The Political Illusion pt. 1: The Necessary and the Ephemeral

We begin a deep dive into Jacques Ellul's "The Political Illusion," letting him pierce through many of the common misconceptions we have about the working of politics.

13. The Political Illusion pt. 1: The Necessary and the Ephemeral

Many are familiar with Jacques Ellul. Even if they have not read him themselves, they know he penned important works on technology and the technological nature of our society. He also wrote one of the standard works on propaganda. In this time when many are unearthing old political theorists looking for new insights, it is surprising that Ellul’s work on political theory has not received more attention. Hopefully this series of articles can rectify that somewhat. His book, The Political Illusion, brings together many of his insights about technology and propaganda, applying them to the realm of the political. Although never stated directly, the main illusion under discussion is that of “democracy.” The west remains very attached to this idea that we live in political systems that gains its legitimacy through popular sovereignty. We believe in the reality of parliamentary democracy. We believe that the will of the people matters and this will is expressed through the electoral system. …