Author: Andrew Taggart
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Guenon’s Critique Of Western Modernity
To simplify to an extreme, it could be said that Rene Guenon’s most trenchant critique of Western modernity boils down to the insight that Westerners have no understanding of, or room for, the faculty of intellectual intuition (i.e., direct apperception or gnosis). Instead, our mentality is dominated, by and large, by the operations of the…
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‘Knowledge Is Bondage And Not Knowing Is Bondage’
In his commentary on Shiva Sutras, Lakshamjoo translates verse 2 thus: “Knowing differentiatedly and not knowing undifferentiatedly is bondage.” He comments: “Knowledge is bondage. What knowledge is bondage? Differentiated knowledge. What not knowing is bondage? Not knowing your own undifferentiated self. So knowing individual consciousness as one’s own nature and not knowing universal consciousness as…
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‘Westerners Have Very Little Natural Aptitude For Metaphysics’
In 1921, the traditionalist Rene Guenon began to set forth his understanding of perennial philosophy. Introduction to the Study of the Hindu Doctrines, his first book, offers more than an introduction to a study of some doctrine or other; it, in fact, combines a rich contemplation on metaphysics with a strident, unwavering critique of the…
Andrew Taggart, Ph.D. 