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The Essential René Guénon: Metaphysics, Tradition, and the Crisis of Modernity Appears As One of Our Selections in the Perennial Philosophy Series

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The Essential René Guénon: Metaphysics, Tradition, and the Crisis of Modernity Appears As One of Our Selections in the Perennial Philosophy Series Religion/Philosophy Herlihy René Guénon (1886-1951) was one of the founders of the Perennialist or Traditionalist school of comparative religious The Essential thought. In a time of unquestioning belief in the dogmas of progress and evolution, Guénon issued a devastating critique of the modern world. A pioneering philosopher and orientalist, René Guénon he also provided the intellectual keys for a reclamation of the West’s spiritual riches through an exposition of the Eastern metaphysical doctrines. Metaphysics, Tradition, and the Crisis of Modernity ᇶሂሃᇶ Guénon René Essential The “No living writer in modern Europe is more signifi cant than René Guénon, whose task it has been to expound the universal metaphysical tradition that has been the essential foundation of every past culture, and which represents the indispensable basis for any civilization deserving to be so-called.” —Ananda K. Coomaraswamy, author of Hinduism and Buddhism “René Guénon is without doubt one of the colossal fi gures of the century, whose fame only increases with the passing of days.” —Seyyed Hossein Nasr, The George Washington University, author of Knowledge and the Sacred “René Guénon … [is] one of the greatest prophets of our time, whose voice is even more important today than when he was alive.” —Huston Smith, author of The World’s Religions and Why Religion Matters “Many of Guenon’s books . are such potent and detailed metaphysical attacks on the downward drift of Western civilization as to make all other contemporary critiques seem half-hearted by comparison.” —Jacob Needleman, editor of The Sword of Gnosis “Guénon was a pioneer. Before him, no one in modern times had expounded the principles of truth and intellectuality in such a complete and uncompromising manner; and above all, no one had perceived and defi ned the errors and deviations of the modern world with such perspicacity and philosophical clarity.” —William Stoddart, author of Remembering in a World of Forgetting Edited by World Wisdom John Herlihy World Introduction by Wisdom $ 24.95 US SOPHIA PERENNIS Martin Lings About the Author of This Book “In a world increasingly rife with heresy and pseudo-religion, Guénon had to remind twentieth century man of the need for orthodoxy, which presupposes firstly a Divine Revelation and secondly a Tradition that has handed down with fidelity what Heaven has revealed. He thus restores to orthodoxy its true meaning, rectitude of opinion which compels the intelligent man not only to reject heresy but also to recognize the validity of faiths other than his own if they also are based on the same two principles, Revelation and Tradition.” —Martin Lings, author of Ancient Beliefs and Modern Superstitions “If during the last century or so there has been even some slight revival of awareness in the Western world of what is meant by metaphysics and metaphysical tradition, the credit for it must go above all to Guénon. At a time when the confusion into which modern Western thought had fallen was such that it threatened to obliterate the few remaining traces of genuine spiritual knowledge from the minds and hearts of his contemporaries, Guénon, virtually single-handed, took it upon himself to reaffirm the values and principles which, he recognized, constitute the only sound basis for the living of a human life with dignity and purpose or for the formation of a civilization worthy of the name.” —Philip Sherrard, author of Christianity: Lineaments of a Sacred Tradition “Apart from his amazing flair for expounding pure metaphysical doctrine and his critical acuteness when dealing with the errors of the modern world, Guénon displayed a remarkable insight into things of a cosmological order. He all along stressed the need, side by side with a theoretical grasp of any given doctrine, for its concrete—one can also say its ontological—realization failing which one cannot properly speak of knowledge.” —Marco Pallis, author of A Buddhist Spectrum “Guénon’s mission was two-fold: to reveal the metaphysical roots of the ‘crisis of the modern world’ and to explain the ideas behind the authentic and esoteric teachings that still [remain] alive.” —Harry Oldmeadow, author of Traditionalism: Religion in the Light of the Perennial Philosophy “To a materialistic society enthralled with the phenomenal universe exclusively, Guénon, taking the Vedanta as point of departure, revealed a metaphysical and cosmological teaching both macrocosmic and microcosmic about the hierarchized degrees of being or states of existence, starting with the Absolute . and terminating with our sphere of gross manifestation.” —Whitall N. Perry, editor of A Treasury of Traditional Wisdom “Guénon established the language of sacred metaphysics with a rigor, a