Julius Evola Biography

(Philosopher)

Birthday: May 19, 1898 (Taurus)

Born In: Rome, Italy

Julius Evola was a 20th century Italian painter, poet, writer, philosopher, and occultist. A polymath and a polyglot, he initially began his career in arts and became one of the prominent Italian painters and poets during the Dadaist movement. His writing career spanned five and a half decades and his numerous books and essays reflect his esoteric views on traditionalism, orientalism, occultism, alchemy and mysticism. He courted controversy through his writings that criticized Christianity and instead upheld traditional Roman and ancient mystical values. His interpretation of Buddhism was equally bizarre wherein he praised its ‘anti-democratic’ concept and even hailed it as a true ‘Aryan’ tradition that was lost and corrupted in the West. Julius Evola believed in the traditional gender roles where women subjugated themselves to men wilfully. Similarly, his thoughts on race supremacy, Fascism, war favouring ideology, and anti-Semitism got him close to Mussolini and prominent Nazi officers during World War II. After the war, he wrote books outlining right wing perspectives at the same time critiquing the decadence brought on by Modernist approaches. Not surprisingly, his works are loathed by centrists and liberals today, but hold a lot of sway with various right-wing groups and organizations across the globe.
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Quick Facts

Italian Celebrities Born In May

Also Known As: Baron Giulio Cesare Andrea Evola

Died At Age: 76

Family:

father: Vincenzo Evola

mother: Concetta Mangiapane

Born Country: Italy

Philosophers Italian Men

Died on: June 11, 1974

place of death: Rome, Italy

Cause of Death: Heart Failure

  • 1

    What were Julius Evola's main philosophical ideas?

    Julius Evola was known for his traditionalist and anti-modernist views, advocating for a return to traditional values, hierarchy, and spirituality. He rejected democracy, equality, and materialism in favor of a hierarchical society governed by an elite.

  • 2

    Did Julius Evola have any political affiliations?

    Julius Evola was associated with various far-right and fascist movements in Italy during the early 20th century. He was critical of both liberal democracy and communism, instead promoting a form of authoritarian traditionalism.

  • 3

    How did Julius Evola view the role of women in society?

    Evola held a traditional view of gender roles, believing that women should primarily focus on their roles as mothers and caretakers. He argued against women's participation in politics and the workforce, advocating for a return to traditional gender norms.

  • 4

    What influence did Julius Evola have on contemporary far-right movements?

    Evola's works have been influential in certain far-right and neo-fascist circles, particularly due to his emphasis on hierarchy, anti-democratic views, and rejection of modernity. However, his ideas have also been criticized for their extreme and controversial nature.

  • 5

    How did Julius Evola reconcile his spiritual beliefs with his political views?

    Evola's spiritual beliefs, rooted in Eastern traditions and esotericism, often informed his political views. He saw tradition and spirituality as essential for the establishment of a truly meaningful and just society, advocating for a spiritual revolution alongside a political one.

Childhood & Early Life
Julius Evola was born on 19 May 1898, in Rome to Vincenzo Evola and Concetta Mangiapane, who had migrated from Sicily. He had one older brother, Giuseppe Evola.
He enrolled into a mathematical course in Rome but left midway through the course because he wanted to disassociate himself from ‘bourgeois’ educational titles like mathematician, engineer etc.
In his teenage years, he gravitated towards painting, something which he considered to be a natural talent. His other interests were literature and philosophy, and he was heavily influenced by the works of Oscar Wilde, Gabriele D’Annunzio, Otto Weininger and Friedrich Nietzsche among many others.
During World War I, he served as an artillery officer in a unit stationed on the Asiago Plateau.
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Career
He took an immediate liking for the artistic anti-establishment Dadaist movement that emerged in 1919 and initially contributed through his paintings and poetry.
By 1923, however, he had completely lost all interest in painting and poetry. He reasoned that his artistic activities were but an identity crisis from the war, and he feared that if he indulged this crisis any further, it could have led to suicide, much like what other Dadaists did at the time.
From 1923 to 1927, Evola immersed himself into philosophy and learnt German so that he could read and understand the works of Hegel, Fichte and Schelling. He then published his own writings like ‘Saggi Sull’idealismo Magico’ about the theory of ‘magical idealism’ and introduced the doctrine of ‘absolute individual’ in ‘Teoria Dell’individuo Assoluto’ and again in ‘Fenomenologia Dell’individuo Assoluto’.
Between 1927 and 1929, he got involved in the study of occultism and esotericism. It was during this period that he co-founded the ‘Ur Group’ with the goal of explaining esoteric doctrines through translation and publication of texts, and even perform occult warfare to some extent.
While he was somewhat sympathetic to the Fascist principle of Mussolini, his writings about the failings of Christianity, as well as his opposition to the 1929 Lateran treaty between the Italian State and the Vatican that granted independent sovereignty to the Holy See, made him unpopular among influential Fascists.
He wrote four books about race, wherein he argued for the supremacy of a ‘spiritual race’ as opposed to one governed by the laws of genetics. Naturally, Nazi Germans were highly critical of his non-biological and anti-materialistic race views, whereas Mussolini enthusiastically endorsed his ideas and even met him in person in 1941 and praised his book, ‘Sintesi di Dottrina Della Razza’.
When the Allied forces captured Rome in June 1944, Julius Evola evaded arrest by fleeing to Vienna, Austria. A year later, when the Soviets dropped bombs on Vienna, a shell fragment lodged into his spinal cord and paralysed him from the waist down for the rest of his life.
In 1951, he was arrested on charges of promoting and glorifying Fascism, with the intention of reviving the Fascist Party. In court, he argued that while his ideas certainly drew from a long line of Traditionalist and anti-democratic thinking, it differed greatly from Mussolini’s Fascist regime. The court agreed with his argument and acquitted him.
After the World War II, he continued to write on esoteric subjects. His books on sex magic included ‘Metafisica Del Sesso’ and even wrote a couple of books on politics, namely ‘Gli Uomini e le Rovine’ and ‘Cavalcare la Tigre’.
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Towards his final years, he wrote a few books describing his take on right-wing perspectives, namely ‘Il Fascismo Visto Valla Destra; Note sul Terzo Reich’ and ‘Ricognizioni: Uomini e Problemi’.
Major Works
His intellectual biography titled ‘Il Cammino del Cinabro’ was first published in 1963. It is unique because it describes his intellectual development as opposed to mundane aspects like one’s childhood, adulthood, relationships, etc. It’s English translation, ‘The Path of Cinnabar’ came out in 2009.
Family & Personal Life
Julius Evola is said to have led a hermetic life, free of any romantic relationships or progeny. He was always apprehensive about discussing his personal life either in interviews or in his autobiography.
Despite his paralysis, he endured his condition with stoicism. He always had time for visitors and friends. While he did not like the idea of disciples, he would jokingly refer to his admirers as ‘Evalomani’.
He died of heart failure on 11th June 1974 in his apartment in Rome at the age of 76. His body was cremated and in accordance to his will, his ashes were placed in an urn and buried in a crevasse somewhere in the Italian Alps.
Facts About Julius Evola

Julius Evola was an influential Italian philosopher and esotericist known for his complex and controversial ideas on traditionalism and spirituality.

Evola was a skilled mountaineer and alpinist, with a deep love for the outdoors and a passion for exploring the mountains.

He was also a talented painter and poet, finding inspiration in art and creativity alongside his philosophical writings.

Evola had a deep interest in Eastern religions and philosophies, incorporating elements of Hinduism and Buddhism into his work.

See the events in life of Julius Evola in Chronological Order

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