Ivan Illich had mapped out my frustrations, but with a clarity and brilliance I lacked.

Hey folks, I hope this substack finds you well. A while back I had hinted that I was putting together a primer of sorts on Ivan Illich, it was from this work that my Illich series here on substack sprung from. Well today I would like to present to you, my little effort in furthering our understanding on this great thinker. All your likes, comments, restacks and private messages, have been both an inspiration to write—and indeed material for this endeavour, so thank you! Below are a few pics from the book, and my introductory note to the reader. If you are interested in purchasing the primer (and it’s fine if you aren’t) then it is available on Amazon, or if you prefer not to use the megamachine that is Amazon, and you live in the UK, you can purchase directly from myself, just shoot me a private message and we will sort something out. Again thank for your help in this work.

Please note the primer and the substack articles are not the same thing, just in case you think the book is just the articles copied and pasted :-)

A Note to the Reader:

How I discovered Ivan Illich, or rather how he discovered me

For years, I’ve been that person—the one who bends ears with critiques about institutions. Not just surface-level complaints, but fundamental questions about what these institutions really stand for. Governments, schools, hospitals—so many of them seem to drift far from their stated purposes. Politics becomes less about the poli—the people—and more about preserving the machinery of power. Democracy, ostensibly about the demos—the citizens—feels hollow when it prioritises systems over voices. I’ve ranted about education, a system that often seems more invested in credentialing and conformity than in fostering genuine curiosity and learning. I’ve criticised healthcare, which, for all its technical advances, can feel like a labyrinth of bureaucracy, prioritising the continuity of its own sprawling infrastructure over patient welfare. And government? Let’s just say my frustrations there could fill volumes. For years, I thought I was a lone contrarian, offering my unsolicited observations to anyone who’d listen. Then, one day, everything changed. I was listening to a podcast—a fairly ordinary day, a fairly ordinary conversation. Somewhere in the mix, someone mentioned a name: Ivan Illich. A passing reference, barely elaborated on, yet it stuck with me. I Googled him later that day, curious. What I found intrigued me enough to order a few of his books. I didn’t know it then, but I was about to encounter a mind that would not only validate my frustrations but sharpen and expand them in ways I couldn’t have imagined. When those books arrived and I began reading, it was like stepping into a conversation with someone who had already mapped out my frustrations—but with a clarity and brilliance I lacked. Illich didn’t just critique institutions; he dissected them, exposing how they evolve to serve themselves rather than the people they claim to help.

• Schools, he argued, are no longer about learning but about credentialing and social sorting.

• Healthcare, instead of focusing on healing, medicalises life itself, creating dependencies that profit the system rather than the patient.

• Technology, which promises liberation, often ends up enslaving us to systems we don’t understand and can’t control.

It was more than validation; it was revelation. Illich had not only articulated the discontent I felt, but he had done so decades before me, and with a prophetic precision that made his critiques feel even more relevant today than when he first penned them. Illich wrote in a time before the internet, before smartphones, before algorithms shaped the fabric of our daily lives.

Yet his insights seem eerily prescient in today’s world:

• His warnings about technology feel tailored for an era where every interaction is mediated by screens and algorithms.

• His critiques of institutional healthcare resonate in a world of sprawling medical bureaucracies and profit-driven systems.

• His analysis of education is painfully evident in today’s obsession with credentials over creativity.

  

Reading Illich is like finding a lighthouse in the fog, a guide to navigating the alienation and frustrations of modernity. He wasn’t just a critic of his time; he saw the trajectory of institutions, and his voice rings louder and clearer as we live through the realities he foresaw. As I delved deeper into Illich’s work, I realised I wasn’t alone. His ideas are experiencing a quiet renaissance, popping up in conversations, podcasts, and articles. It seems that as the cracks in our institutions grow wider, more people are turning to Illich for answers. His critique of bureaucracy, technology, and institutional overreach speaks to the frustrations of a generation disillusioned with the promises of progress. In many ways, discovering Illich felt like joining an underground network—a shared recognition that the systems meant to liberate us have often done the opposite. It’s not just about critique; it’s about reimagining what life could look like if we focused less on preserving systems and more on restoring humanity, autonomy, and dignity. Illich hasn’t just shaped how I think about institutions—he’s shaped how I think about myself and the world around me. He gave me a vocabulary to articulate frustrations that once felt nebulous. He taught me to look beyond surface problems and question the very logic of the systems we take for granted. More importantly, he challenged me to think about alternatives—not in the form of grand, sweeping reforms, but in the quiet, human-scale changes that restore conviviality and connection.

I often think back to that random podcast, to the moment his name entered my world. It feels serendipitous, like a voice calling out just when I was ready to hear it. Illich didn’t just provide answers; he opened a door to an ongoing conversation, one that continues to challenge and provoke me. It is with this in mind that I present to you "Embodiment: The Philosophy of Ivan Illich" as a short primer on his work. Illich’s ideas are not only profoundly relevant—they are urgent. They offer a critique of modernity that cuts through the noise, pointing us toward a more humane, sustainable, and dignified way of living. My hope is that this piece serves as both an introduction and an invitation. For those who want to dive deeper, I cannot recommend highly enough Ivan Illich: An Intellectual Journey by David Cayley. Cayley’s work masterfully unpacks the depth and nuance of Illich’s thought, providing a comprehensive guide to his philosophy and its implications. Whether you are just beginning your journey or already familiar with Illich, Cayley’s book is an invaluable resource. So, whether you’ve stumbled upon Illich as I did or you’re seeking him out deliberately, welcome. I hope you find his work as challenging, inspiring, and transformative as I have. Let’s begin the conversation.

Robert Millar

Jan 2025