The Constant Contemplative

Introduction After briefly addressing the issues of inequalities in the French education system and the revolt of the British and American people against the feeling of being abandoned on the path to equity and progress by the elites, it seems appropriate to take a step back and consider the sentiment that seems to be most shared by the marginalized in the French school system on the one hand, and the English and American losers of globalization: social injustice. Relevance of Social Justice The theme of social justice seems particularly relevant to address as important elections approach in France and Germany, where this theme will undoubtedly be the subject of heated debates. It often hides behind a wide range of political proposals that may initially seem purely "technical": tax reform, universal income, reduction of public deficits, reform of the school system, health system, migrant reception, urban planning, support for agriculture, digital transformation and job insecu...

Introduction Modern political history alternates between, on the one hand, citizens' distrust of the partisan political system and its representatives (the elected officials), increasingly perceived as a source of impotence, particularly in the face of globalization, and seeming to find merits in a technocracy imbued with a sense of public good and freed from political contingencies, and, on the other hand, the rejection or even "democratic revolt" against technocratic elites accused of undermining democracy by imposing an order beyond the control of elected bodies, as recently demonstrated by the example of Brexit. The Emergence of Technocracy Today, a negatively connoted term, technocracy emerged as an idea in the 19th century with Auguste Comte's positivism: "technocracy is a scientific government aimed at the flourishing of each citizen." The term itself appeared in the 1920s and in the 1930s referred to a political movement led mainly by American engine...

Western democracies are experiencing a profound crisis. The institutions that forged prosperity are crumbling, leaving the field open to populist sirens from all sides. How did they get here? Acemoglu and Robinson demonstrated in their major work "Why Nations Fail" that the key to Western success lies in its inclusive political and economic institutions. By broadly distributing political power and economic opportunities, they created a virtuous circle of progress and innovation. Prosperity is not the result of chance, but of a subtle balance between state and market, between freedom and regulation. This balance was broken by the ultra-liberal turn of the 1980s. Under the guise of freeing market energies, counter-powers were weakened, and wealth and influence were concentrated in the hands of an elite that snubs national borders and tax jurisdictions. The concentration of capital and the increasing financialization of the economy perfectly illustrate this drift. The S&P 50...

Introduction One of the oldest controversies in political philosophy concerns an essential attribute of the Market: whether or not it is confined within the moral sphere of human behavior. This seemingly "metaphysical" question has extremely important implications not only in the field of political philosophy but also in a much more down-to-earth way in economic theories and political programs that ultimately govern many aspects of our lives (economic activity, work, justice, etc.). It therefore deserves attention, especially since the global economic and financial crisis of 2008 brought it to the heart of political debate. Historical Retrospective of Liberal Thought To properly frame the terms of the debate as it has been presented in political circles since the 2008 crisis, it is necessary to provide a brief historical retrospective of liberal thought. Foundations of Economic Liberalism If economic liberalism is the school of economic thought that places central importance ...

  With the powerful expansion of liberalism that the world has experienced since the fall of the Berlin Wall, the wave of increasingly virulent criticism of globalized economic, political, and media elites within Western democracies suddenly began to transform into a global tsunami with the advent of Brexit, the election of Trump, and the rise of a populist "demagoguery" fueled by anti-elite resentment in many European countries. Perplexity of the Elites The reaction of the elites thus singled out oscillates between perplexity and total incomprehension, infantilizing the angry people deemed incapable of understanding and choosing what is good for them by opting for irresponsible demagogues over their duly graduated and "necessarily" more trustworthy peers. The Paradox of Meritocracy Their perplexity is legitimate: how is it that at a time when the complexity of the world suggests calling on the best graduates, we entrust the reins of power to individuals who openly ...

Introduction L'Histoire de l'Humanité est tissée de fils complexes, de rencontres et d'échanges entre des cultures et des civilisations distinctes. Comme une rivière, elle coule souvent dans un lit tracé par des récits dominants, occultant ainsi des affluents importants et des sources essentielles. C'est le cas de la civilisation arabo-islamique, dont l'influence profonde sur l'Occident, et en particulier sur la Renaissance européenne, est trop souvent minimisée ou même ignorée. Pendant des siècles, la brillante civilisation arabo-islamique a connu une floraison sans précédent de la connaissance et de l'innovation. Au cours de cette période, les savants arabo-musulmans ont non seulement préservé et traduit les connaissances grecques, indiennes et chinoises, mais aussi les ont enrichies de leurs propres contributions originales, ouvrant ainsi la voie à de nombreuses avancées scientifiques et culturelles qui façonnent notre monde actuel. Il est importa...

Introduction The history of humanity is woven with complex threads, encounters, and exchanges between distinct cultures and civilizations. Like a river, it often flows in a bed carved by dominant narratives, thus obscuring important tributaries and essential sources.   This is the case with the Arabo-Islamic civilization, whose profound influence on the West, particularly on the European Renaissance, is too often minimized or even ignored.   For centuries, the brilliant Arabo-Islamic civilization experienced an unprecedented flourishing of knowledge and innovation. During this period, Arabo-Muslim scholars not only preserved and translated Greek, Indian, and Chinese knowledge but also enriched it with their own original contributions, paving the way for many scientific and cultural advances that shape our current world.   It is important, at a time when some wish to revive the "clash of civilizations," to recall these contributions, highlight the role of th...