The opium of intellectuals

Author: Aaron
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-07-01
Features: Raymond Aron (1905—1983) was a renowned French philosopher, sociologist, and political scientist in the contemporary world, as well as the foremost French editorialist and columnist of the 20th century. Throughout decades of ups and downs, he repeatedly resisted the temptation to enter politics and persistently observed the tumultuous changes of the 20th century as a scholar and journalist. As a journalist, this self-proclaimed "intervening observer" wrote over 4,000 editorials and countless column articles during his nearly four-decade-long career. Due to the scholar's wisdom and the politician's acumen evident in these articles, they often stirred strong reactions among readers in France and even across the Western world. As a scholar, he achieved great success both in teaching and writing. He taught at top French institutions such as the University of Paris and the école Nationale d'Administration, frequently invited to lecture at renowned universities in other Western countries, and was elected to the prestigious Collège de France in 1970. Not only was he prolific in his writings, but his works spanning multiple fields also had an extraordinary impact on their respective disciplines and the broader intellectual world. When Raymond Aron passed away in 1983 due to a sudden heart attack, France mourned the loss of its last great intellectual mentor of the 20th century. Then-President Fran?ois Mitterrand publicly issued a statement paying tribute to this "man who advocated dialogue, was firm in his convictions, and possessed profound erudition." U.S. Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, who regarded Aron as his mentor, exclaimed upon hearing the news: "Without Raymond Aron, the world would feel more lonely and empty." Major French newspapers responded: Libération titled its coverage "France has lost its teacher"; Le Monde dedicated three full pages to commemorate this "clear-headed and wise professor"; while L'Observateur and L'Express published numerous articles mourning this "extraordinary intellectual." Raymond Aron's works covered fields such as historical philosophy, sociology, political science, and international relations, including major titles such as Introduction to the Philosophy of History—On the Limitations of Historical Objectivity (1938), The Great Divide (1948), The Chain of Wars (1951), The Opium of the Intellectuals (1955), The Tragedy of Algeria (1957), Eight Lectures on the Industrial Society (1962), Peace and War Between Nations (1967), Class Struggle (1964), The Stages of Sociological Thought (1967), The Difficult Revolution (1968), Clausewitz—On War (1976), In Defense of Declining Europe (1977), The Intervening Observer (1981), and Memoirs—Fifty Years of Political Thought (1983). Several of these works have been translated into Chinese and published in China, such as The Stages of Sociological Thought, Memoirs—Fifty Years of Political Thought, and Class Struggle. Additionally, fragments of many other works have also been translated and published in various Chinese periodicals. Among Aron's numerous writings, The Opium of the Intellectuals stands out as one of the most significant. Since its publication, the book has garnered widespread attention, and its influence quickly extended beyond France's hexagonal borders. Statistics suggest it has been translated into nearly two dozen languages. The Opium of the Intellectuals is a work written half a century ago, targeting the situation in France, particularly the French intellectual class, during the early Cold War. In other words, it is primarily a French reflection on the "French disease." In this work, Aron, starting from France's specific context and drawing heavily on the Anglo-Saxon tradition, critiques and condemns the French intellectuals who favor extremism. Of course, the book is not merely polemical; it is also rich in theoretical discussions on fundamental issues (such as holism, causality, and contingency), making it a classic in intellectual sociology. Due to Aron's unique position in 20th-century French intellectual and cultural life, this book itself serves as an important reference for studying the history of modern French thought. Since the Dreyfus Affair, French intellectuals have been known for their left-leaning and radical tendencies. Moreover, in the three decades following World War II, French left-wing intellectuals enjoyed prominence, leading many—especially foreign intellectuals who highly regarded them—to equate "French left-wing intellectuals" with "French intellectuals." However, in France itself, there were always balancing factions to counter them, otherwise French society could not have developed healthily. It is fair to say that our country has always demonstrated a grand vision in translating and introducing modern and contemporary thinkers and writers from cultural giants like France, maintaining impartiality toward France's so-called left and right factions. However, when it comes to translating Raymond Aron's works, the situation is far from optimistic. For example, many of his important works remain untranslated into Chinese, while the translations of his