Revolt Against the Modern World

Revolt Against the Modern World

First edition English hardcover, published by Inner Traditions in 1995
Author	Julius Evola
Language	Italian
Subject	Traditionalism
Publication date	1934
Media type	Print book

Revolt Against the Modern World: Politics, Religion, and Social Order in the Kali Yuga (Rivolta contro il mondo moderno) is a book by Julius Evola, first published in Italy, in 1934. Widely seen as his magnum opus, it is an elucidation of his Traditionalist world view.

The first part of the book deals with the concepts of the Traditional world; its knowledge of the bridge between the earthly and the transcendent worlds. The second part deals with the modern world, contrasting its characteristics with those of traditional societies: from politics and institutions to views on life and death. Evola denounces the regressive aspects of modern civilisation (using Tradition as a normative principle).

Rivolta contro il mondo moderno was published in Milan by Hoepli in 1934. In 1969 a revised and augmented edition was published. Translated into English by Guido Stucco (from the 1969 edition), it was published by Inner Traditions in 1995 and as a 375-page hardcover (ISBN 089281506X). It has also been translated into German, Spanish, French, Serbian and Hungarian.^[1]

Reviews

"It is a book whose ideas and assumptions extend the horizons of almost every European problem to a degree hitherto unknown and unseen. Anyone who has read the book will see Europe differently. It is the first broad-ranging presentation of one of the basic spiritual impulses that is still active in Europe today—meaning by "active" that which is epoch-making, far-reaching in its destruction of feelings about the world, changing, and redirecting: it is the impulse that opposes history. For this very reason, it is an eminently important book for Germany, because history is a specifically German problem, and the philosophy of history a professedly Germanic form of self-understanding" —Gottfried Benn, in Die Literatur, 1935

"What is it, then, this world of Tradition? First, it is a novel and evocative representation; no naturalistic or historical concept, but a vision, an erection, an enchantment. It evokes the world as universal, super-earthly and super-human. But this evocation can only arise and take effect when there are still remnants of this universality present, so that just to approach and grasp it is to be exceptional, elite, elect. This concept allows cultures to be liberated from humanity and from history, and to elevate their differences to a metaphysical plane, where they can be rebuilt in freedom and give birth to a new image of man: the ancient, lofty, transcendent man who is the bearer of Tradition". —Gottfried Benn, in Die Literatur, 1935

"Revolt Against the Modern World is destined to remain an essential work and frame-of-reference for anyone seriously involved in native European spirituality." —Michael Moynihan, in Vortru

"Evola does not write in abstract philosophical language but in lively prose, filled with fascinating and concrete details. Given a basic grounding in history and culture, one can dip into the book anywhere and find new twists and reinterpretations. Such an encounter with a totally original mind is a rarity in these days of bland consensus, and a thrilling one whether one agrees with Evola or not." —Joscelyn Godwin, in Gnosis Magazine

References