France Against the Robots: And Related Writings on Liberty and Technology
by Georges Bernanos, translated by Farasha Euker
Dear readers,
Please note that my translation of France Against the Robots: And Related Writings on Liberty and Technology by Georges Bernanos is now available. Most of these writings have never before been translated to English, and even the few that have been translated were translated poorly and are no longer readily available. No one raged against the Machine and the technological system like D. H. Lawrence, but Bernanos comes close, and he does so from a completely different metaphysical and ethical system, as a conservative Catholic.
In France Against the Robots, Georges Bernanos delivers a prophetic meditation on the spiritual crisis of the modern world. Written in the aftermath of war and amid the rise of mass industrial society, this fierce and luminous book warns against a civilization that prizes efficiency, conformity, and technological power over human dignity and freedom.
Not only a rejection of machines themselves, Bernanos’ work is a defense of the soul against the mechanization of life. With passionate moral clarity, he confronts the dangers of consumerism, bureaucratic thinking, and the erosion of individual conscience—concerns that resonate with startling urgency today.
By turns philosophical, political, and deeply personal, France Against the Robots stands as one of the twentieth century’s great works of cultural criticism: a timeless call to resist dehumanization and preserve what is irreducibly human.
None of these translations will appear on my Substack. If you are interested in reading this fantastic and urgently needed work, which is more relevant than ever, you will need to purchase the book. As you are aware, I make all my Substack writings available for free, so the purchase of this book will help to support my writing, so that I can continue to make my work here freely available. I know that I have not been publishing here as often in the past, but I use a completely manual writing process, and this translation has taken up about a year of my time. Additionally, I am currently writing a novel, which embodies many of the themes I have spoken of for years, but in a fictional format. Please see the following links for purchase:
Hello, I out myself in the bracket if someone trying to make some sense of modern life and preserve some distance. It is a tough ask when juggling a job, family life and seemingly mechanical behaviour ( I count myself in that but I try to be vigilant). it can be difficult not to become negative and despondent (although I think that is a mechanical reaction too). Thank you for your work and I have just purchased the book. Looking forward to reading it.