Ep368: Aristocracy of the Soul - Dr Francisco José Luis
Dr Francisco José Luis is a scholar of Indo-Iranian Studies and Comparative Religion trained at the Sorbonne, Paris and SOAS, London.
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Francisco describes the religious and philosophical view of Traditionalism, tracing the ideas of figures such as René Guénon, Julius Evola, and Henry Corbin to give a sense of the different strands of this increasingly influential system of thought.
Francisco explains what he sees as the importance of uniting spiritual and martial disciplines, recounts his own experiences of receiving death threats during his academic research, and argues for an aristocracy of the soul.
Francisco also addresses criticisms that associate Traditionalism with the political far right, various forms of ethnic and cultural chauvinism, and imperialism; compares and contrasts different caste and class systems from around the world; and outlines his objections to Plato’s ideas about education.
00:00 - Intro
01:06 - First encounter with Traditionalism
06:03 - René Guénon
10:11 - Devotion to Indian saints
12:05 - Concern for the working class
15:51 - At odds with society’s direction
16:55 - Beyond René Guénon
17:50 - Debates are a competition between egos
19:30 - Julius Evola and the aristocracy of the Soul
22:45 - Who was Julius Evola
26:02 - Warriors, Brahmins, and merchants
28:07 - Corruption of the Brahmin class
29:51 - Evola’s theory of the body, soul, and spirit
33:05 - Evola and fascism
34:58 - Trial of Evola
36:31 - Francisco’s favourite Traditionalist
37:15 - Where does religion and mysticism fit into Traditionalism?
42:30 - Elites should practice a spiritual discipline
44:03 - Critique of institutional Catholicism
45:17 - Warrior spirituality
47:33 - Why Francisco is attracted to Sikhism
48:45 - Spiritual warfare
51:39 - Sikh Khalsa
52:17 - Francisco’s interest in the martial arts
55:13 - Receiving death threats
57:37 - Facing death like a samurai
59:38 - Embodiment
01:01:13 - Limitations of Henry Corbin
01:05:41 - Is Traditionalism far right?
01:20:34 - Cultures should respect each other
01:25:31 - European vs American cultures
01:26:44 - Pros and cons of American culture
01:31:55 - Warning about the language of Traditionalism
01:32:48 - Spirituality and politics
01:34:37 - Warrior spirituality is not for everyone
01:41:28 - Dangers of warrior spirituality
01:42:24 - Francisco’s spiritual path
01:43:11 - Francisco’s therapy journey
01:45:15 - Setting boundaries without hatred
01:47:13 - Why discuss the application of religion to politics?
01:48:52 - Plato’s views on education
01:50:55 - Francisco’s disagreement with Plato
01:53:18 - Francisco’s suggestion for education
01:55:15 - Waldorf education
01:55:59 - Speculum principum
Previous episodes with Dr Francisco José Luis:
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Music ‘Deva Dasi’ by Steve James