adversaries, such as Sartre and Merleau-Ponty, are far more numerous. For instance, the People's Literature Publishing House recently published a seven-volume Collected Works of Sartre, making Sartre and Merleau-Ponty far more familiar to the Chinese public than Aron. This phenomenon at least reflects our academic information is severely incomplete. For this reason, our translation this time will help correct such biases. For instance, it will contribute to a more comprehensive review and a more objective evaluation of the "Thirty Years' War" between the French left-wing intellectual leader Sartre and the French liberal intellectual Aron. In many cases, profound thought often adopts a one-sided stance—both left-wing and right-wing works are guilty of this. Therefore, even decades later, reading Aron's work still leaves us astonished by its clarity and sharpness. Although Raymond Aron subtly expresses his hope in the text for a more dialectical approach, it is undeniable that he often failed to distinguish between Soviet practices and Marxist theory in general, leading him to hold little regard for communist doctrine, even labeling this critical theory of contemporary capitalist society as a "perverted or secularized religion." This is precisely the intent behind the book's title. However, if we consider the context, we realize that his main criticism was ultimately aimed at the significant flaws in Soviet practices at the time. In fact, it was these very flaws that inevitably led to the dissolution of the Soviet Union decades later, and similar flaws also prompted the Chinese people to embark on the great path of "reform and opening up" after the Cultural Revolution. Given this, contemporary Chinese readers will surely feel even deeper reflections when encountering Aron's prescient arguments in this work. Anyone with even a slight understanding of China-France relations in recent decades knows that periods of harmonious relations often coincided with the rule of figures regarded as right-wing, such as Charles de Gaulle and his successors. While there are multiple explanations for this phenomenon, it at least demonstrates that many French "right-wingers" held friendly attitudes toward the newly established China. Indeed, according to French traditional classifications, Raymond Aron belongs to the right-wing. Yet, even this right-wing figure expressed a much more moderate and tactful tone when referring to China in the book, contrasting sharply with his attitude toward the Soviet Union. Even as a staunch "Atlanticist," he criticized the United States rarely but pointed out unambiguously that the U.S. refusal to recognize the People's Republic of China was almost its only mistake. On the other hand, this does not mean that his remarks, primarily aimed at the situation in the French intellectual class, are unrelated to China or contemporary China. In fact, China shares similarities with France in terms of national character—even Weber, who had never visited China, believed so. Therefore, his analyses of the French left from a right-wing perspective still hold considerable reference value for us to observe certain hot issues in academia today. After all, learning from the West requires both selective absorption and comprehensive understanding. If we consider the contemporary cultural exchange between France and Cambodia, we can see how left-wing, which were harmless in France, were spread and misinterpreted by returnees as a disaster for the entire nation. This understanding becomes even more profound and urgent. As the saying goes, one must "read between the lines" when approaching any book, especially those now considered classics. It is undeniable that this is an academic masterpiece born in the specific context of the Cold War, and no one would defend its obvious extremism. However, if we do not wish others to remember only our intense criticism of "imperialists, reactionaries, and revisionists" from the past, thereby preserving only hatred in international exchanges, then we should not hold excessive grievances against this deceased figure for his harsh words of the time. The key to reading lies in whether his reflections on the French society, particularly the intellectual class, of the time help us summarize the past and open up the future, and whether they aid our single-minded pursuit of development. The reform and opening-up cause has reached its current stage, and with the rapid transmission of information, any blockade of information seems absurd and ineffective. At the same time, readers have been trained to absorb selectively. We should have full confidence in this. This book is a work by Raymond Aron written in the early Cold War, targeting the situation in France, particularly the French intellectual class, as a reflection on the "French disease." In this work, the author critiques and condemns the French intellectuals who favor extremism, making it an important reference for studying the history of modern French thought and a classic in intellectual sociology. In many cases, profound thought often adopts a one-sided stance—both left-wing and right-wing works are guilty of this. Therefore, even decades later, reading Aron's work still leaves us astonished by its clarity and sharpness.