¶14 We know well that some will reproach us for having, in speaking of the materialism of modern civilisation as we have just done, neglected certain elements that seem to constitute at least a mitigation of this materialism; and in fact, if there were none, it is very probable that this civilisation would have already perished lamentably.1 We do not therefore at all contest the existence of such elements, but one must not be under any illusion on this subject: on the one hand, we do not have to include in them all that, in the philosophical domain, presents itself under labels such as ‘spiritualism’ and ‘idealism’, any more than all that, in contemporary tendencies, is only ‘moralism’ and ‘sentimentalism’;2 we have already sufficiently explained ourselves on this point and we will simply recall that these are, for us, points of view just as ‘profane’ as that of theoretical or practical materialism, and which distance themselves from it much less in reality than in appearance;3 on the other hand, if there are still remains of true spirituality, it is despite the modern spirit and against it that they have subsisted up to the present.4 These remains of spirituality, as far as concerns what is properly Western, are to be found only in the religious order;5 but we have already said how much religion is diminished today, how much its own faithful have a narrow and mediocre conception of it, and to what point intellectuality — which is one with true spirituality — has been eliminated from it;6 in these conditions, if certain possibilities still remain, it is scarcely more than in a latent state, and, in the present, their effective rôle is reduced to very little.7 One must none the less admire the vitality of a religious tradition which, even thus reabsorbed into a sort of virtuality, persists in spite of all the efforts that have been attempted for several centuries to stifle and annihilate it;8 and, if one knew how to reflect, one would see that in this resistance there is something that implies a ‘non-human’ power;9 but, once again, this tradition does not belong to the modern world, it is not one of its constituent elements, it is the very contrary of its tendencies and its aspirations.10 This must be said frankly, and one must not seek vain conciliations: between the religious spirit, in the true sense of the word, and the modern spirit, there can be only antagonism; any compromise can only weaken the former and profit the latter, whose hostility will not thereby be disarmed, for it can only desire the complete destruction of everything in humanity that reflects a reality superior to humanity.11
←
→

Summary

Guénon acknowledges that some will accuse him of neglecting certain elements that appear to mitigate the materialism of modern civilisation, without which that civilisation would likely have already perished. He clarifies that philosophical spiritualism, idealism, moralism, and sentimentalism are not such mitigating elements, as they are just as profane as materialism itself and differ from it less in reality than in appearance. Any remaining traces of true spirituality in the West exist only in the religious order, and they have survived despite the modern spirit, not because of it. However, religion today is greatly diminished, stripped of intellectuality, and these remnants are largely latent, playing very little effective role. He nevertheless admires the vitality of a religious tradition that persists against centuries of efforts to destroy it, implying a non-human power, but this tradition does not belong to the modern world. Between the true religious spirit and the modern spirit there can only be antagonism, and any compromise only weakens the former while serving the latter, which seeks the complete destruction of everything reflecting a reality superior to humanity.

General notes

  1. éléments qui atténuent le matérialisme moderne — Rendered as ‘elements that mitigate modern materialism’. Guénon anticipates an objection: his description of modern civilisation as entirely materialist seems to ignore the existence of spiritualist, idealist, moralist or religious currents that still persist. He recognises their existence, but he will show that they are only an apparent mitigation and not a true alternative. ↩︎
  2. « spiritualisme », « idéalisme », « moralisme », « sentimentalisme » — Rendered as ‘spiritualism, idealism, moralism, sentimentalism’. Guénon immediately dismisses these currents as pseudo-oppositions to materialism. Philosophical spiritualism (which admits a spiritual reality) remains a prisoner of Cartesian dualism and does not go beyond the ‘profane’ plane. Idealism (which reduces everything to representation) is a form of transposed materialism. Moralism (the preaching of moral values without spiritual foundation) and sentimentalism (the valorisation of emotions) are superficial and ineffective substitutes. ↩︎
  3. points de vue « profanes » également — Rendered as ‘“profane” points of view as well’. Guénon affirms that spiritualism, idealism, moralism and sentimentalism are products of the modern spirit just as much as materialism. They do not represent a return to true spirituality, but simply more subtle and deceptive forms of the same ‘profanation’. ↩︎
  4. restes de spiritualité véritable subsistent malgré l’esprit moderne — Rendered as ‘remains of true spirituality subsist despite the modern spirit’. Guénon recognises that elements of authentic spirituality (notably in religious traditions) have survived to our day. But their survival is a passive resistance, not an expression of modern civilisation. They exist ‘despite’ the modern spirit, not ‘thanks to’ it. ↩︎
  5. restes de spiritualité dans l’ordre religieux occidental — Rendered as ‘remains of spirituality in the Western religious order’. Guénon limits to instituted religions (Christianity, Judaism) the last vestiges of spirituality in the West. He is not speaking here of Eastern traditions nor of esotericisms. ↩︎
  6. élimination de l’intellectualité dans la religion moderne — Rendered as ‘elimination of intellectuality from modern religion’. Guénon emphasises that modern religion has become sentimental, moralistic and ritualistic, but has lost its intellectual dimension (metaphysical knowledge, contemplative theology). Yet true spirituality is inseparable from intellectuality. A religion without intellectuality is only a disguised materialism. ↩︎
  7. possibilités latentes, rôle effectif réduit — Rendered as ‘latent possibilities, effective rôle reduced’. Guénon distinguishes between virtual power (what could develop in the future) and effective act (what actually acts in the present). Religious traditions preserve spiritual virtualities, but their current influence on modern civilisation is negligible. ↩︎
  8. vitalité de la tradition religieuse malgré les persécutions — Rendered as ‘vitality of the religious tradition despite persecutions’. Guénon pays homage to the survival power of traditional religions (notably Christianity), which have resisted centuries of criticism, secularisation and attacks. This resistance testifies to a power that is not simply human. ↩︎
  9. puissance « non humaine » — Rendered as ‘“non-human” power’. Guénon suggests that the persistence of religious traditions cannot be explained by purely human causes (habit, social conservatism, interest). It pertains to a protection or assistance of supra-human origin (divine, providential). This is an argument in favour of the reality of spirituality. ↩︎
  10. la tradition religieuse est l’opposé de l’esprit moderne — Rendered as ‘religious tradition is the opposite of the modern spirit’. Guénon insists on the radical incompatibility between the modern spirit (materialist, rationalist, individualist, progressivist) and the traditional religious spirit (which recognises a supra-human authority, a revelation, a hierarchy, a continuity). Any attempt at conciliation is illusory. ↩︎
  11. antagonisme irréductible entre esprit religieux et esprit moderne — Rendered as ‘irreducible antagonism between religious spirit and modern spirit’. Guénon affirms that the modern spirit is by nature hostile to any transcendent reality. It can tolerate no limit to its autonomy and its power. It aims at the complete destruction of everything that recalls the existence of an order superior to man. Religion cannot therefore ‘adapt’ to modernity without committing suicide. The opposition is absolute. ↩︎