Traditionalism: The Radical Project for Restoring Sacred Order

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From a leading expert, a history and analysis of Traditionalism, one of the least-known and most influential philosophies, that is having a profound impact on politics today Western politics has changed. The Brexit referendum and the election of Donald Trump in 2016 were not random events, nor was the one-third share of the vote won by Marine Le Pen in the 2017 French presidential election. The classic contest between the centre-left and centre-right no longer shapes Western politics. Some of the leading architects of the swing to populism are all affiliated with Traditionalism- Steve Bannon in the United States. Aleksandr Dugin in Russia. Olavo de Carvalho in Brazil. All rising to positions of power in the past decade. This book explores and explains Traditionalism, one of the most influential and least understood of these ideologies. Traditionalism combines a radical critique of modernity with a vision of a better alternative that is rooted in timeless spiritual precepts. Traditionalists hold that modernity is not, as many people think, the triumph of human progress, but rather the result of inexorable decline. Modern humanity, they contend, has lost touch with the ancient spiritual and philosophical truths that were once the basis of a healthy society composed of people living as they are meant to live. It is essential to understand this philosophy that is shaping our world, and Mark Sedgwick is the perfect guide.

Reviews

Mark Sedgwick is one of our most trustworthy and erudite scholars of religion. Here, with a sure hand, he guides readers through a terribly important conversation among a group of intellectuals, commonly called Traditionalists, who see flaws in modernity, secularism, and democracy. The end result is a much better understanding of Traditionalism and how its contemporary right-wing proponents have distorted it. This will become a kind of go-to book for how to think, subtly and robustly, about Traditionalism in our contemporary world -- Jeffrey J. Kripal, author of THE SUPERHUMANITIES
Traditionalism, propounded by Ren Gunon and pursued by others through the twentieth century, has roared back into prominence in recent years, having once been declared almost entirely defunct. Mark Sedgwick's literate and sensible thematic overview of this movement's principal doctrines is indispensable for anyone seeking to make sense of the changing ideological landscape of the present -- Samuel Moyn, Chancellor Kent Professor of Law and History, Yale University
An informed, broad, user-friendly book on Traditionalism needed to be written - the ideas at the core of this philosophy, though once confined to the underground of Western thought, have become increasingly influential. Nobody is more qualified than Professor Mark Sedgwick to write such a book. The foremost international expert on Traditionalism and its history, Sedgwick draws here on his extensive academic knowledge and talent as a writer to produce an accessible guide, illuminating hidden ideas and providing a readers a path to understand some of the most radical social, religious, and political thinking in the world -- Benjamin R. Teitelbaum, Associate Professor, University of Colorado Boulder, and author of WAR FOR ETERNITY: THE RISE OF THE POPULIST RIGHT AND THE RETURN OF TRADITIONALISM

Author Bio

Mark Sedgwick trained as a historian at Oxford University, taught for many years at the American University in Cairo, and finally moved to Denmark, where he is Professor of Arab and Islamic Studies at Aarhus University. He is also chair of the Nordic Society for Middle Eastern Studies. His work has focused mostly on Islam, Sufism, Traditionalism, and terrorism. He's known especially for his book Against the Modern World- Traditionalism and the Secret Intellectual History of the Twentieth Century (New York- Oxford University Press, 2004) and his work on radicalisation.