The World of Religions, July-August 2009 —
We are immersed in an economic crisis of rare magnitude, which should call into question our development model, based on permanent growth in production and consumption. The word "crisis" in Greek means "decision," "judgment," and refers to the idea of a pivotal moment when "things must be decided." We are going through a crucial period where fundamental choices must be made, otherwise the problem will only get worse, perhaps cyclically, but surely.
As Jacques Attali and André Comte-Sponville remind us in the fascinating dialogue they granted us, these choices must be political, starting with a necessary clean-up and more effective and fairer supervision of the aberrant financial system in which we live today. They can also concern all citizens more directly, by redirecting demand towards the purchase of more ecological and more inclusive goods. A lasting way out of the crisis will certainly depend on a true determination to change the rules of the financial game and our consumption habits. But this will undoubtedly not be enough. It is our lifestyles, based on constant growth in consumption, that will have to be changed.
Since the industrial revolution, and even more so since the 1960s, we have been living in a civilization that makes consumption the driving force of progress. This driving force is not only economic, but also ideological: progress means owning more. Omnipresent in our lives, advertising only serves to reaffirm this belief in all its forms. Can we be happy without having the latest car? The latest model of DVD player or cell 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 individuals across the planet today are looking towards this Western model, which makes the possession, accumulation, and constant change of material goods the ultimate meaning of existence. When this model seizes up, when the system goes off the rails; when it becomes apparent that we will probably not be able to continue consuming indefinitely at this frenetic pace, that the planet's resources are limited, and that it becomes urgent to share; we can finally ask ourselves the right questions. We can question the meaning of economics, the value of money, the real conditions of the balance of a society and individual happiness.
In this, 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, based 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 the ideal of possession? Probably not. Money and the acquisition of material goods are only means, precious indeed, but never an end in themselves. The desire for possession is, by nature, insatiable. And it breeds frustration and violence. Human beings are so made 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, a roof over his head, and a decent living – man needs to adopt a logic other than that of having in order to be satisfied and become fully human: that of being. He must learn to know and control himself, to understand and respect the world around him. He must discover how to love, how to live with others, manage his frustrations, acquire serenity, overcome the inevitable suffering of life, but also prepare to die with his eyes open. For if existence is a fact, living is an art. An art that is learned by questioning the wise and working on oneself.