Où va le monde? : Considérations philosophiques sur l'organisation sociale de demain

A penetrating exploration of how societies might rebuild after the upheaval of war, this work offers a sober yet hopeful roadmap for a new social order. Its author, a leading industrial figure of early twentieth‑century Europe, blends personal experience with rigorous philosophical inquiry, questioning the assumptions that once defined national strength. Divided into three sections—economics, morality, and the will—the text follows a logical progression from material foundations to ethical imperatives and finally to collective ambition.

Rathenau argues that both the rigid, class‑based organization praised by his countrymen and the unchecked individualism of their rivals share a dangerous commonality: they serve an increasingly mechanized capitalism that reduces human life to a set of predictable outputs. He calls for a different model—one that recognises the productive power of cooperation while safeguarding personal initiative, and that places the long‑term welfare of future generations above short‑term profit. Though rooted in the aftermath of World I, the questions he raises about economic equity, moral responsibility, and the role of collective will remain strikingly relevant today.