Essay
Fayard, October 2012
Presentation
Is humankind merely homo economicus? Our world is ailing, but the current economic crisis, which is monopolizing everyone's attention, is only a symptom of much deeper imbalances. The crisis we are experiencing is systemic: it affects every sector of human life. It is linked to upheavals in our lifestyles that are arguably as significant as the Neolithic turning point, when humankind ceased to be nomadic and became sedentary.
Yet, paths to healing do exist. Drawing on concrete experiences, I demonstrate the existence of an alternative logic to the quantitative and mercantile one that is leading our world to catastrophe: a qualitative logic that prioritizes respect for the Earth and for people over profit; the quality of being over "always more." I also advocate for an enlightened rediscovery of the great universal values—truth, justice, respect, freedom, love, beauty—in order to prevent modern man, driven by the intoxication of excess, but also by fear and greed, from signing his own death warrant.
Interview with Ruth Elkrief (BFMTV – November 2012)