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Spiritual Authority and Temporal Power (Guenon, Rene. Works.) by René Guénon is a book available to read on EtoBox.

What is Spiritual Authority and Temporal Power (Guenon, Rene. Works.) about?

Spiritual Authority and Temporal Power is an analysis of cyclical manifestation, and more specifically of the relationship between royal and sacerdotal power. In accord with the Hindu doctrine of manvantaras and Plato's depiction of historical degeneration in the Republic, Guénon views history here as a series of 'revolts' of lower castes against the higher. The kshatriyas (warriors) revolt against the brahmins (priests), thus setting the stage for a revolt of the vaishyas (loosely, the bourgeoisie), as in the French revolution-and, finally, the shudras (the proletariat), as in the Russian revolution (which Guénon does not touch upon in this work). From one point of view, this is a progressive degeneration; from another it is entirely lawful, given the 'entropic' nature of manifestation itself. External, historical descent reflects an inner degeneration: knowledge (the celestial paradise) is eclipsed by heroic action (the terrestrial paradise), which is in turn overrun by the inertia and agitation of the passions. Yet the nadir of degeneration is also the point of renewal: the dawning of the Heavenly Jerusalem-spiritual Knowledge-which begins a new cycle of manifestation.

Author

René Guénon

Publisher

Ghent, NY: Sophia Perennis

Published

2001

Language

EN

ISBN

9780900588464

Subjects

Religion, Philosophy, Christian

Rating

4.43 / 5 (44 ratings)

Updated

2026-03-13