¶2 Let us declare it very clearly: the modern spirit being a purely Western thing, those who are affected by it, even if they are Easterners by birth, must be considered, with respect to mentality, as Westerners, for every Eastern idea is entirely foreign to them, and their ignorance of traditional doctrines is the only excuse for their hostility.1 What may seem rather singular and even contradictory is that these same men, who make themselves the auxiliaries of ‘Occidentalism’ from the intellectual point of view, or more exactly against all true intellectuality, sometimes appear as its adversaries in the political domain;2 and yet, at bottom, there is nothing in this to be surprised at. These are the men who strive to institute various ‘nationalisms’ in the East, and every ‘nationalism’ is necessarily opposed to the traditional spirit;3 if they wish to combat foreign domination, it is by the very methods of the West, in the same way that the various Western peoples struggle among themselves;4 and perhaps this is what constitutes their raison d’être. In effect, if things have reached such a point that the use of such methods has become inevitable, their implementation can only be the work of elements that have broken all ties with tradition;5 it may therefore be that these elements are thus used transitorily, and subsequently eliminated like the Westerners themselves.6 Moreover, it would be quite logical that the ideas that these have spread should turn back against them, for they can only be factors of division and ruin;7 it is in this way that modern civilisation will perish one way or another; it matters little whether it be through the effect of dissensions among Westerners, dissensions between nations or between social classes, or, as some claim, through the attacks of ‘Westernised’ Easterners, or again following a cataclysm provoked by the ‘progress of science’;8 in all cases, the Western world runs dangers only through its own fault and through what proceeds from itself.9
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Summary

Guénon declares that the modern spirit is purely Western, so Easterners affected by it must be regarded as Westerners in mentality, as they are entirely foreign to Eastern ideas and their ignorance of tradition is the only excuse for their hostility. He notes that although these individuals may appear as political adversaries of the West, they combat foreign domination using Western methods such as nationalism, which is always opposed to the traditional spirit. He suggests that such elements, having broken with tradition, may be used transitorily and later eliminated. It would be logical for Western ideas to turn against the West, since they can only produce division and ruin. Whether the end comes from Western dissensions, attacks by Westernised Easterners, or a scientific cataclysm, the Western world faces danger only through its own fault and what proceeds from itself.

General notes

  1. esprit moderne purement occidental — Rendered as ‘modern spirit purely Western’. Guénon reaffirms that the modern mentality (materialist, rationalist, individualist, progressivist) is an exclusive production of the West. Easterners who adopt it mentally cease to belong to their civilisation of origin. Their hostility towards tradition has no excuse other than their ignorance, not a reflective opposition. ↩︎
  2. contradiction apparente : auxiliaires de l’occidentalisme intellectuel mais adversaires politiques — Rendered as ‘apparent contradiction: auxiliaries of intellectual Occidentalism but political adversaries’. Guénon notes a paradox: Westernised Eastern elites adopt modern thought (materialism, rationalism) while politically fighting against Western colonial domination. This seems contradictory, but Guénon will show that it is coherent because they use Western methods (nationalism, revolution, political struggle) against the West itself. ↩︎
  3. « nationalisme » opposé à l’esprit traditionnel — Rendered as ‘“nationalism” opposed to the traditional spirit’. Guénon considers nationalism as a typically modern and Western ideology (born in 19th-century Europe). It is incompatible with the traditional Eastern spirit, which conceived human communities within a supra-national framework (universal empire, religious community, civilisation) and not as rival nation-states. To import nationalism into the East is therefore to import an element of division and disorder. ↩︎
  4. combattre la domination étrangère par les méthodes occidentales — Rendered as ‘combat foreign domination by Western methods’. Guénon observes that anti-colonial movements in the East use the conceptual weapons of the West: nationalism, popular sovereignty, revolution, propaganda, modern warfare. They do not seek a return to the pre-colonial traditional order, but emancipation within the framework of modernity itself. ↩︎
  5. l’emploi des méthodes occidentales suppose une rupture avec la tradition — Rendered as ‘the use of Western methods presupposes a rupture with tradition’. Guénon emphasises that to have recourse to modern political methods (national struggle, revolution, etc.) is incompatible with the preservation of the traditional spirit. He who remains faithful to tradition cannot use these weapons, for they are themselves products of disorder. It is therefore necessarily ‘misguided’ (Westernised) elements who wield them. ↩︎
  6. éléments occidentalisés utilisés transitoirement puis éliminés — Rendered as ‘Westernised elements used transitorily then eliminated’. Guénon envisages a realistic hypothesis: Westernised elites might serve as instruments to drive out colonial domination, then be themselves eliminated (either by a traditional restoration or by a new form of domination). Their role would be temporary, like that of ‘the broom that sweeps the dust out and is then thrown away’. ↩︎
  7. les idées occidentales se retournent contre l’Occident — Rendered as ‘Western ideas turn back against the West’. Guénon applies the ‘boomerang’ principle: the West has spread ideas throughout the world (nationalism, democracy, socialism, class struggle) which, by their very nature (division, conflict), will end by turning back against it. This is a form of ‘recoil’ already evoked. ↩︎
  8. multiplicité des causes possibles de la chute de la civilisation moderne — Rendered as ‘multiplicity of possible causes of the fall of modern civilisation’. Guénon enumerates possible scenarios for the collapse of modernity: wars between Western nations, social revolutions, attacks by Westernised Easterners, technological catastrophe (nuclear, ecological). The precise scenario matters little: the ultimate cause is the self-destruction of the West by its own contradictions. ↩︎
  9. l’Occident ne court de dangers que par sa propre faute — Rendered as ‘the West runs dangers only through its own fault’. Guénon concludes that the perils threatening the West (wars, revolutions, ecological destruction, collapse) do not come from external enemies, but from its own internal dynamism. Modern civilisation is suicidal: it itself creates the forces that will destroy it. ↩︎