breadth, and an intrinsic certainty such that he compels recognition as a standard of comparison for the twentieth century.” —Jean Borella, author of Guénonian Esoterism and Christian Mystery “René Guénon was the chief influence in the formation of my own intellectual outlook (quite apart from the question of Orthodox Christianity). It was René Guénon who taught me to seek and love the truth above all else, and to be unsatisfied with anything else.” —Fr. Seraphim Rose, author of The Soul After Death “His mixture of arcane learning, metaphysics, and scathing cultural commentary is a continent in itself, untouched by the polluted tides of modernity. Guénon’s work will not save the world—it is too late for that—but it leaves no reader unchanged.” —Jocelyn Godwin, author of Mystery Religions in the Ancient World “René Guénon defies classification. Were he anything less than a consummate master of lucid argument and forceful expression, his work would certainly be unknown to all but a small, private circle of admirers.” —Gai Eaton, author of The Richest Vein “René Guénon is one of the few writers of our time whose work is really of importance. He stands for the primacy of pure metaphysics over all other forms of knowledge, and presents himself as the exponent of a major tradition of thought, predominantly Eastern, but shared in the Middle Ages by the . West.” —Walter Shewring, translator of Homer’s Odyssey World Wisdom The Library of Perennial Philosophy â The Library of Perennial Philosophy is dedicated to the exposition of the timeless Truth underlying the diverse religions. This Truth, often referred to as the Sophia Perennis—or Perennial Wisdom—finds its expression in the revealed Scriptures as well as the writings of the great sages and the artistic creations of the traditional worlds. The Essential René Guénon: Metaphysics, Tradition, and the Crisis of Modernity appears as one of our selections in the Perennial Philosophy series. The Perennial Philosophy Series â In the beginning of the twentieth century, a school of thought arose which has focused on the enunciation and explanation of the Perennial Philosophy. Deeply rooted in the sense of the sacred, the writings of its leading exponents establish an indispensable foundation for understanding the timeless Truth and spiritual practices which live in the heart of all religions. Some of these titles are companion volumes to the Treasures of the World’s Religions series, which allows a comparison of the writings of the great sages of the past with the perennialist authors of our time. René Guénon in Egypt THE ESSENTIAL RENÉ GUÉNON Metaphysics, Tradition, and the Crisis of Modernity Edited by John Herlihy Introduction by Martin Lings The Essential René Guénon: Metaphysics, Tradition, and the Crisis of Modernity © 2009 World Wisdom, Inc. and Sophia Perennis All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner without written permission, except in critical articles and reviews. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Guénon, René. [Selections. English. 2009] The essential René Guénon : metaphysics, tradition, and the crisis of modernity / edited by John Herlihy ; introduction by Martin Lings. p. cm. -- (The perennial philosophy series) Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 978-1-933316-57-4 (pbk. : alk. paper) 1. Tradition (Philosophy) 2. Religion. I. Herlihy, John. II. Title. B2430.G82E54 2009 194--dc22 2009027980 Cover: Tile decoration from the Alhambra Palace, Granada, Spain Printed on acid-free paper in The United States of America. For information address World Wisdom, Inc. P.O. Box 2682, Bloomington, Indiana 47402-2682 www.worldwisdom.com If you do not know, ask the people who know. (Koran 16:43) Spirit is still, but it sings sweetly and universes are born. They live in the infinite ocean of the Spirit like ice floating on water. (Swami Ramdas) CONTENTS Preface by John Herlihy ix Introduction by Martin Lings xvii PART 1: THE MODERN WORLD 1. The Dark Age 3 2. Sacred and Profane Science 16 3. A Material Civilization 28 4. Introduction to The Reign of Quantity and the Signs of the Times 43 5. Quality and Quantity 52 6. The Postulates of Rationalism 57 7. The End of a World 63 8. Civilization and Progress 68 PART 2: THE METAPHYSICAL WORLD 9. Eastern Metaphysics 77 10. What is Meant by Tradition? 93 11. Essential Characteristics of Metaphysics 97 12. Metaphysical Realization 105 13. Sanātana Dharma 108 14. Some Remarks on the Doctrine of Cosmic Cycles 117 15. Foundation of the Theory of the Multiple States 124 16. The Realization of the Being through Knowledge 128 PART 3: THE HINDU WORLD 17. On the Exact Meaning of the Word “Hindu” 135 18. Perpetuity of the Veda 140 19. The Law of Manu 144 20. Principles Governing the Institution of Caste 149 21. Yoga 154 22. General Remarks on the Vedānta 158 23. The Vital Center of the Human Being: Seat of Brahma 171 24. The Degrees of Individual Manifestation 179 25. Buddhi or the Higher Intellect 183 26. Final Deliverance 187 PART 4: THE TRADITIONAL WORLD 27. Kabbalah 197 28. The Symbolism of the Grail 201 29.
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