Le Monde des religions, July-August 2009 —
We are plunged into an economic crisis of unprecedented magnitude, one that should call into question our development model, based on the perpetual growth of production and consumption. The word "crisis" in Greek means "decision," "judgment," and refers to the idea of a pivotal moment where "a decision must be made." We are going through a crucial period where fundamental choices must be made, otherwise the situation will only worsen, perhaps cyclically, but certainly.
As Jacques Attali and André Comte-Sponville remind us in the fascinating dialogue they granted us, these choices must be political, beginning with a necessary overhaul and more effective and fairer regulation of the aberrant financial system in which we currently live. They can also more directly affect all citizens by redirecting demand towards the purchase of more environmentally friendly and socially responsible goods. A lasting exit from the crisis will certainly depend on a genuine commitment to changing the rules of the financial game and our consumption habits. But this will likely not be enough. It is our lifestyles, based on constant growth in consumption, that will need to change.
Since the Industrial Revolution, and even more so since the 1960s, we have lived in a civilization that makes consumption the driving force of progress. This is not only an economic but also an ideological one: progress means owning more. Advertising, omnipresent in our lives, merely reinforces this belief in all its forms. Can we be happy without the latest car? The newest DVD player or mobile phone? A television and a computer in every room? This ideology is almost never questioned: as long as it's possible, why not? And most people across the globe are now looking towards this Western model, which makes the possession, accumulation, and constant exchange of material goods the ultimate meaning of existence. When this model falters, when the system derails; when it becomes clear that we probably cannot continue to consume indefinitely at this frenetic pace, that the planet's resources are limited, and that sharing becomes urgent; then we can finally ask the right questions. We can question the meaning of economics, the value of money, and the real conditions for the balance of a society and individual happiness.
In this respect, I believe that the crisis can and must have a positive impact. It can help us rebuild our civilization, which has become global for the first time, on criteria other than money and consumption. This crisis is not simply economic and financial, but also philosophical and spiritual. It raises universal questions: what can be considered true progress? Can human beings be happy and live in harmony with others in a civilization entirely built around an ideal of possession? Probably not. Money and the acquisition of material goods are merely means, certainly valuable, but never an end in themselves. The desire for possession is, by nature, insatiable. And it breeds frustration and violence. Human beings are such that they constantly desire to possess what they do not have, even if it means taking it by force from their neighbor. However, once his basic material needs are met—food, shelter, and a decent standard of living—a person needs to enter into a different logic than that of possession in order to be satisfied and become fully human: the logic of being. He must learn to know and control himself, to understand the world around him and respect it. He must discover how to love, how to live with others, manage his frustrations, acquire serenity, overcome life's inevitable suffering, but also prepare to die with his eyes open. For while existence is a fact, living is an art. An art that is learned, by consulting the wise and working on oneself.