Key Takeaways
1. The Modern World is an Age of Dissolution, Antithetical to Tradition.
Everything that has come to predominate in the modern world is the exact antithesis of any traditional type of civilization.
Fundamental opposition. The modern world is characterized by dissolution, a breakdown of order and meaning, standing in stark contrast to the world of Tradition. A traditional civilization is ruled by principles transcending the merely human, ordered from above and directed towards the transcendent. The modern world, conversely, is defined by forces that are the opposite of these principles.
Irreversible decline. The current state of affairs, shaped by events like the world wars, suggests that the transformations are too deep to be reversed. Attempts to restore order based on remnants of the recent past, like the bourgeois world, are futile and compromise traditional values. The forces unleashed are too strong to be contained by outdated structures.
Crisis of the bourgeois. The crisis often discussed today is primarily that of bourgeois civilization, which itself was a departure from a more ancient order. Forces initially used against traditional European civilization have now turned against the bourgeoisie, accelerating the general disintegration. This process is a "negation of a negation," potentially leading to chaos or, for a few, a new space for action.
2. A Differentiated Human Type Lives In, But Does Not Belong To, This World.
He feels himself, in essence, as belonging to a different race from that of the overwhelming majority of his contemporaries.
Inner alien. This book concerns a specific human type who, despite being involved in the modern world, does not inwardly belong to it and refuses to yield to its dissolution. He perceives himself as fundamentally different from the masses, feeling like a stranger in the contemporary environment.
Rooted elsewhere. The natural place for this man is the world of Tradition, understood as a civilization governed by transcendent principles. However, the external structures and institutions of this traditional world no longer exist in the modern age, leaving him without external support to fully realize his potential or order his existence.
Standing among ruins. A small number of such men remain, consciously or unconsciously connected to that other world. Their challenge is to maintain their inner orientation and integrity amidst the ruins and chaos, without compromising with the prevailing forces or relying on defunct external forms.
3. "Riding the Tiger" is the Strategy for Navigating Dissolution.
When a cycle of civilization is reaching its end, it is difficult to achieve anything by resisting it and by directly opposing the forces in motion.
Go with the flow, but stay firm. The Far Eastern saying "ride the tiger" symbolizes the appropriate conduct in a period of dissolution. Instead of direct resistance, which is likely to be overwhelmed by the strong current of the age, one should let the destructive forces take their course while maintaining inner stability and readiness.
Detachment and timing. The key is not to be fixated on the present chaos or the apparent triumph of negative forces. These forces, lacking higher connection, are inherently limited. One must keep a view towards future conditions, waiting for the moment when the forces exhaust themselves, like the tiger tiring of running, to potentially intervene.
Autonomous conduct. This strategy implies an autonomous, personal line of conduct, independent of external circumstances or the unpredictable future. The possibility of a new cycle or a positive outcome should not be the primary motivation; the value lies in the inner stance itself, regardless of external results.
4. The "Death of God" Symbolizes the Collapse of Transcendent Values and Rise of Nihilism.
"The death of God" is an image that characterizes a whole historical process.
Loss of transcendence. Nietzsche's phrase signifies the desacralization of existence and the rupture with the world of Tradition, where life had a real reference to transcendence. This loss is the root cause of the collapse of all values and the inability of morality to sustain itself without a higher sanction.
Stages of moral decay. Following the "death of God," morality loses its foundation. It moves from rationalistic "autonomous" morality, which lacks invulnerable support, to utilitarian or social ethics based on convenience, and finally to anarchic dissolution where nothing has intrinsic norm and adjustment to social codes replaces genuine law.
Existential void. Nihilism extends beyond morality to truth, worldviews, and ends. The loss of God is associated with the loss of any meaning or justification for existence. This leads to the sense of absurdity and irrationality of the human condition, where everything is possible but nothing has ultimate value.
5. Socioeconomic Myths and Modern Culture are Disguises of Nihilism.
Behind the myth is the most terrible void, which acts as the worst opiate yet administered to a rootless humanity.
Anesthetics for meaninglessness. Modern socioeconomic myths, whether Western prosperity or Marxist communism, function as evasions and anesthetics for a humanity that has lost the meaning of existence. They assume that misery is primarily material and can be solved by economic systems, ignoring the spiritual void.
Organized nihilism. These ideologies represent an "active nihilism," methodically neutralizing higher sensibility and interests by focusing solely on the economy. The myth of prosperity offers comfortable well-being as the ultimate goal, while communism promises a future "humanism" through material liberation, both reducing human potential to an "animal ideal."
Symptoms of crisis. Phenomena like the "lost youth," protest movements, and rising suicide rates in prosperous societies demonstrate that material well-being does not solve the existential crisis. These movements, often irrational and lacking higher principles, confirm the general nihilistic character of the epoch, even when they rebel against the system.
