The end of the world, a world without end

There is climate change. The growth of the world’s population. The depletion of resources. These are facts that no one can deny as such. There is also the spread of ugliness, rising crime, and the dumbing down of society—phenomena whose existence, admittedly, is not universally acknowledged, but which a significant portion of Western populations feels deeply. All these facts—or supposed facts—have one thing in common: they can be seen as reasons to believe the world is coming to an end soon. That’s all there is to it. While the idea might raise a smile, delving into this conceptual universe has revealed its serious ramifications.

Our latest issue is now available: Le Regard Libre No. 89 | Special Report: The End of the World

People in distress, concerned intellectuals, ordinary human beings with political, philosophical, or spiritual concerns: there is no typical profile of someone who believes in the end of the world. Nor are there ideal candidates for embracing millenarian theories, as cult expert Jean-François Mayer explains in our interview, which focuses largely on these apocalyptic movements.

End of the world, end of the month, and end of my period

The idea of the end of the world has been mocked by social movements such as the «Yellow Vests,» who are demanding that attention be focused instead on their struggle to make ends meet. When there’s nothing left to pay the bills, speculation about a major global upheaval does indeed seem like a secondary concern. Yet the current energy crisis serves as a reminder that an electricity bill can be directly affected by major—and, in this case, tragic—global events.

In this issue, Enzo Santacroce draws another comparison: that between the end of the world and the end of the me. For our journalist, in fact, the fear of an apocalypse is undoubtedly linked, at least in some cases, to a certain personal unease—a fear of one’s own mortality. In any case, that is what he was able to glean—as a skilled philosophy teacher—from reading Karl Jaspers.

Caution Regarding Caution

Literature and art in general offer various explorations of this theme, which is as mind-boggling as those of the birth of the universe or the meaning of life. Quentin Perissinotto has drawn parallels between two recent novels by established French authors who have tackled this theme. Aude Robert-Tissot, for her part, has focused on the connections between art and technology highlighted by a contemporary art exhibition, which offers a useful lens through which to reflect on the future of the world.

Contradictions, of course, are always present. For example, in Guillaume Heck’s «Regards croisés» feature on the economic theory of creative destruction. But also in Antoine-Frédéric Bernhard’s presentation of the intellectual sphere of collapsologists, contrasted with the opposing vision of the eco-modernists.

Read also | Ecomodernism, an interesting path to a joyful ecology

In addition to these reflections, there are two realities: humanity has come close to extinction on several occasions, which justifies a certain degree of vigilance; and doomsday prophets have led to tragedies, which at the same time warn us of the risks of turning theory into action.

In short, the end of the world is a world without end. That’s what we wanted to show through this feature. Enjoy the read!

Write to the author: jonas.follonier@leregardlibre.com

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