Ebook: Men among the Ruins: Postwar Reflections of a Radical Traditionalist

Translated by Guido STUCCO. Edited by Michael MOYNIHAN. Foreword by Joscelyn GODWIN. Preface to the American Edition and Introduction by H.T. HANSEN. Introduction to the Italian Edition by Prince J. Valerio BORGHESE.

English translation published by Inner Traditions International, Rochester, Vermont, 2002. Originally published 1972 in Italian under the title "Gli uomini e le rovine" by Edizioni Mediterranee.

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"An unsparing indictment of modern society and politics. Evola rises above the usual dichotomies of left and right, liberal and conservative, through a trenchant critique of the metaphysics that lies at the base of modern values, challenging us to reconnect our lives and our institutions to the timeless spiritual standard that guided our ancestors."
Glenn A. Magee, author of "Hegel and the Hermetic Tradition".

"Disgusted by the cruelty and artificiality of communism, scornful of the dogmatic, self-centered fascism of his age, Evola looks beyond man-made systems to the eternal principles in creation and human society. The truth, as he sees it, is so totally at odds with the present way of thinking that it shocks the modern mind."
John Michell, author of "The New View Over Atlantis".

"Men Among the Ruins" is Evola's frontal assault on the predominant materialism of our time and the mirage of progress. For Evola and other proponents of Traditionalism, we are now living in an age of increasing strife and chaos: the Kali Yuga of the Hindus or the Germanic Ragnarok. In such a time, social decadence is so widespread that it appears as a natural component of all political institutions. Evola argues that the crises that dominate the daily lives of our societies are part of a secret occult war to remove the support of spiritual and traditional values in order to turn man into a passive instrument of the powerful.

Evola is often regarded as the godfather of contemporary Italian fascism and right-wing radical politics, but attentive examination of the historical record--as provided by H.T. Hanson's definitive introduction--reveals Evola to be a much more complex figure. Though he held extreme right-wing views, he was a fearless critic of the Fascist regime and preferred a caste system based on spirituality and intellect to the biological racism championed by the Nazis. Ultimately, he viewed the forces of history as comprised by two factions: "history's demolition squad" enslaved by blind faith in the future and those individuals whose watchword is Tradition. These latter stand in this world of ruins at a higher level and are capable of letting go of what needs to be abandoned in order that what is truly essential not be compromised.

JULIUS EVOLA (1898-1974) was one of the leading authorities on the world’s esoteric traditions. Inner Traditions has also published his "Introduction to Magic", "The Hermetic Tradition", and "Revolt Against the Modern World", among others.