¶12 But it is not enough to make, with respect to modern inventions, the reservations that are imposed because of their dangerous side, and we must go further: are not the so-called ‘benefits’ of what has been agreed to call ‘progress’ — and which one could indeed consent to designate thus if one took care to specify that it is only a question of a wholly material progress — are not these much-vaunted ‘benefits’ largely illusory?1 The men of our epoch claim thereby to increase their ‘well-being’; we think, for our part, that the goal they thus set for themselves, even if it were actually attained, is not worth devoting so many efforts to it;2 but, moreover, it seems to us very contestable that it is attained. First of all, one would have to take into account the fact that not all men have the same tastes or the same needs, that there are still, in spite of everything, some who would like to escape from modern agitation, from the madness of speed, and who can no longer do so;3 would one dare maintain that, for those, it is a ‘benefit’ to impose on them what is most contrary to their nature? It will be said that these men are few in number today, and one will believe oneself authorised thereby to consider them as a negligible quantity; here as in the political domain, the majority arrogates to itself the right to crush minorities, which, in its eyes, are clearly wrong to exist, since this very existence runs counter to the ‘egalitarian’ mania for uniformity.4 But, if one considers humanity as a whole instead of limiting oneself to the Western world, the question changes aspect: will not the majority of a moment ago become a minority?5 Thus it is no longer the same argument that is put forward in this case, and, by a strange contradiction, it is in the name of their ‘superiority’ that these ‘egalitarians’ wish to impose their civilisation on the rest of the world, and that they go to bring trouble to people who asked nothing of them;6 and, since this ‘superiority’ exists only from the material point of view, it is quite natural that it imposes itself by the most brutal means. Let there be no mistake about it, moreover: if the general public admits these pretexts of ‘civilisation’ in good faith, there are some for whom it is only a simple ‘moralist’ hypocrisy, a mask of the spirit of conquest and of economic interests;7 but what a singular epoch is that where so many men let themselves be persuaded that one makes the happiness of a people by enslaving it, by taking away from it what is most precious to it, that is to say its own civilisation, by obliging it to adopt customs and institutions that are made for another race, and by subjecting it to the hardest labours to make it acquire things that are of the most perfect uselessness to it!8 For it is thus: the modern West cannot tolerate that men prefer to work less and be content with little in order to live;9 since quantity alone counts, and since what does not fall under the senses is moreover held to be non-existent, it is admitted that he who does not bustle about and who does not produce materially can only be a ‘lazy’ person; without even speaking in this respect of the judgments commonly made about Eastern peoples, one has only to see how contemplative orders are judged, and that even in so-called religious circles.10 In such a world, there is no longer any place for intelligence nor for anything that is purely interior, for these are things that are neither seen nor touched, that are neither counted nor weighed; there is place only for external action in all its forms, including those most devoid of any significance.11 Thus one should not be surprised that the Anglo-Saxon mania for ‘sport’ gains ground every day:12 the ideal of this world is the ‘human animal’ who has developed his muscular strength to the maximum; its heroes are athletes, even if they are brutes;13 it is these who arouse popular enthusiasm, it is for their exploits that crowds become passionate; a world where one sees such things has truly fallen very low and seems very near its end.14
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Summary

Guénon argues that the much-vaunted benefits of material progress are largely illusory, and that even if the goal of increasing well-being were attained, it would not be worth the effort. He notes that not all men share the same tastes or needs, and many who wish to escape modern agitation and speed can no longer do so; the majority crushes minorities in the name of egalitarian uniformity. When considering humanity as a whole, the Western majority becomes a minority, yet egalitarians paradoxically impose their civilisation on others in the name of a superiority that exists only materially, using brutal means. He finds it singular that people believe one makes a people happy by enslaving it, taking away its own civilisation, and imposing foreign customs and useless labours. In such a world, there is no place for intelligence or interiority, only for external action, including sport, whose ideal is the human animal with maximised muscular strength. A world where athletes arouse popular enthusiasm, he concludes, has fallen very low and seems near its end.

