This sobriety is primarily technical and is based on increasing efficiency through technological improvements, while still adhering to the model of “economies of scale” (which aims to sell as many products as possible). This approach allows for savings in resources and energy.
However, this external solution is seen by some as not logically following the transition towards an ecological or civilizational mindset.
The current crisis presents an extraordinary opportunity for reevaluating the true meaning of sobriety and its contribution to addressing both individual and communal existential problems. We find sobriety in ancient traditions, especially in philosophical and religious texts that emphasize that happiness is not found in possessing material goods, but in voluntarily accepting moderation, self-control, and frugality.
And therein lies the challenge, as the ecological crisis, with its many manifestations, is intertwined with a crisis of meaning, a crisis of imagining new unifying perspectives for human beings and the community as a whole.
The word sobriety comes from the Latin word sobrietas, which is closely related to the concepts of frugality and moderation. Mael Goarzin2 emphasizes that this concept was used by Greek philosophers: “I will remind you of the importance that ancient philosophers placed on the sense of measure, mesotes, as the opposite of excess. This is one of the fundamental values that allows a person to develop and progress within the limits of their own nature, as well as nature in general. For example, Aristotle explains in his Nicomachean Ethics that the essence of virtue is proper measure. The act of admonition, on the other hand, expresses a lack of prudence, practical wisdom, and even a lack of self-control, or temperance, in other words, a lack of virtue.
An individual who lives a sober or moderate way of life has all the predispositions to become a wise being of high moral standards.
Epictetus, the great philosopher of simplicity of life, advocates a certain self-sufficiency because it is possible to achieve better control over one’s own well-being, with the main goal being the attainment of ataraxia, or peace of mind.
In antiquity, both in the East and the West, among Buddhists or Hindus, the concept of prudence and simplicity was most often associated with the individual. The question that arises is how to apply this to the social community.
Research on this topic, as found in the works of David H. Thoreau from the mid-19th century, aimed to connect a social project with a personal philosophical approach. Thoreau advocates frugality as a simple and wise way of life. To desire more means to want. In the pursuit of wealth, one assumes their freedom. In his exposition, the concept of prudence becomes the banner of all those who do not fit into the history of the industrial revolution.
<p”According to Thoreau, the challenge is to show that a different societal model is possible and, as such, more desirable as it liberates us from our state, offering us a deeper experience of life.”3
Paradoxically, since then, all social projects that mention sobriety are treated as resistance movements against the consumerist model, and supporters of industrial society mostly discredit them.
In the 20th century, numerous thinkers, such as Hannah Arendt in “The Human Condition,” condemn individuals’ dependence on consumer society: “Today, the entire economy has become an economy of waste; everything that is bought must be immediately consumed, literally devoured, or even thrown away before being used, all in order to prevent a catastrophic production process breakdown.”4
Jacque Ellul insists on the fact that society should not be dependent on mass consumption and that other models are possible. Progress should be directed towards the development of the individual and their autonomy: “At the cost of material sobriety, we could free up time by working less, devoting more time to art and culture.”
Pierre Rabhi, on the other hand, has set moderation as his life rule, explaining that this way he achieves “serenity, a certain form of pleasure, a sense of fulfillment and deep satisfaction with what we have. Things in this case simply align themselves with their true values. Voluntary sobriety allows for escaping scarcity and promotes the freeing up of space for joy, creativity, beauty, and sharing.”
Therefore, the current goal is to voluntarily set boundaries, both individual and collective, and to accept, as philosopher Dominique Bourg explains, that moderation “is not synonymous with asceticism or voluntary poverty, but rather the rejection of unreasonable behavior and breaking limits.”
Thanks to By adopting a new educational approach towards voluntary simplicity, we could enable the collective application of sobriety.
According to Bergson, we need to strive for an education that would allow us, thanks to scientific knowledge, to understand the impact of our consumption and to develop a propensity towards what truly promotes our personal fulfillment.
1 Economies of scale – the reduction of costs per unit of product achieved through large-scale production.
2 Philosopher, co-founder of the Stoa Gallica association.
3 Florian Tignol, Our Relationship with Sobriety
4 Hannah Arendt, The Condition of the Modern Man
5 Jacques Ellul, Who and What Do We Work For?
6 Pierre Rahbi, The Power of Moderation
7 Dominique Bourg, Voluntary Sobriety: an exploration of new ways of life