Michel Houellebecq's Submission : a novel about humanity

Houellebecq and Auguste Comte

In Marianne (16 January 2015), a leading french intellectual Jacques Julliard has dedicated an article to the latest book by Houellebecq (Submission). In Figures of the collabo, an article that seemed to me 1) one of the most relevant of the wave of criticism; (2) incomplete, because it leaves aside Houellebecq knowledge of the work of Auguste Comte and his fascination, obvious by the number of citations in his previous works.

Therefore Submission would mainly be a murderous charge against the French intellectual, a gladly companion of deadly ideologies, a "man which beautifully invokes Voltaire and Zola, but is willing to prostitute himself before power, and even more when this power takes dictatorial forms and uses systematic violence and terror ”. Julliard quote Houellebecq justifying his hero (anti-hero?) submission to the new french islamic power : "so many intellectuals during the 20th century had supported Stalin, Mao or Pol Pot, and were not reproached anything”…

Agreed, the desire or need for “submission” is particularly disturbing among intellectuals, where it  appears to be a denial of their very function. But, in Houellebecq’s novel, all society is concerned. The “moderate” islamist Ben Abbès is elected by a majority of French, and they enjoy its government : restored civil peace, prosperity again, and even happier family life, more jobs (but less women at work). Of course some women, some Jews, not all of them, just a few, have to make some sacrifices, nothing really serious , but finally, no omelette without eggs...

What happened? "No society can exist without a kind of religion, without a "common social doctrine", without which there are no other expedients, to maintain harmony, than the sad alternative of force or corruption" (Auguste Comte). This is what led the positivists to propose a Republican, non-theological, religion, a religion without God. (for fascinating exposés of the Religion of Humanity in english, it can be referred to Frederic Harrison texts - the leader of a small but dynamic english positivist community). The purpose of the republican religion is to" rally, link, regulate": rally men to the common social doctrine, reinforce social links, regulate social and moral behaviors.

Something must have gone wrong, as would say Houellebecq, there had to be some flaws in Auguste Comte’s Religion of humanity. The Catholic order has been destroyed, but not replaced ("you only destroy what you replace- also Auguste Comte). So, in this vacuum, the most recent and still vigorous theological religion triumphs, and this precisely by invigorating the social link; That’s how the  Muslim Brotherhood of Houellebecq’s novel comes to power ..., as well as, in real world, Muslim fundamentalist movements.

Desire and need for submission

Then,  is the desire or need for submission always negative? Many people complains about the lack of authority of teachers. Does teaching not require some kind of submission? You can’t learn anything without first accepting the authority of knowledge, competence, elders, great scientists, artists, writers of the past - before eventually  challenging them ? And, it’s not by chance that in the new president Ben Abbès France, teachers are much better regarded and treated ; this was part of the program and of the public desire.

"Submission is the basis of development" (Auguste Comte, again; a missile sent, with a kind of smile, to his main disciple Pierre Laffitte requesting clarification) - except that Comte himself did little to bind to academic authorities and governments and had to pay the price by marginalization ; so, a motto  to take with caution, but not less real.

"Submission is the basis of development”," Islam means submission”, so why not “Islam is the basis of development” and let’s make a novel about this. A novel, not really about Islam, not a political fiction (it is the weaker part of this book)), not a reactionary pamphlet,  nor sexist, nor racist. Simply a novel about humanity, as all great novels.

And by the way, when will Houellebecq’s last novel be published in England or United States ?  Will editors be more courageous that the intellectuals ( again ?) who refused to associate themselves with the fight for freedom, after Charlie Hebdo murders ?

 

Eric Sartori, author of  Le socialisme d'Auguste Comte, aimer, penser, agir au XXI ème siècle, L’Harmattan, 2013