Julius Evola facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Julius Evola
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Evola in the early 1940s
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| Born |
Giulio Cesare Andrea Evola
19 May 1898 |
| Died | 11 June 1974 (aged 76) Rome, Republic of Italy
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| Era | 20th-century philosophy |
| Region | |
| School | Perennialism Traditionalism Conservative Revolution |
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Main interests
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Notable ideas
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| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  Kingdom of Italy |
| Service/ |
 Italian Army |
| Years of service | 1917–1918 |
| Rank | Artillery officer |
| Battles/wars | World War I |
Giulio Cesare Andrea "Julius" Evola (1898–1974) was an Italian philosopher. He was known for his ideas about tradition, heroism, and a strong, ordered society. Evola believed in values like authority, discipline, and obedience. He was an unusual thinker in Italy during the 1920s and 1930s. After World War II, his ideas continued to influence certain political groups.
Evola was born in Rome. He served as an artillery officer during World War I. He started his career as an artist in the Dada movement, but later stopped painting. In the 1920s, he became very interested in spiritual and mystical topics. He wrote about ancient spiritual traditions and developed his own ideas, which he called "magical idealism."
His writings combine ideas from German philosophy, Eastern spiritual teachings, and traditional beliefs. He explored topics like Hermeticism (ancient wisdom), Tantra (a spiritual practice), Hinduism, Buddhism, and Taoism. Evola believed that humanity was living in a "Dark Age" of materialism. To fix this, he suggested a return to a "world of Tradition." For Evola, this Tradition was not about Christianity, as he did not believe in God. Instead, it was about timeless spiritual knowledge and values like order and discipline.
Evola also wrote about politics. He supported some of Italy's racial laws during the 1930s. He spent time in Germany during World War II. After the war, he was tried in court but was found not guilty. He continued to write and influence political thinkers until his death in 1974.
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Early Life and Art
Giulio Cesare Evola was born in Rome on May 19, 1898. His parents were from Sicily. His father was a telegraph mechanic, and his mother was a landowner. Evola had an older brother. His family was Roman Catholic, but Evola did not follow their faith.
He studied engineering but did not finish his degree. He said he did not want to be part of "normal academic recognition." As a teenager, Evola loved painting and reading. He was influenced by writers like Oscar Wilde and philosophers like Friedrich Nietzsche.
Evola was drawn to new and experimental art movements. For a short time, he was part of the Futurism movement. He later left this group because he disagreed with their extreme nationalism. During World War I, Evola volunteered and served as an artillery officer. He saw some frontline action in 1918.
After the war, Evola became a painter in Italy's Dada movement. He called his paintings "inner landscapes." He also wrote poetry in French. He was an important figure in Italian Dadaism. Evola saw Dadaism as a way to challenge traditional ways of thinking. In 1922, he stopped painting and writing poetry. He felt that avant-garde art was becoming too commercial. Evola was also a skilled mountaineer, seeing it as a spiritual experience.
He explored spiritual and "supra-rational" studies. He read many ancient texts and learned about alchemy, magic, and Eastern studies, especially Tibetan Tantric yoga.
Evola's Philosophy
Evola's writings mixed ideas from German philosophy, Eastern spiritual teachings, and traditional beliefs. He was especially influenced by the "Conservative Revolution" movement between the World Wars. Evola saw himself as part of a special group that once ruled in an ancient "Golden Age." He believed the modern world was a "Dark Age" of disorder.
He thought that human history was generally declining. He saw modern times as a temporary win for chaos over tradition. For Evola, Tradition was a timeless, supernatural knowledge. It included absolute values like authority, order, discipline, and obedience. He believed that basic human activities could become ritualistic and offer a glimpse of an unchanging, eternal world. To make Tradition win over chaos, he believed people needed to obey a ruling class.
Evola wrote a lot about mysticism, Tantra, Hermeticism, and the myth of the Holy Grail. His book The Hermetic Tradition is seen as an important work on Hermeticism by some scholars. He believed that ancient wisdom could help people become "god-men."
Evola was interested in tantra because it offered a practical way to have spiritual experiences. He believed that certain strong individuals could use powerful forces to fight against the modern world. He called these "virile heroes" and said they were both generous and strong rulers.
Evola's idea of spirituality was about achieving a feeling of superiority within oneself. It was also about showing a noble attitude in one's actions. He tried to create a model for people to find their "absolute" inner self. He believed that spiritual freedom came from strict physical and mental discipline. Evola said his life was defined by the balance between a desire for spiritual freedom and a "warrior spirit."
His ideas appealed to those who rejected modern society, democracy, and technology. Evola disliked liberalism because it challenged social classes and natural differences. He was described as one of the "strangest intellectual figures" of his time.
Writings and Politics
Evola wrote over 36 books and more than 1,100 articles. He sometimes used pen names, like Ea or Arthos.
He wrote for various newspapers and magazines. From 1934 to 1943, he was in charge of the philosophy section of Il Regime Fascista, an important newspaper. He used this platform to publish ideas from right-wing thinkers around the world. Evola supported Italy's expansionist policies, praising the "sacred valor of war."
In his book Metaphysics of War, Evola explored the idea that war could be a spiritually fulfilling experience. He believed warriors needed a spiritual purpose. Evola also translated works by other philosophers into Italian.
Evola believed that a state should be ruled by a spiritual elite, who would have complete power over the people. He saw the Nazi SS and Romanian Iron Guard as examples of such elites. Evola's philosophy combined spiritual ideas with the political concerns of authoritarian groups in Europe.
