Traditionalism (perennialism)

Traditionalism, also known as the Traditionalist School, is a school of thought within perennial philosophy. Originating in the thought of René Guénon in the 20th century, it proposes that a single primordial, metaphysical truth forms the source for, and is shared by, all the major world religions. Unlike universalist forms of perennialism based on commonalities in religious experiences across cultures, Traditionalism posits a metaphysical unitary source known as Tradition which forms the basis for the major religions in their "orthodox" forms.

Tradition has exoteric and esoteric dimensions. The exoteric aspects of a tradition are primarily represented by its ceremonies, rituals, and rules, whereas the esoteric aspects are concerned with its spiritual and intellectual qualities. Traditionalists often confront "tradition" to "modernity". While "tradition" has a transcendent origin, "modernity" takes little or no account of this dimension. Traditionalists reject syncretism, scientism, and secularism, and strongly criticise the modern worldview, while defending the transcendent dimension of reality that they see as inherent in pre-modern religions and cultures.

The boundary between the terms "Traditionalism" and "Perennialism" is imprecise and disputed, though they broadly represent distinct, but related, streams of thought. While some Traditionalists equate their philosophy with perennialism writ large and use the terms synonymously or interchangeably, not all perennialists consider themselves Traditionalists. Despite being seen as the founder of Traditionalism, Guénon rejected the label and referred to himself only as a perennialist. Aldous Huxley, who popularized the term "perennial philosophy" in his 1945 book, had a mystical universalist perspective distinct from that of the Traditionalist School.

Historian Mark Sedgwick identifies René Guénon, Ananda Coomaraswamy, Frithjof Schuon, Seyyed Hossein Nasr, Julius Evola, Mircea Eliade, and Alexandr Dugin to be the seven most prominent Traditionalists. While Sedgwick identifies a politically quietist strand of Traditionalism rooted in the perspective of Guénon, Traditionalism has been applied in various socio-political contexts. These range from the environmentalism of Nasr, to the interfaith dialogue projects of Prince Ghazi bin Muhammad and Royal Aal al-Bayt Institute for Islamic Thought, to the patronage of traditional arts, crafts, architecture and philosophy by King Charles III, to the far-right politics of Evola, Eliade and Dugin. While some far-right movements and thinkers cite Traditionalism (especially Evola) as an influence and draw on its language in their discourse, scholars dispute whether, or to what extent, these views can actually be reconciled to Traditionalist thought.