René Guénon

René Guénon (1886-1951) is one of the greatest figures in esotericism and sacred science. He was born in Blois, France, and died in Cairo, having converted to Islam. He left behind an absolutely fundamental body of work for all those interested in these fields. Among his most important works are... East and West (1924), Dante's Esotericism (1925), The Crisis of the Modern World (1927, Portuguese edition by Vega), The King of the World (1927), Autorité Spirituelle et Pouvoir Temporel (1929), The Symbolism of the Cross (1931) and Le Règne de la Quantité et les Signes des Temps (1945). Ananda Coomaraswamy referred to him in the following terms: "There is no author in contemporary Europe more important than René Guénon, whose task has been to expound the universal metaphysical tradition that has always been the essential foundation of all previous cultures, and which represents the indispensable basis for any civilization worthy of the name."