The New Vichy Syndrome

1. Europe's Malaise: A Continent in Decline

There is something is rotten in the state of Europe, but it is not easy to say what it is or where it comes from.

Paradox of Progress. Despite unprecedented wealth, health, and longevity, Europe is gripped by a pervasive sense of decline and impending doom. This is not a decline in absolute terms, but a relative one, as other parts of the world, particularly Asia, surge ahead economically and technologically. This creates a deep-seated anxiety, a feeling that Europe is falling behind and losing its place in the world.

• Life expectancy has never been higher
• Wealth and standard of living have increased dramatically
• Yet, a sense of impending doom persists

Strategic Vulnerability. Europe's dependence on foreign energy resources and its lack of military preparedness make it strategically vulnerable. This vulnerability is compounded by a deep-seated anti-military sentiment, a reluctance to engage in power politics, and a preference for the quiet life over the costs of securing a free one. This leaves Europe unable to respond effectively to threats, both internal and external.

• Dependent on foreign energy
• Anti-military sentiment
• Lack of means to retaliate

Loss of Mandate. Europeans sense that they have lost their "mandate of heaven," a feeling that they no longer have a special place in the world. This loss of purpose and direction contributes to a sense of anxiety and fear about the future, a feeling that they are no longer masters of their own destiny. This is a deep-seated malaise, a feeling that something fundamental has been lost.

2. Demographic Winter: The Birth Dearth and Its Discontents

From fairest creatures we desire increase, That thereby beauty’s rose might never die . . .

Declining Fertility. Europe is experiencing a dramatic decline in birth rates, with no country in Western Europe reaching the replacement fertility rate. This is not a result of state intervention, but a reflection of people's choices, a sign that they are not concerned with replacing themselves. This demographic winter raises fears about the future, about who will support the aging population.

• Fertility rates are below replacement level
• Life expectancy is increasing
• Fears of an aging population

Immigrants Instead of Children. One proposed solution to the demographic problem is mass immigration, particularly from Muslim countries. This has led to anxieties about cultural change, the loss of familiar surroundings, and the potential for social conflict. There are deep, often unspoken, fears about the size and increase of the Muslim population.

• Mass immigration as a solution
• Anxieties about cultural change
• Fears about the Muslim population

Adaptability and Change. While demographic fears are real, it is important to remember that societies are adaptable. A large and expanding population is not a necessary condition for economic success, and an aging population is not necessarily a drain on society. People are living longer and healthier lives, and are able to work well beyond the age at which they would once have been considered old.

• Large populations not necessary for economic success
• Aging populations not necessarily a drain
• Human adaptability

3. The Myth of Islamic Takeover: Demographics and Cultural Shifts

The idea that the Moslem populations of Europe are seething with fanaticism or religious fundamentalism seems to me to be quite wrong.

Demographic Realities. While the Muslim population in Europe is younger and more fertile than the native population, fertility rates among Muslims are declining. The idea that Europe will become Islamized by sheer weight of numbers is a myth, a projection based on current trends that may not continue.

• Muslim fertility rates are declining
• Proportion of Muslims likely to stabilize
• Demographic change not the main threat

Cultural Integration. The experience of migration and life in Europe is changing Muslims themselves. Many feel their primary identity is French or British, not Islamic. Westernization is far advanced among Muslims in Europe, as evidenced by their dress, language, and attitudes.

• Westernization of Muslims in Europe
• Many feel primary identity is national
• Religion not always the organizing principle

The Threat of Fundamentalism. While the majority of Muslims in Europe are not fundamentalists, there is a small minority that is. This minority can sow chaos and cause death, and their influence is amplified by the fact that many Muslims, even those who are not deeply religious, are unwilling to repudiate Islam for fear of social consequences.

• Small number of fanatics
• Soil is propitious for their growth
• Fanatics can cause chaos and death

4. Relativism's Grip: Undermining Truth and Values

All western philosophy, said the mathematician and philosopher Alfred North Whitehead, is footnotes to Plato.

Epistemological Relativism. The idea that there is no objective truth, that all knowledge is provisional and subjective, has taken hold in Europe. This undermines the authority of science and reason, and makes it difficult to defend any particular set of values or beliefs. This is a self-defeating position, as it relies on the absolute truth that there is no absolute truth.

