Changer de révolution

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Presentation

According to Jacques Ellul, the proletariat is not the product of capitalism alone, but of industrial society as a whole. Thus the “chinese method” employed in the Soviet Revolution, alongside the evolution of the third world, has ended with the formation of immense worldwide proletariat. Every revolution has failed, eventually giving into the industrial and technical fatality of capitalism that they so struggled against. And yet, at the beginning of the eighties, the first real revolution seemed to become possible. For what reasons? And on what conditions? Does any real hope for a revolution still prevail?

This essay, published for the first time in 1982, is Part Three of a trilogy, following Autopsie de la révolution and De la révolution aux révoltes.

After a revelation that led him to Christianity and an intensive reading of Marx, Jacques Ellul studied law. He then devoted himself to reflection on the evolution of modern society. He noted the disappearance of rural life and the mechanization of man’s environment. He foresaw the magnitude of this ecological and social “great mutation”.

Considering that technique is the determining factor of modern society, he leads a critique of what he calls “technological tyranny”. He further analyses that technique self-increases, imposing its values of efficiency and technical progress, while denying man’s needs  and  culture as well as the nature.

Sociology is not his only field. His work is composed of theologian and historian output.  Some would also say that he is a philosopher, although he did not define himself as such. 

As a militant anarchist whose ideas are close to situationism, but also as a subtle commentator of Marxist thought and excesses, he was instrumental in the establishment of political ecology and reflections on Christian anarchism. He also wrote many theological works on the Gospel’s subversive and liberating aspects and on the “perversion” which the Christian revelation has suffered from. Some of his other works are thoughts on ethics and on hope.

Jacques Ellul can be considered as one of the fathers of the idea of rational economic decay and voluntary simplicity.

“Jacques Ellul, a true thinker” Royaliste

“A kind of clairvoyant who had already predict everything” Réforme

“His writings remained fiery, the prophet’s voice still resonates” La Croix