He had some contact with Italy's leader, Benito Mussolini, and advised him on racial policies. However, Evola was seen as an unusual thinker and was not officially part of the government. He chose not to join Italy's main political party at the time. He believed his "imperial paganism" did not fit well with a party that supported the Catholic Church.
Evola was arrested in Italy in 1951. He was accused of trying to bring back the Fascist Party. Evola said he was not a Fascist but a "superfascist," meaning his ideas went beyond Fascism. He was found not guilty of all charges.
Ideas on Italy's Government
Evola was interested in Mussolini's rise to power in 1922. He praised the government's efforts to make Italians into strong, military-minded people. However, he criticized any moves towards democracy. Evola felt that the government was not "fascist enough."
He liked the government's focus on making citizens into strong warriors. But he criticized its popular appeal and party politics. Evola believed the government lacked a cultural or spiritual foundation. He wanted to add these elements to create a society based on his ideal of a superior culture, like the ancient Roman Empire.
Evola believed the government should control the Catholic Church, not negotiate with it. He also disliked the "plebeian" (common people) nature of some political movements. He thought Mussolini should have ended his party after 1922 and become a loyal advisor to the King. Evola started a journal called La Torre (The Tower) in 1930 to promote a more elite social order. He wrote that he wanted a "more radical, more intrepid, a truly absolute fascism." His ideas were not popular with the mainstream government. La Torre was shut down after five months.
Later, in 1934, Evola was put in charge of the cultural page of an important newspaper, a position he held until 1943.
In 1938, Italy introduced racial laws. Evola supported these laws and called for actions against "the Jewish menace." Mussolini read Evola's book on race in 1941 and praised it. Evola became a leading thinker on race in Italy. Mussolini even told his Ministry of Popular Culture to follow Evola's ideas on race.
Connections in Germany
Evola found Italy's government "too compromising." He sought more recognition in Nazi Germany. He began giving lectures there in 1934. He felt comfortable with the aristocratic groups in Berlin. Evola liked what he saw as the Nazis' attempt to create a "new political-military Order" based on race. He believed the Nazis took their traditional thinkers seriously. Evola thought more highly of Adolf Hitler than Mussolini, though he had some concerns about Hitler's focus on national identity. Evola wanted a spiritual connection between Italy and Germany and for them to win World War II.
Evola admired Heinrich Himmler, a leader in the Nazi SS, and knew him personally. However, Nazi authorities initially did not fully accept Evola's ideas. They saw his plans for a "Roman-Germanic Imperium" as "utopian." They recommended stopping his influence in Germany.
Despite this, Evola made political connections within the Nazi system. He worked for the Sicherheitsdienst, an intelligence agency. This agency helped him get rare books on occult and Masonic topics.
When Mussolini was removed from power in 1943, Evola fled to Berlin. He was one of the first people to greet Mussolini when he was freed from prison. Evola then became involved with Mussolini's new government, which was controlled by the Nazis. Evola returned to Rome in 1943 to start a new political group. He later fled to Vienna in 1944.
In Vienna, Evola studied documents taken by the Nazis. He worked with Nazi and other leaders to recruit an army to fight against the Allies. It was his habit to walk around the city during bombing raids to "ponder his destiny." In 1945, during one such bombing, a shell fragment hit him. He became paralyzed from the waist down for the rest of his life.
Later Years and Influence
After being treated for his injuries in Austria, Evola returned to Italy in 1948.
He became a key figure for many radical right-wing groups in Italy through his writings and youth groups. Evola continued his work on spiritual topics. He also wrote political books like Men Among the Ruins (1953) and Ride the Tiger (1961), and his autobiography, The Path of Cinnabar (1963). He also wrote about his criticisms of American society and its influence in Europe.
In 1951, Evola was arrested again. He was accused of being the ideologist for a militant group. He was carried into the courtroom on a stretcher. He argued that his work was part of a long tradition of anti-democratic writers. He was found not guilty of all charges.
Evola tried to distance himself from Nazism, but he still criticized the Nuremberg trials. He wanted to create a "conservative revolution" in Europe after World War II. He rejected nationalism and instead supported a European "Imperium" that would be "organic, hierarchical, anti-democratic, and anti-individual." Evola believed this new order could be led by an elite group of "superior" men.
Evola's ideas influenced many European far-right political groups after World War II. He is considered one of the most important intellectual figures for the radical right in Europe. His writings have been translated into many languages.
Some leaders of political groups have said they were influenced by Evola. For example, the leader of the Greek neo-Nazi party Golden Dawn includes his works on their reading list. The leader of the Hungarian nationalist party Jobbik also admires Evola. References to Evola are also found in the alt-right movement.
Personal Life
Evola never married and had no children. He spent his later years in his apartment in Rome. He died on June 11, 1974, in Rome. According to his will, his ashes were placed in a glacier on Monte Rosa in the Pennine Alps.
Works
- Books
- The Individual and the Becoming of the World (1926)
- Man as Potency (1925)
- The Theory of the Absolute Individual (1927)
- Pagan Imperialism (1928)
- The Phenomenology of the Absolute Individual (1930)
- The Worker in the Thought of Ernst Jünger (1960)
- Collections
- Essays on Magical Idealism (1925)
- Articles and pamphlets
- On the Secret of Decay (1938)
- Vampirism and Vampires (1973)
- Works edited and/or translated by Evola
- Tao Tê Ching: The Book of the Way and Virtue (1923)
See also
- Mysticism
- Traditionalist School
- Western esotericism
