On November 18, 2024, the Mutua Madrileña auditorium in Madrid was the scene of a profound reflection on the global crisis in the West, within the framework of the series of conferences organized by the NEOS Foundation. The prominent French philosopher and historian Rémi Brague presented the paper entitled “Why does Western man hate himself?”, addressing the impact of self-hatred on European culture and its relationship with Christianity.
A crisis of identity and transcendence
Brague identified that self-hatred in the West has multiple manifestations: the rejection of one’s own history, contempt for institutions and, especially, active hatred of Christianity. According to the philosopher, this phenomenon is not limited to religious disaffection, but translates into an attempt to eliminate the influence of the Catholic Church, which, in his opinion, shows the central importance of Christianity in European culture.
The philosopher also addressed how modern man has emptied his identity by detaching himself from natural and cultural determinations, such as his history, his sex or his belonging to the human species. This disconnection, Brague explained, leads to a kind of envy towards himself, a sin that he described as “diabolical” in the biblical sense: not as an enemy of God, but of the human being.
Jesus Christ as a response to the crisis
Jesus Christ as a response to the crisisDon Jesús Higueras, theologian and parish priest of Santa María de Caná, also participated in the event, stressing the need to reconnect with Jesus Christ as a source of salvation and hope. Faced with a society fractured by hedonism, moral relativism and gender ideology, Higueras said: “Jesus Christ crucified and resurrected is the only hope for humanity, as he restores to man the lost dignity.”
An opportunity to rediscover faith
Despite this grim diagnosis, Brague offered a hopeful message: the current crisis could be an opportunity to rediscover the vital urgency of faith. He noted that without a transcendent point of reference, humanity loses its intrinsic value and dignity, stating that the supposed “death of God” inevitably entails the “death of man.”
NEOS, a compass for society
The NEOS Foundation, organizer of the event, defines itself as a civil society movement dedicated to recovering the foundations of Christian humanism. Its goal is to influence social, cultural and political debate, providing a direction in a context of widespread crisis.
Events like this one show the importance of creating spaces to reflect on contemporary challenges from a Christian perspective, with the hope of building a more humane society connected to its roots.
Full text of the conference: “Why Western Man Hates Himself”, Rémi Brague
