¶13 These few reflections seem to us sufficient to characterise the social state of the contemporary world, and to show at the same time that, in this domain as well as in all others, there can be only one way out of the chaos: the restoration of intellectuality1 and, consequently, the reconstitution of an elite, which, at present, must be regarded as non‑existent in the West, for one cannot give this name to a few isolated and uncohesive elements, which represent in some sort only undeveloped possibilities.2 In fact, these elements have in general only tendencies or aspirations, which no doubt impel them to react against the modern spirit, but without their influence being able to exercise itself in an effective manner; what they lack is true knowledge, the traditional data which cannot be improvised, and which an intelligence left to itself, especially in circumstances so unfavourable in every respect, can supply only very imperfectly and to a very small extent.3 There are therefore only dispersed efforts, which often go astray for lack of principles and doctrinal direction: one might say that the modern world defends itself by its own dispersion,4 from which its adversaries themselves cannot escape. Thus it will be as long as they remain on ‘profane’ ground,5 where the modern spirit has an evident advantage, since that is its own and exclusive domain; and, moreover, if they remain there, it is because this spirit still has, despite everything, a very strong hold over them. That is why so many people, though animated by an indisputable good will, are incapable of understanding that one must necessarily begin with principles,6 and persist in wasting their forces in one relative domain or another, social or otherwise, where nothing real or lasting can be accomplished under these conditions. The true elite, on the contrary, would not have to intervene directly in these domains nor to mingle with external action; it would direct everything by an influence imperceptible to the vulgar, and all the more profound for being less apparent.7 If one thinks of the power of the suggestions of which we spoke earlier, and which nevertheless suppose no true intellectuality, one can suspect what, a fortiori, the power of an influence such as that would be, exercising itself in a way even more hidden on account of its very nature, and taking its source in pure intellectuality — a power which, moreover, instead of being diminished by the division inherent in multiplicity and by the weakness belonging to all that is lie or illusion, would on the contrary be intensified by concentration in principial unity and would identify itself with the very force of truth.8
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Summary

Guénon argues that these reflections suffice to characterise the social state of the contemporary world and to show that the only way out of chaos is the restoration of intellectuality and the reconstitution of an elite, which currently does not exist in the West beyond a few isolated and undeveloped elements. These elements have only tendencies and aspirations, lacking true knowledge and traditional data, so their efforts are dispersed and go astray for want of principles and doctrinal direction. As long as they remain on profane ground, the modern spirit retains a strong hold over them, and they waste their forces in relative domains where nothing lasting can be accomplished. The true elite, by contrast, would not intervene directly in external action but would direct everything through an influence all the more profound for being less apparent. Such an influence, far from being diminished by division and illusion, would be intensified by concentration in principial unity and would identify itself with the very force of truth.

General notes

  1. restauration de l’intellectualité — Rendered as ‘restoration of intellectuality’. Guénon employs this term not in the sense of mere erudition or rational activity, but in the metaphysical sense of reconquest of principial and direct knowledge of essential truths. ‘Intellectuality’ here is synonymous with pure intellective faculty, distinct from discursive reason. ↩︎
  2. éléments isolés et sans cohésion — Rendered as ‘isolated and uncohesive elements’. Guénon acknowledges the existence in the West of individuals who have an authentic aspiration towards traditional truth, but he denies them the status of ‘elite’ as long as they remain dispersed, without a common doctrine and without an organic link to an effective initiatic organisation. ↩︎
  3. données traditionnelles qui ne s’improvisent pas — Rendered as ‘traditional data which cannot be improvised’. Guénon insists that tradition is not an individual invention but a transmission. An isolated intelligence, however brilliant, cannot reconstitute by its own forces the entirety of traditional doctrine; it needs a teaching received from an unbroken chain of legitimate transmission. ↩︎
  4. le monde moderne se défend par sa propre dispersion — Rendered as ‘the modern world defends itself by its own dispersion’. A striking formula: modern chaos is not merely an absence of order, but an active mechanism of resistance. Fragmentation and multiplicity prevent any organised opposition from forming, because the adversaries of the modern are themselves contaminated by the dispersion they fight. ↩︎
  5. terrain « profane » — Rendered as ‘“profane” ground’. Guénon means by this the domain of the modern secularised world, cut off from all reference to the sacred and the spiritual. To fight modernity on its own ground (political, economic, social) amounts to accepting its rules of the game and therefore being defeated in advance. ↩︎
  6. commencer par les principes — Rendered as ‘begin with principles’. A fundamental theme of Guénon, already stated at the beginning of the work: any true redress must start from metaphysical principles, not from social or political consequences. The error of modern reformers is to want to act upon effects without going back to first causes. ↩︎
  7. influence insaisissable au vulgaire — Rendered as ‘influence imperceptible to the vulgar’. Guénon here describes the mode of action of an authentic spiritual elite: not by visible political or social intervention, but by a purely intellectual and principial influence which, like gravitation in the physical order, orientates the whole without manifesting itself directly. This is what he calls elsewhere ‘action by being’, as opposed to ‘action by doing’. ↩︎
  8. force même de la vérité — Rendered as ‘the very force of truth’. Guénon implicitly cites the Gospel saying: ‘Veritas liberabit vos’ (‘The truth shall make you free’, John 8:32). Truth is not an abstraction but a real and active force. The influence of the true elite participates in this force, which grows by concentration in unity, whereas worldly suggestions, arising from multiplicity and falsehood, are intrinsically weak and divided. ↩︎