¶7 It may be, moreover, that these events themselves will sooner or later impose upon the leaders of the Catholic Church, as an ineluctable necessity, what they would not directly understand in its importance from the point of view of pure intellectuality; it would assuredly be regrettable if circumstances as contingent as those that belong to the political domain, considered apart from any superior principle, were needed to make them reflect1 ; but it must be admitted that the opportunity for a development of latent possibilities must be provided to each person by the means that are most immediately within the reach of his present understanding.2 This is why we will say this: faced with the aggravation of a disorder that is becoming more and more generalised, it is fitting to call for the union of all the spiritual forces that still exercise an action in the external world, in the West as well as in the East; and, on the Western side, we see no others than the Catholic Church.3 If it could thus enter into contact with the representatives of the Oriental traditions, we would have only to congratulate ourselves on this first result, which could be precisely the starting point of what we have in view,4 for one would doubtless not be long in perceiving that an understanding that is merely exterior and ‘diplomatic’ would be illusory and could not have the desired consequences, so that one would have to come to what one should normally have begun with, that is to say, to envisage agreement on principles — an agreement whose necessary and sufficient condition would be that the representatives of the West should once again become truly conscious of these principles, as those of the East always are.5 True understanding, let us repeat once again, can only be accomplished from above and from within, consequently in the domain that may be called indifferently intellectual or spiritual, for, for us, these two words have, at bottom, exactly the same meaning;6 then, starting from there, understanding would also necessarily establish itself in all the other domains, just as, when a principle is posited, one has only to deduce, or rather to ‘explicitate’, all the consequences that are implied in it.7 There can be only one obstacle to this: it is Western proselytism, which cannot resolve to admit that one must sometimes have ‘allies’ who are not ‘subjects’8 ; or, to speak more exactly, it is the lack of understanding of which this proselytism is only one of the effects; will this obstacle be overcome? If it were not, the elite, in order to constitute itself, would have to count only on the effort of those who would be qualified by their intellectual capacity, outside any defined milieu, and also, of course, on the support of the East;9 its work would thereby be made more difficult and its action could only be exercised at a longer term, since it would have to create all its instruments itself, instead of finding them already prepared as in the other case; but we do not at all think that these difficulties, however great they may be, are of a nature to prevent what must be accomplished from being accomplished one way or another.10
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Summary

Guénon suggests that events may impose on Catholic leaders what they would not grasp intellectually, though it is regrettable if contingent political circumstances are needed to provoke reflection, but each must be given the opportunity for development according to their current understanding. Faced with spreading disorder, it is fitting to call for union of all spiritual forces, and on the Western side only the Catholic Church appears available. Contact with Oriental traditions could be a starting point, though an exterior understanding would be insufficient and must lead to agreement on principles, requiring Western representatives to regain consciousness of those principles. True understanding can only come from above and within, in the intellectual-spiritual domain, and would then extend to all other domains. The only obstacle is Western proselytism, which cannot accept allies who are not subjects; if not overcome, the elite would have to rely on those intellectually qualified outside any defined milieu, with support from the East, though such difficulties do not seem to prevent what must be accomplished.

General notes

  1. circonstances contingentes pour éveiller les dirigeants de l’Église — Rendered as ‘contingent circumstances to awaken the leaders of the Church’. Guénon regrets that Catholic authorities do not spontaneously understand the importance of intellectual principles. External (political, social) circumstances may be needed to awaken them. This is a sad necessity. ↩︎
  2. les moyens appropriés à la compréhension actuelle — Rendered as ‘means appropriate to present understanding’. Guénon states a pedagogical principle: each person must receive teaching according to his present capacities. Even the leaders of the Church, limited by their modern mentality, need a language adapted to their understanding. ↩︎
  3. union de toutes les forces spirituelles — Rendered as ‘union of all spiritual forces’. Guénon calls for an alliance between the Catholic Church and the Oriental traditions in the face of the expansion of modern materialism. The Church is the only Western institution still spiritually alive. ↩︎
  4. contact entre l’Église et les traditions orientales comme point de départ — Rendered as ‘contact between the Church and Oriental traditions as a starting point’. A dialogue between the Catholic Church and the Oriental traditions (Hindu, Islamic, etc.) would be a first step towards a restoration of the traditional spirit in the West. ↩︎
  5. accord sur les principes, non sur les formes extérieures — Rendered as ‘agreement on principles, not on exterior forms’. Guénon insists that a true understanding can only be made on the ground of universal metaphysical principles, not on diplomatic or exterior arrangements. The West must rediscover these principles. ↩︎
  6. intellectuel et spirituel sont synonymes — Rendered as ‘intellectual and spiritual are synonymous’. Guénon identifies the intellectual (in the sense of pure intellection) with the spiritual. Metaphysical knowledge is in itself spiritual; there is no dualism between the two. ↩︎
  7. l’accord sur les principes entraîne l’accord dans tous les domaines — Rendered as ‘agreement on principles entails agreement in all domains’. Guénon applies the principle of traditional deduction: once one agrees on universal principles, all practical consequences (social, political, cultural) follow logically. ‘Explicitation’ is the development of the consequences implicit in principles. ↩︎
  8. prosélytisme occidental comme obstacle à l’entente — Rendered as ‘Western proselytism as an obstacle to understanding’. Guénon identifies the main obstacle to the union of spiritual forces: the Western mentality that wants to convert and subjugate, not to collaborate on an equal footing. The West conceives relations only in terms of domination and subjection. ↩︎
  9. si l’obstacle n’est pas surmonté, l’élite devra se constituer en dehors des institutions — Rendered as ‘if the obstacle is not overcome, the elite will have to constitute itself outside institutions’. If the Catholic Church refuses the alliance with the East, the elite will have to form itself outside existing structures, through the effort of isolated but qualified individuals, supported by the East. ↩︎
  10. les difficultés n’empêcheront pas l’accomplissement nécessaire — Rendered as ‘difficulties will not prevent the necessary accomplishment’. Guénon expresses his confidence in the ineluctable character of the traditional restoration. Even if the difficulties are great, what must be accomplished will be, one way or another. ↩︎