Lien entre les hippies et la bible

Essay: Kerouac, Didion, and Sacred Texts - topic 3

There seems to be a near universal recognition across different cultures and time periods that the world is in a state of disorder or chaos, often perceived to be a result of a "fall" from an earlier ideal state. Humanity also seems to cling to the idea that this prelapsarian condition can somehow be recovered. Indeed, the counterculture movement that took place in the 1960s, otherwise known as the “Hippie” movement, reflected a desire for cultural renewal by trying to instate a utopian society with the ideas of freedom, justice and peace, among others. These ideas were founded on the fundamental principles of religions like Buddhism or Hinduism as well as the main ideas that the Beat Generation pushed towards. The reality of the movement was however very different from the utopian vision that inspired it as many of the young people who participated in the movement found themselves disillusioned and disenchanted by the lack of real progress that was made. The effects of this social revolution can nonetheless still be felt today.

After the very violent first 60 years of the American 20th century, with all the wars the country fought, some Americans started to believe that maybe their country was not so perfect after all. Emerging in San Francisco, the counterculture movement of the 1960s shaped the minds of millions of people and its influence can still be felt today. It broke all traditional concepts of American life and replaced them with its own. The young adults constituting this movement greatly believed in peace, which clashes with the Vietnam War that was happening at the same time. Indeed, they advocated for the resolution of such conflicts to be non-violent, a very new idea knowing the history between humanity and war. Furthermore, they pushed for more civil rights and social justice as they were closely connected to the civil rights movement and other efforts to promote social justice and equality. In addition to this, the Hippies were very active in the fight for more individual freedom and personal expression. They believed that anyone should be free to express themselves and make their own decisions, rather than being dictated to by society or by authority figures. Moreover, they were very mindful of the environmental issues in the world and started to reject the modern industrial society. They embraced more nomadic and alternative lifestyles and rejected traditional notions of family, marriage and gender roles. This type of life was greatly influenced by Jack Kerouac and his novel: On the Road.

On the Road is one of the key factors that sparked the 60s counterculture with its revolutionary ideas and principles. It is a celebration of youth, freedom, and the search for the meaning of life: “it”. Published in 1957, it has become a classic of the Beat Generation and a landmark of 20th century American litterature. It first pushed the boundaries by idolizing certain minorities that were sometimes persecuted at the time. As Kerouac describes Sal’s travels across the United States, he tells us about the different people he comes across, and some happen to be black, Mexican, gay, drug addicts, nomads… The sense of tolerance, in this case towards these minorities as Sal and Dean are white males, was very rare at the time. This idea of tolerance flowed from the novel through to the counterculture, and became one of the staples of the movement. In On the Road, the whole purpose behind the adventures of Sal and Dean is to find “it”: the true purpose and meaning of their lives. They try drugs, have sex with different women, find more and more introspective people to talk to, travel the continent and even take ridiculous jobs like policemen in search of this ultimate goal. This principle can be translated to what the Hippies were doing in the 60s. They tried to live as simply as possible, living a bohemian lifestyle that involved rejecting consumerism. They also often lived together, practicing a communal way of life and shared resources. These people live in such a way in order to get closer to nature, they indeed believed that living as simply as they could would liberate their mind from the capitalist “chains” and would allow them to find “it”. It can therefore naturally be said that the counterculture took as foundation the ideas behind On the Road, however they also took as roots much older yet similar fundamental principles: Hinduism and Buddhism.

Hinduism and Buddhism are ancient religions that have influenced the spiritual beliefs and practices of people in Asia for centuries. During the 1960s, many people within the counterculture were drawn to the ideas and practices of these more Eastern religions as a way to reject mainstream Western values and to find meaning and enlightenment in their lives. Combined with the Beat Generation “philosophers”, these religions brought the right foundations and principles for the counterculture to correctly flourish, and it did. There are many ways in which the ideas and practices of Hinduism and Buddhism intersect with and reflect the values of this movement, for example, both of these religions place a strong emphasis on the idea of personal transformation and the possibility of achieving enlightenment or spiritual liberation through meditation and other spiritual practices. This idea of personal growth and self-exploration was a central theme in this movement, as people sought to break free from the constraints of mainstream society and to find their own path in life. In addition, both Hinduism and Buddhism teach the importance of compassion, non-violence, and social justice, which were also important values for many people within the movement. Indeed, the counterculture was characterized by a strong sense of social and political activism, and many people within it were motivated by a desire to create a more just and compassionate world. Finally, these religions encourage the idea of non-attachment and the importance of letting go of material possessions and ego, another common idea with the Hippie movement. The utopian vision that inspired the movement, pushed by the Beat Generation and the religions, failed to materialize into anything the counterculture rooted for.

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