Reading Anton Jäger’s Hyperpolitics recently I came across the following sentence:

That humanity faces world-historical challenges at the beginning of the twenty-first century — from global warming and economic inequality to mounting geopolitical tensions — is a banausic truism.

That word “banausic” didn’t really stump me because I could guess its meaning in context. I also felt like it was a word I had known and even used previously, even though I couldn’t quite place it. So a bit of spadework was in order.

Banausic derives from the Greek banausos, a pejorative term for manual laborers such as blacksmiths or carpenters. It’s been speculated that the etymology is from baunos (furnace) and originally referred to jobs involving fire, like a smith or potter. This has, however, been questioned. The main point is that Greek intellectual life took a dim view of working-class jobs so calling something banausic was a putdown.

In modern times the meaning has stayed along these same lines. Apparently it is still used in German to describe an uncultured person or Philistine. In English it has been defined as meaning vulgar or mundane, or (in slightly less negative terms) merely utilitarian and practical. It’s even been expanded to refer to any profession (law, business) that prioritizes making money over the life of the mind.

Having gathered all this, I was left wondering: was Jäger using the word correctly? I think what he meant was that the fact that the world faces a lot of serious challenges is a banal observation. Banal having the meaning of being unoriginal, dull, or inane, and deriving from a French word for a feudal lord’s rights (I’m not sure I understand the connection). I think this is what Jäger meant, as banausic doesn’t really fit. If you’re going to flash around fancy words you have to use them right!

Words, words, words