General notes

  1. « bienfaits » illusoires du « progrès » matériel — Rendered as ‘illusory “benefits” of material “progress”’. Guénon casts doubt on the reality of the advantages attributed to technical progress. He does not deny that there are changes, but he contests that they deserve the name of ‘benefits’. Progress is only a movement, not necessarily an improvement; one must specify that it is a question of ‘wholly material progress’, not of spiritual or intellectual progress. ↩︎
  2. le « bien-être » matériel ne vaut pas tant d’efforts — Rendered as ‘material “well-being” is not worth so many efforts’. Guénon states a value judgment: the search for material comfort and technical conveniences is not a sufficient end to justify the entire orientation of a civilisation. There are higher values (knowledge, wisdom, spirituality) that would be worth devoting these efforts to. ↩︎
  3. folie de la vitesse et agitation moderne — Rendered as ‘madness of speed and modern agitation’. Guénon criticises the acceleration of modern life (rapid transport, instantaneous communications, work rhythm), which imposes its pace on everyone without regard for individual temperaments. Those who prefer slowness and recollection are marginalised or pathologised. ↩︎
  4. la majorité écrase les minorités au nom de l’uniformité égalitaire — Rendered as ‘the majority crushes minorities in the name of egalitarian uniformity’. Guénon links the social problem (minorities crushed by the majority) to the critique of progress. Even in the order of lifestyles, the quantitative majority imposes its rhythm and its values on those who would like to live differently. ‘Uniformity’ is the result of the egalitarian ideal. ↩︎
  5. la majorité occidentale devient minorité à l’échelle mondiale — Rendered as ‘the Western majority becomes a minority on a global scale’. Guénon uses a demographic argument: Westerners are only a fraction of humanity. The lifestyles and values they impose as ‘universal’ do not correspond to the aspirations of the majority of men (the East, Africa, etc.). The West is only a minority that arrogates to itself the right to dictate its law to the rest of the world. ↩︎
  6. contradiction des égalitaires imposant leur supériorité — Rendered as ‘contradiction of egalitarians imposing their superiority’. Guénon denounces the hypocrisy of egalitarian ideologies (democracy, human rights, progress) which, in the name of universal values, justify colonisation, cultural imperialism and interference. Western ‘egalitarians’ in fact behave as superiority-seekers, imposing their civilisation by force. ↩︎
  7. hypocrisie « moraliste » masquant les intérêts économiques — Rendered as ‘“moralist” hypocrisy masking economic interests’. Guénon distinguishes two levels: the masses sincerely believe in the civilising mission of the West; the ruling elites know that it is an ideological justification for economic expansion and political domination. ‘Moralism’ (the rhetoric of human rights, democracy, progress) serves as a mask for imperialism. ↩︎
  8. l’Occident impose sa civilisation sous prétexte de rendre heureux — Rendered as ‘the West imposes its civilisation under the pretext of making happy’. Guénon describes the paradox of cultural imperialism: one claims to ‘make happy’ colonised peoples by stripping them of their identity, their culture, their traditions, in order to give them material goods they have not asked for. Happiness is defined by the West according to its own criteria, without consulting those concerned. ↩︎
  9. intolérance occidentale envers la simplicité volontaire — Rendered as ‘Western intolerance towards voluntary simplicity’. Guénon notes that modern civilisation cannot tolerate those who choose sobriety, non-participation in the productivist economy, the contemplative life. These ways of life are judged ‘abnormal’, ‘backward’ or ‘lazy’ because they do not produce and do not consume. ↩︎
  10. jugement des ordres contemplatifs comme « paresseux » — Rendered as ‘judgment of contemplative orders as “lazy”’. Guénon gives a striking example: even in religious circles (Catholic, Protestant), contemplative monastic orders (monks, hermits) are often criticised for their ‘social uselessness’ because they do not produce material goods. This judgment reveals the hold of practical materialism on the modern mentality, even in supposedly spiritual spheres. ↩︎
  11. prédominance de l’action extérieure sur la vie intérieure — Rendered as ‘predominance of external action over interior life’. Guénon opposes the contemplative life (interior, intellectual, spiritual) to external activity (work, sport, politics, entertainment). Modern civilisation values only visible, measurable, productive action. The interior life, because it has no quantifiable manifestations, is despised or ignored. ↩︎
  12. manie anglo-saxonne du « sport » — Rendered as ‘Anglo-Saxon mania for “sport”’. Guénon means by this expression modern sporting culture, which he attributes to Anglo-Saxon influence (British and American). Sport is the apotheosis of external action, quantitative performance, competition and the cult of the body. The quotation marks indicate a critical distance. ↩︎
  13. athlètes comme héros modernes, fussent-ils des brutes — Rendered as ‘athletes as modern heroes, even if they are brutes’. Guénon denounces the cult of the athlete in modern society. The athlete is admired not for his intelligence or wisdom, but for his bodily performance. The fact that the athlete may be a ‘brute’ (ignorant, uncultured, coarse) does not prevent admiration, for what counts is strength, not spirit. ↩︎
  14. un monde qui vénère les athlètes est proche de sa fin — Rendered as ‘a world that venerates athletes is near its end’. Guénon establishes a sign of decadence: popular veneration for athletes is a symptom of the disappearance of spiritual and intellectual values. A civilisation that no longer admires anything but brute force and bodily performance is a civilisation on the verge of collapse. ↩︎