What is the point of believing in words when they seem to have been emptied of their meaning, recycled endlessly in political, commercial, and media discourse? Jean-Marc Esnault starts from this blunt and clear question. Rejecting cynicism, he explores what remains of language when it no longer enlightens, when it no longer connects. What if finding a single right word could transform the way we exist in the world?
In an era obsessed with "transition"—ecological, digital, societal—this book shines a spotlight on the ambiguity of a term that has become a universal mantra. The question is posed bluntly: is transition a genuine project of radical change or a linguistic ploy to delay action under the guise of virtue? To answer this, the author challenges conventional wisdom and breaks three silences. He shows how environmental urgency, when frozen into moralizing doctrine, can create a new communion where belief alone is sometimes enough to dispense with action. He dismantles the illusion that liberalism is solely responsible, and shows how, on the contrary, it highlights our contradictions: wanting more equality while refusing to make the personal sacrifices that this implies. Finally, he reminds us that all real change comes at a price: transition involves grief—identity-related, economic, psychological—that both companies and individuals still refuse to fully accept.
The word that wanted to change everything is neither a fairy tale nor a fable. It is a tense and sensitive essay that replaces incantations with a salutary lucidity. It names the impasses with an incisive style and powerful images, but refuses to give up on solutions. An essential book for all those who sense that "transition" is the word of our time—for better or for worse—and who are looking beyond worn-out terms for paths to genuine transformation.
This essay is in keeping with the spirit of the Contemporary Issues collection: shedding light on complex issues by rejecting obvious conclusions in order to open up debate.
ABDU GNABA Doctor of Anthropology, specialist in contemporary social imaginaries
