Jacques Ellul (1912-1994) is one of the philosophers that form the foundation of SPoR. The SPoR Body of Knowledge is demonstrated here: https://safetyrisk.net/spor-philosophy/; https://safetyrisk.net/spor-body-of-knowledge-a-video/; https://safetyrisk.net/social-psychology-of-risk-body-of-knowledge/. You can download the SPoR BoK here: https://spor.com.au/downloads/posters/
Ellul was a French philosopher, Christian Marxist, theologian, resistance fighter and professor. Noted as a Christian anarchist, polymath and prophet (https://www.plough.com/en/topics/life/technology/jacques-ellul-prophet-of-the-tech-age) he was longtime Professor of The Faculty of Law and Economic Sciences at the University of Bordeaux (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jacques_Ellul ).
Other noted philosophers that drive the philosophy of SPoR include: Kierkegaard, Buber, Ricoeur, Merleau-Ponty, Derrida, Jung, Brueggemann and the Apostle Paul. All, including Ellul, have a style that is dialectic, semiotic and poetic (https://www.humandymensions.com/product/poetics-and-risk-feeling-into-being/). I have never met any in safety who have read or studied these philosophers.
If you want to be safe and not offended by anything, then don’t read any of these. BTW, the idea of being offensive didn’t bother any of these philosophers indeed, the Apostle Paul describers his style as intentionally offensive (1 Cor 18). Moreso, Paul describes the focus of his enemies and opponents as ‘shit’ (Phil 3:8) amongst other names. Perhaps don’t read Paul either.
Ellul’s dialectical style deconstructed Technique (the ideology of efficiency), Propaganda and a range of Political ideologies that dehumanised persons. He is described by some as a ‘hopeful pessimist’ (https://sojo.net/magazine/august-1994/jacques-ellul-hopeful-pessimist) and he had plenty of enemies. His philosophy threatened people invested in Capital, Power, Technology and Propaganda.
If you want to find out what Ellul believed, you can read here: https://afkimel.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/what-i-believe-jacques-ellul.pdf; https://ia801807.us.archive.org/26/items/JacquesEllulAnarchyChristianity/jacques-ellul-anarchy-%26-christianity_text.pdf
If you want to understand Ellul’s dialectical method you can read here: https://robertoigarza.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/art-a-study-on-elluls-dialectical-approach-to-the-modern-and-spiritual-world-choi-2003.pdf
Of all his 44 books his greatest (in my view) is The Ethics of Freedom, a pretty tough read for many (https://archive.org/details/ethicsoffreedom0000ellu_x5i7). We have often tried to run a reading group on this text but we rarely get past Chapter 1.
If you want everything to be nice, comfortable, ordered, compliant and positive, then Ellul is not for you. If you don’t want to be offended then don’t read Ellul, perhaps a dose of Seligman is more your style.
The beauty of Ellul is his prophetic understanding of: ethics, personhood, power, dehumanisation, the quest for efficiency, theology and the nature of learning. Ellul, liberates you from the confines of authoritarianism, compliance, risk-aversion, fear, efficiency and indoctrination.
If this is appealing to you then perhaps you might enjoy the free workshops in Philosophy and Risk being offered in May: https://safetyrisk.net/philosophy-for-risk-and-safety-free-workshops/
Prof. Robert Long
Latest posts by Prof. Robert Long (see all)
- What Can Weick Offer Safety - April 12, 2026
- All Injuries are Preventable and Other Silly Safety Sayings - April 10, 2026
- Social Psychology of Risk – Body of Knowledge - April 10, 2026
- Free Workshops June – Weick and HROing - April 10, 2026
- What Are Moral Hazards? - April 8, 2026
Rob Sams says
Thanks for this piece. I’m grateful to the author for introducing me to Ellul.
Ellul has been one of those thinkers who continue to cause me to reflect, long after the first reading. His writing has also pushed me to sit with questions about power, control, and the seduction of efficiency.
I don’t want everything to be “nice, comfortable, ordered, compliant and positive”. When reflecting on Ellul’s work, I feel that modern attempts, including some posts on this site, differ somewhat from Ellul’s approach. To me, Ellul focuses much more on critiquing the system, society, and worldviews. Acknowledging, though, that I’m still learning.