The ethics of freedom

by Jacques Ellul

Book by Ellul, Jacques

Genres: Theology, Philosophy, Religion, Nonfiction

517 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1976

About the author

Baptised Catholic, Ellul became an atheist and Marxist at 19, and a Christian of the Reformed Church at 22. During his Marxist days, he was a member of the French Communist Party. During World War II, he fought with the French Underground against the Nazi occupation of France.

Educated at the Universities of Bordeaux and Paris, he taught Sociology and the History of Law at the Universities of Strausbourg and Montpellier. In 1946 he returned to Bordeaux where he lived, wrote, served as Mayor, and taught until his death in 1994.

In the 40 books and hundreds of articles Ellul wrote in his lifetime, his dominant theme was always the threat to human freedom posed by modern technology. His tenor and methodology is objective and scholarly, and the perspective is a sociological one. Few of his books are overtly political -- even though they deal directly with political phenomena -- and several of his books, including "Propaganda: The Formation of Men's Attitudes" and "The Technological Society" are required reading in many graduate communication curricula.

Ellul was also a respected and serious Christian theologian whose 1948 work, "The Presence of the Kingdom," makes explicit a dual theme inherent, though subtly stated, in all of his writing, a sort of yin and yang of modern technological society: sin and sacramentality.

Reviews

[Stephen Hicks · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am a quarter of the way through this book, but I'm afraid I have decided to put it down. It has little to do with the contents of the work, which I enjoyed thoroughly; only that I am not in the phase of life to chew through 500 pages of dense academic, philosophic writings. Perhaps I will try one of Ellul's smaller works in the future. I most definitely bit off more than I could chew with this choice. I did find him hard to follow throughout his postures, but I also picked the book up 2-3 times a week. A more concerted effort would be needed to truly grasp Ellul's complex positions in relation to the topic of human freedom. I will most definitely remember and dwell on the ideas that I did grasp for I found them to be invaluable, especially as a 21st American.

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was one of the most challenging books I’ve ever read. It is difficult to summarize a book so full of ideas, particularly ideas that are not discussed widely within the church. Ellul argues that man is not free in his natural state. Freedom is illusion, and though man seeks to attain it, he is unable to bear it and turns back to enslavement. Man may only be free through Christ—but even this is difficult, as it pits man and Christ against the natural order.
This idea is not necessarily a novel one in Christian theology, but the implications of the argument as expressed by Ellul are novel and compelling. Ellul does not view Christian faith as the personal devotional faith that is so rampant through American evangelicalism, but instead it is a challenge to live in freedom and to boldly evangelize, reject the power structures inherent in the fallen order—what he calls the ‘order of necessity.’

This is a remarkably challenging and insightful book, one I'll think about years out.

[Robert · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an incredibly lucid and detailed examination of what freedom is and can mean in our technological society. As with a lot of Ellul's work, he doesn't offer prescriptions, and this is particularly important for this book. Freedom doesn't consist in planning and calculating, or an impoverished conception of personal autonomy/independence. It is the Christian's responses to the necessities and determinations of the world. In other words, it lies with each individual to live out freedom rather than be told to do specific things. I highly doubt that the average person would take the time to read through this, seeing as it is quite long, but even still it is quite accessible for those prepared to put in the time and effort.

[Steve · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some intriguing arguments regarding human freedom within a Christian understanding. Some other arguments seem less well-based in reality, sound reasoning, and/or an understanding of scripture compatible with my own viewpoints. In places his arguments assume familiarity with what were to him contemporary theological/philosophical writers, particularly French writers, that were completely unfamiliar to this reader. Very dense and long book. Quite possibly the longest it has ever taken me to finish a book. For true theology/philosophy nerds, this may be a worthwhile read. For the rest of us, it may not be worth the considerable effort.