• No indubitable premise
• All facts and judgments are vulnerable
• Choice is arbitrary

Cultural Relativism. The increasing awareness of human diversity, of different ways of doing things, has led to a kind of practical relativism. The idea that one's own way of life is not the only way, that all cultures are equally valid, has become widespread. This makes it difficult to defend one's own culture or to criticize others.

• Awareness of human diversity
• Everything becomes a matter of choice
• No "natural" way of doing things

Choice as the Highest Good. The emphasis on choice as the measure of all things has led to a kind of moral paralysis. The idea that all options should remain open, that no choice should foreclose on any other, has made it difficult to commit to anything, to take anything seriously. This has led to a state of anxiety and misery, a feeling that life is a vast supermarket of endless possibilities.

• Choice as the only good
• Overestimation of control
• No choice taken seriously

5. The Loss of Transcendence: Secularism and the Search for Meaning

For the person with no transcendent religious belief (and that now means the overwhelming majority of Europeans), this life is all he has.

The Death of God. The secularization of Europe has led to a loss of religious belief, and with it, a loss of the sense of transcendence that religion once provided. This has left many Europeans feeling adrift, without a sense of purpose or meaning beyond the material world. This has led to a rise in self-obsession and self-importance.

• Secularization of Europe
• Loss of religious belief
• Rise in self-obsession

The Search for Meaning. In the absence of religious belief, Europeans have sought meaning in other things, such as politics, the environment, and small causes. These causes, however, often fail to provide the same sense of transcendence as religion, and can lead to fanaticism or apathy.

• Transcendence in politics, environment, etc.
• Nationalism as a source of meaning
• The European project as a source of meaning

The Consumerist Void. For many Europeans, the search for meaning has been replaced by a pursuit of material consumption and extreme experiences. This pursuit, however, is ultimately unsatisfying, as it fails to address the deeper human need for purpose and meaning. This has led to a culture of hedonism and comfort, a focus on the self and the present moment.

• Consumption as a substitute for meaning
• Hedonism and comfort
• Lack of transcendent purpose

6. The Burden of History: A Past That Won't Pass

The habit of seeing in the past no gloire, but only whatever leads up to our present discontents, has become general and widespread.

Miserabilist Historiography. Europe has developed a miserabilist view of its own history, seeing it as nothing but a record of war, massacre, and oppression. This view, while not entirely inaccurate, ignores the many achievements of European civilization and undermines national pride and self-confidence.

• History as a record of crime and folly
• Ignoring achievements
• Undermining national pride

The Legacy of the World Wars. The two World Wars, and particularly the Second, shattered European self-confidence. The horrors of the Holocaust and the brutality of the war led to a deep questioning of European values and culture. This has made it difficult for Europeans to feel pride in their past.

• WW I and WW II shattered self-confidence
• Horrors of the Holocaust
• Questioning of European values

The Problem of Memory. The legacy of the war and the colonial era has created a problem of memory in Europe. Many countries have struggled to come to terms with their past, and have often resorted to denial, silence, or self-flagellation. This has made it difficult to construct a coherent national identity.

• Difficulties with memorialization
• Denial, silence, self-flagellation
• Inability to construct a coherent national identity

7. The Consequences: Apathy, Hedonism, and the Loss of Purpose

A belief that one’s history contains nothing good or worthwhile leads either to utopian dreams of a new beginning, or a failure to resist those utopian dreams: in other words to fanaticism or apathy.

Apathy and Indifference. The loss of faith in traditional values and institutions has led to a widespread apathy and indifference in Europe. People are no longer willing to fight for their country or their culture, and are more concerned with their own personal comfort and security.

• Apathy and indifference
• Lack of willingness to fight
• Focus on personal comfort

Hedonism and Consumerism. The focus on the present moment and the pursuit of personal pleasure has led to a culture of hedonism and consumerism. People are more concerned with acquiring material possessions and having enjoyable experiences than with contributing to society or pursuing higher goals.

• Hedonism and consumerism
• Focus on material possessions
• Lack of higher goals

Loss of Purpose. The combination of secularism, relativism, and a miserabilist view of history has left many Europeans feeling without a sense of purpose or direction. They have lost faith in their own culture and are unable to articulate a vision for the future. This has led to a sense of malaise and a fear of the future.

• Loss of purpose and direction
• Lack of faith in their own culture
• Fear of the future

Last updated: January 24, 2025