Ricognizioni. Uomini e problemi

by Julius Evola

Il presente volume ha una carattere analogo a quello dell'altro, già uscito, dal titolo "L'Arco e la Clava". Comprende un insieme di saggi scritti partendo dagli stessi principi, e il suo titolo, "Ricognizioni", vuol indicare anche la varietà delle applicazioni di essi in domini molteplici. Inoltre, vengono considerate particolari personalità, da un Donos Cortés, da un Pareto, da un De Maistre e da un Metternich ad un Michelstaedter, ad un Henry Miller e così via, nonché complessi problemi come quello della "rivoluzione dall'alto", dell' "ideale animale", del "tramonto dell'Oriente", del mito dell'Occidente, della gioventù politica e la gioventù biologica, dell'emergenza del Quinto Stato, non escludendo ricognizioni dottrinali in campi, come quello dello Zen, di cui viene indicato il senso e il clima, della cosiddetta Via della Mano Sinistra, del mito della regalità futura, del neo-realismo, delle fisime magiche, talvolta riportandosi anche al passato, come nella rievocazione della figura di un Giuliano Imperatore, nell'indicazione del significato che i Libri Sibillini ebbero nella Roma antica, del carattere dei misteri di Mitra. Si tratta pertanto di una materia varia ma evidentemente sempre attraente, in una trattazione che non esclude la postulazione di valori normativi, cioè da servire per una formazione inferiore e spirituale.

Indice - Sommario

Presentazione

1. Sul "neo-umanismo"
2. Rivoluzione dall'alto
3. L'avvento del "Quinto Stato"
4. Lo Stato e il Lavoro
5. Giovinezza biologica e giovinezza politica
6. Il problema della decadenza
7. Inversione dei simboli
8. Il morso della tarantola
9. Roma e i "Libri Sibillini"
10. Orientamenti sulla massoneria
11. Il tramonto dell'Oriente
12. Dioniso e la "Via della Mano Sinistra"
13. Il mito della regalità futura
14. Quo vadis. Ecclesia?
15. L'"amore del lontano"
16. La fisima della magia
17. Note sui Misteri di Mithra
18. Sulla "Via della Mano Sinistra"
19. Senso e clima dello Zen
20. Prospettive dell'Aldilà
21. Il doppio volto dell'epicureismo
22. Volti e poltiglia
23. L'Occidente ha una sua idea?
24. "Al muro del tempo"
25. La potenza e l'infantilismo
26. Giuliano Imperatore
27. Metternich
28. Donoso Cortes
29. Il fenomeno Henry Miller
30. Vilfredo Pareto, anticonformista e antidemocratico
31. Joseph De Maistre
32. Papini
33. Carlo Michelstaedter
34. Il caso di Giovanni Gentile
35. René Guénon e il "Tradizionalismo integrale"
36. Cultura e libertà
37. La Destra e la cultura
38. Prospettive della cultura di Destra
39. Storiografia di Destra
40. La Destra e la Tradizione

Genres: Philosophy, Politics, Nonfiction

243 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1974

About the author

Julius Evola, born Giulio Cesare Andrea Evola, was an Italian philosopher and esoteric scholar. Born in Rome to a family of the Sicilian landed gentry, Evola was raised a strict Catholic. Despite this, his life was characterised by 'an anti-bourgeois approach' hostile to both 'the dominant tradition of the West—Christianity and Catholicism—and to contemporary civilization—the 'modern world' of democracy and materialism'.

By turns 'engineering student, artillery officer, Dadaist poet and painter, journalist, alpinist, scholar, linguist, Orientalist, and political commentator', he has been described as a 'rare example of universality in an age of specialization'. Yet behind it all lay a singular emphasis on, and pursuit of, a 'direct relationship to the Absolute'. For Evola, 'the center of all things was not man, but rather the Transcendent.' This metaphysical conviction can be seen to have determined both Evola's stance on socio-political issues, and his antipathetic attitude towards 'all professional, sentimental and family routines'.

The author of many books on esoteric, political and religious topics (including The Hermetic Tradition, The Doctrine of Awakening and Eros and the Mysteries of Love), his best-known work remains Revolt Against the Modern World, a trenchant critique of modern civilisation that has been described as 'the gateway to his thought'. Since his death, also in Rome, his writings have influenced right-wing, reactionary and conservative political thought not only in his native Italy, but throughout continental Europe and, increasingly, the English-speaking world. Nevertheless, he should not be considered primarily as a political thinker, but rather as an exponent of the wider Traditionalist School that encompasses the work of such individuals as René Guénon, Titus Burckhardt and Frithjof Schuon.

Reviews

[Bobby Daugherty · Rating 5 out of 5]

Written towards the end of his life, a collection of essays that are direct as well as informative on the value of our heritage and birthright as well as the putrid elements opposing our very existence.

[Karol Kolbusz · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Recognitions" by Julius Evola is a collection of 40 essays and his final book, published shortly before his death in 1974. One of the practical advantages of the format is that the essays can be read in any order, making it easy to dip into whatever subject draws your attention.

The range of topics is remarkably broad, touching on nearly every major theme Evola dealt with across his career. Some of the subjects include: the doctrine of the four castes, the left-hand path, magic, political reflections on the modern right, Masonry, Mithraism, the Sibylline Books, and analyses of conservative thinkers such as Joseph de Maistre and Metternich. The translator deserves particular credit here, as the footnotes are very helpful and enlightening, especially when Evola references lesser-known authors or obscure concepts that would otherwise be difficult to understand.

The first half of the book is probably the strongest. Evola is at his best when addressing modern dissolution and historical subjects, particularly his essays on ancient Rome. The essays devoted to modern thinkers, by comparison, are somewhat less interesting.

This may not be the ideal starting point for someone entirely new to Evola. However, I can wholeheartedly recommend "Recognitions" to anyone already familiar with the works of the Baron. My suggestion would be to begin with whatever topics interest you most and go from there.

[Mariasole · Rating 3 out of 5]

Una buona fonte di brevi saggi su società, politica e storia Mi sarebbe piaciuto però che la casa editrice avesse inserito la data per ogni scritto,in modo da contenstualizzarli e relazionarli tra loro,

[Radu · Rating 4 out of 5]

As always, Evola is Cognac for the soul.

Perhaps not as insightful as his other works, but still a good collection of mostly post-WWII essays about the world as Evola saw it.