THE BETRAYAL OF THE WEST Jacques Ellul Translated by Matthew J. O'Connell A Continuum Book ‘THE SEABURY PRESS - NEW YORKProxocer Chapter 1 (Chapter (Chapter Epilogue Noms CONTENTS DEFENSE OF THE WEST 1. Guilty, Not Guilty 1 2 Defense of Western Man 3. Mystery ofthe West 68 THE TRULY POOR AND THE END OF THE LEFT 1 The Truly Poor 85 2. The Shipwreck ofthe Let 125 THE BETRAYAL OF THE WEST 1, The Betrayal of Reason and History The Uropist, the Geometer and the Technician M48 2, The Betrayal ofthe Individual: The Executioner 169 3, The Betrayal of Lave and Freedom: The Grand Inquisitor 180 THOSE WHOM GOD WISHES TO DESTROY, HE FIRST MAKES MAD 201PROLOGUE 1 isnot clear what there is sll to say about the West, aftr Massis, Spengler, Sombart,Dandicw, Ortega ¥ Gasset, Mal. aun, and others have meditated on the greatness ad deck ‘of western cvlzation or ave spoken out in ie defense [Not everything has been sid, however. In thie critical ie when our chvlzation is being challenged, rejected without due Consideration, and condemned with argument that are aot all Dad, but with no one 10 plead in its defense except afew fascists whose weapon nthe bludgeon, we must ty once again A look st ourselves in the mieror. We mus try to discern our tue faces behind the nas, and, despite the distorted fe tures that confront us: to rasp our own truth before the Bal defacement, which cannot e far off Thaveno intention of doing again what Ruts Namadianas did Jong ayo or of writing an apology." Nonetheles, when Confronted with the mounting hateed and condemnation of the westem world andthe suicidal renzyof many Europes, Inwho have attacked the technical sockery and its scienulic ational fel obliged to show that theres al avery fer. tent side 1 the West. The West represents values for which theres no subsite The end ofthe West today would mean the end of any possible ciation.