¶8 If one wishes to convince oneself still further of this truth, one has only to see the immense rôle played today, in the existence of peoples as well as of individuals, by elements of an economic order: industry, commerce, finance — it seems that there is only that which counts, which accords with the fact already pointed out that the only social distinction that has subsisted is that which is founded on material wealth.1 It seems that financial power dominates all politics, that commercial competition exercises a preponderant influence on relations between peoples; perhaps this is only an appearance, and these things are here less true causes than simple means of action; but the choice of such means indicates well the character of the epoch to which they are suited.2 Moreover, our contemporaries are persuaded that economic circumstances are almost the sole factors of historical events, and they even imagine that it has always been thus; one has gone so far in this direction as to invent a theory that wishes to explain everything by this alone, and which has received the significant appellation of ‘historical materialism’.3 One can see here again the effect of one of those suggestions to which we alluded earlier, suggestions that act all the better because they correspond to the tendencies of the general mentality; and the effect of this suggestion is that economic means end by really determining almost everything that occurs in the social domain.4 Doubtless, the mass has always been led in one way or another, and one could say that its historical rôle consists above all in letting itself be led, because it represents only a passive element, a ‘matter’ in the Aristotelian sense;5 but today it suffices, in order to lead it, to dispose of purely material means, this time in the ordinary sense of the word, which shows well the degree of abasement of our epoch;6 and, at the same time, one makes this mass believe that it is not led, that it acts spontaneously and that it governs itself, and the fact that it believes this allows one to glimpse how far its unintelligence can go.7
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Summary

Guénon argues that the immense role of economic factors such as industry, commerce, and finance in modern life shows that material wealth has become the only remaining social distinction. Financial power appears to dominate politics and commercial competition influences international relations, and while these may be means rather than true causes, their choice reflects the character of the epoch. He notes that contemporaries believe economic circumstances are the sole factors of history, leading to the theory of ‘historical materialism’. This is an example of suggestion that acts effectively because it aligns with general mental tendencies, with the result that economic means really determine almost everything in the social domain. The mass has always been a passive element that lets itself be led, but today purely material means suffice to lead it, while simultaneously making it believe it governs itself, revealing the depth of its unintelligence.

General notes

  1. rôle immense des éléments économiques — Rendered as ‘immense rôle of economic elements’. Guénon observes the absolute predominance of economic preoccupations in the modern world. Industry, commerce and finance are not merely activities among others; they have become the centre of social and individual life, relegating to the background everything that is not measurable in terms of production or wealth. ↩︎
  2. pouvoir financier et concurrence commerciale — Rendered as ‘financial power and commercial competition’. Guénon notes that modern politics is largely determined by economic and financial interests. Even if these interests are only ‘means’ for an occult direction, their predominance reveals the materialist orientation of the epoch. A spiritual civilisation would not use such levers. ↩︎
  3. « matérialisme historique » — Rendered as ‘historical materialism’. Guénon means by this expression the doctrine of Karl Marx (1818-1883) and Friedrich Engels (1820-1895), according to which productive relations (the economic infrastructure) ultimately determine all political, legal and ideological superstructures. For Guénon, this theory is a ‘suggestion’ typical of modernity that reduces human history to a purely material process, denying all spiritual or intellectual causality. ↩︎
  4. suggestion agissant par correspondance avec la mentalité générale — Rendered as ‘suggestion acting by correspondence with the general mentality’. Guénon explains the success of historical materialism by the fact that it does not impose an idea foreign to the modern mentality, but systematises and justifies a tendency already present: that of granting priority to economic factors. The suggestion, because it relies upon a natural inclination of the modern mind, becomes all the more effective and ends by producing the reality that it claims only to describe. ↩︎
  5. masse comme « matière » au sens aristotélicien — Rendered as ‘mass as “matter” in the Aristotelian sense’. Guénon borrows from Aristotle the distinction between matter (hylē) and form (morphē). ‘Matter’ is the passive, indeterminate principle that receives form from outside. The human mass is thus a social ‘matter’: it is incapable of determining itself and must receive its direction from a ‘form’ — an elite, a spiritual authority or, failing that, an occult power. ↩︎
  6. moyens purement matériels pour mener la masse — Rendered as ‘purely material means for leading the mass’. Guénon underlines the degradation of the means of government: formerly, to direct men, one needed a spiritual authority (founded on knowledge and wisdom). Today, it suffices to control the economic levers (money, production, distribution). This passage from spiritual authority to material power is a sign of the epoch’s abasement. ↩︎
  7. illusion de l’autogouvernement de la masse — Rendered as ‘illusion of the self-government of the mass’. Guénon reaffirms the idea that democracy is a carefully maintained illusion: the mass believes that it governs itself (by suffrage, public opinion, etc.), but it is in reality manipulated by economic and financial powers. The very fact that it believes this illusion is the measure of its lack of intelligence. ↩︎