly and sets aside erroneous modern interpretations. This method is part of traditional pedagogy: one can only speak of the ineffable by means of symbols and analogies, provided that one warns the reader of their limits. This is why Guénon spends so much time criticising contemporary usages of words before proposing a technical usage of them. ↩︎