René Guénon

The Crisis of the Modern World

12:27 min

Philosophy, Politics, Religion, History

136 pages, 1927

Have you ever wondered if modern ideas of progress and innovation always lead to something good? In his thought-provoking work, René Guénon challenges popular notions of history as continuous advancement, instead arguing that time unfolds in cosmic cycles of rise and decline. Guénon takes readers on an illuminating journey through the ages, contrasting ancient spiritual wisdom with today's profane rationalism. Skillfully weaving concepts from Hinduism and Catholicism, the author builds a compelling case against modernity's unwavering belief in progress, egalitarianism, and materialism. This profound critique of contemporary civilization ultimately urges us to reconnect with tradition and rediscover timeless metaphysical truths, before the dark age envelops us completely. Will you heed the call?

René Guénon

René Guénon was a prominent French metaphysical writer and scholar of esoteric studies in world religions and spiritual traditions such as Sufism, Taoism, and Hinduism. With an encyclopedic knowledge of symbolism, mysticism, and the perennial philosophy spanning cultures and histories, Guénon authored extensively on spirituality, the crisis of modernity and the West, and the profound truths of tradition that transcend time and space. Regarded as instrumental in restoring the notion of metaphysics in a secular age, Guénon brought a rigorously critical lens to analyzing modernity’s tendency to deny higher states of being and man's attachment to the eternal.

Chapters

Modern linear view of history as continuous progress is wrong; time actually moves in cosmic cycles with alternating rises and falls. We are currently in a dark final age that began 6,000 years ago when sacred traditional wisdom was replaced by profane rationalistic philosophy, marking the transition from spiritual renewal to decay.

Go to chapter