A critique of the new commonplaces. PDF
Preview A critique of the new commonplaces.
{^^/utique oft/w J NEW By Jacques Ellul — The careful, therapeutic and often — hilarious demolition of thirty-three "basic" stereotypes of our thinking and speech. Translated from the French by Helen Weaver $6.95 — Jacques Ellul muc—h less solemn inmoodthanusual herecracks open political and sociological common- places, destructively and wittily demon- strating how our unthinking acceptance of them encourages hypocrisy, smugness, and mental inertia. Among the stereo- types of thought and speech thus ex- ploded are such phrases as "You can't act without getting your hands dirty," "Work is freedom," "We must follow the current of history," and "Women find their free- dom (dignity) in work." A certain number of these old saws preside over our daily life. They permit ustounderstand one anotherand toswim in the ordinary current of society. They are accepted as so certain that we almost never question them. They serve at once as sufficient explanations for everything and as "clinchers" intoomany arguments. Ellul explores the ways in which such clichés mislead us and prevent—us from having independent thoughts and in fact keep us from facing the problems to which they are theoretically addressed. They arethe "newcommonplaces." Justasthe nineteenth centurybrought forthmanysuch commonplaces (theyare enshrined in Leon Bloy's Exégèse and Flaubert's Dictionnaire des idées reçues), so our century has been busy creating its own. What Ellul has done is to stand still (continuedon back flap) Jacket design by Bob Korn 5/68 ALSO BY JACQUES ELLUL The Technological Society (1964) Propaganda (1965) The Political Illusion (1967) These are Borzoi Books, published in New York by ALFRED KNOPF A. A CRITIOUE OF THE NEW COMMONPLACES A CRITIQUE OF THE NEW COMMONPLACES BY JACQUES ELLUL TRANSLATED FROM THE FRENCH BY HELEN WEAVER New York: Alfred A. Knopf 1968 K THIS IS A BORZOI BOOK PUBLISHED BY ALFRED A. KNOPF, INC. FmST AMERICAN EDITION © Copyright 1968 by Alfred A. Knopf, Inc. All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. Distributed by Random House, Inc. Published simultaneously in Toronto, Canada, by Random House of Canada Limited. Manufactured in the United States of America. Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 68-12681 Originally published in French as Exégèse des nouveaux lieux communs, © 1966 by Calmann-Lévy on Contents THE COMMONPLACES 3 WE MUST FOLLOW THE CURRENT OF HISTORY 28 you can't ACT WITHOUT GETTING YOUR hands dirty 38 the main thing is to be sincere with yourself 49 peoples have the right of self- determination 54 thepeoplehavecomeofage 67 modern man hascomeofage 75 you can't make a people revolt against its will 82 politics first! 92 from personal democracy to organized (or mass) democracy 110 VI CONTENTS PUBLIC INTEREST COMES BEFORE PRIVATE INTEREST 120 NOBODY CAN HELP ANYBODY ELSE 131 WE HAVE BEEN DECEIVED 138 IF ALL THE GOOD GUYS IN THE WORLD I43 . . . WORK FREEDOM IS 149 WOMEN FIND THEIR FREEDOM (DIGNITY) IN WORK 159 NO FREEDOM FOR THE ENEMIES OF FREEDOM l66 FREEDOM IS OBEYING NECESSITY 171 THE SPIRITUAL SIDE OF LIFE CANNOT DEVELOP UNTIL THE STANDARD OF LIVING IS RAISED 179 — NO MORE WORDS GIVE US ACTS! 196 ANYWAY, IT'S A FACT! 202 YOU CAN T MAKE ART OUT OF NOBLE SENTIMENTS 207 ANYONE WHO SAYS HE IS NEITHER A RIGHTIST NOR A LEFTIST IS A RIGHTIST 215 it's SACRED 220 THE MACHINE IS A NEUTRAL OBJECT AND MAN IS ITS MASTER 226 Contents vii [ it is fashionable to criticize technology 236 all science is numerical 24o one must take a positive attitude 25o there are one billion illiterates 255 you are what you are 264 cultivate your personality: be a person! 268 make way for youth! 280 — we don't want charity we want JUSTICE 288 THE END JUSTIFIES THE MEANS 294
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