6. True Strength Comes from the Transcendent Dimension, Not Mere "Life".
"Spirit is the life that cuts through life" (Geist ist das Leben, das selber ins Leben schneidet).
Beyond immanence. Nietzsche's attempt to find meaning solely in "this world," life, and the will to power ultimately fails because it stops halfway. True strength and the capacity for self-surpassing come not from mere life, but from a principle superior to it – the transcendent dimension.
Transcendent source. Qualities like making a law for oneself, asceticism to test strength, not obeying passions, defiance of unhappiness, and indifference to pleasure/pain are only attainable when "life" is "more than life." These are values of the superman, but they are only comprehensible and attainable through transcendence.
Passive vs. active transcendence. Nietzsche experienced transcendence passively, as an energy acting within the closed circle of immanence, leading to potential collapse. The differentiated man, however, actively assumes this dimension, making it the calm, detached, and sovereign center of his being, capable of transforming negative experiences into positive ones.
7. "Being Oneself" Requires Anchoring in the Supra-Individual Self.
"Become yourself: an injunction addressed only to a few, and which to an even smaller number appears redundant."
Inner law. The principle of "being oneself" means living according to one's own law, defined by one's own nature, independent of external rules or conventional morality. This goes beyond Kantian autonomy by rooting the command in one's specific being, not universal reason.
Problem of unity. In the modern age, the average man lacks a defined, recognizable "proper nature"; he is changeable and divided. Fidelity to oneself is problematic when there is no stable self to be faithful to. This is why many fail when thrown back on their own will, finding nothing to sustain them.
The Self as anchor. For the differentiated man, "being oneself" is possible because he finds a fundamental direction within, anchored in the supra-individual principle – the Self (das Selbst) – as opposed to the fragmented individual I (Ich). This transcendent core provides the necessary unity and stability.
8. Invulnerability is Achieved Through Detachment and Integrated Experience.
He can encounter everything, abandon himself to everything, and open himself to everything without losing himself.
Stability in chaos. Anchoring oneself in Being (transcendence) as the essential center of personality provides stability. This allows one to face the chaotic, contingent modern world with intrepid openness, accepting every experience not for self-proving, but to unfold possibilities and reveal new contents.
Dionysian Apollonism. This attitude integrates the intensity of the Dionysian experience (encountering life's irrational aspects) with Apollonian stability (spiritual superiority, clarity). It overcomes the spirit-senses antithesis by introducing a higher quality into the sense domain, transforming its motive force.
Lucid inebriation. The result is a unique state of lucid inebriation, a calm "being" constantly wedded to the substance of life. This is distinct from ecstatic surrender to elemental forces or seeking sensation as a surrogate for meaning. It provides the vital element for existence in a free state within a chaotic world.
9. Act Impersonally, Without Desire, Guided by Knowledge of Cause and Effect.
The first of these is to act without regard to the fruits, without being affected by the chances of success or failure, victory or defeat, winning or losing, any more than by pleasure or pain, or by the approval or disapproval of others.
Pure action. The differentiated man's conduct is guided by acting without desire for results, unaffected by external outcomes or personal feelings. This "action without desire" is not passive but involves applying oneself fully, doing "what needs to be done" impersonally.
Action without acting. This paradoxical concept describes action where the higher principle of "being" remains the true subject, sustaining and guiding from within, without being stirred or involved in the action itself. It is "being inasmuch as one acts," an expression of the self regardless of the action's object.
Beyond good and evil. This approach transcends conventional morality. "Sin" is replaced by "fault" or "error," understood objectively as a deviation from the law of cause and effect (karma). Actions are judged by their objective consequences, not subjective moral sanctions, allowing for freedom as long as one accepts the reactions.
10. Existentialism Reflects the Crisis but Fails to Provide a Positive Solution.
"We are condemned to be free."
Anguish of freedom. Existentialism, particularly Sartre's, highlights "existential freedom" as a "nihilating rupture" with being, but views it as a condemnation rather than a victory. Man is sentenced to be free, abandoned without refuge or excuse, leading to anguish and a sense of absurd responsibility.
Problematic being. Existentialism sees "Dasein" (being-there) as problematic, based on nothingness, a mere "project flung into the world" that may or may not be realized. This leads to existential angst, the fear of not being, and confines existence to temporality, a "retreat forward" in pursuit of an elusive totality.
Creatural surrender. Despite acknowledging transcendence, existentialism fails to establish a positive, central relationship with it. It is often conceived as an external, opaque force, leading to passive surrender, faith, or a sense of guilt for finite existence. This reflects the crisis of modern man, not a path beyond it.
11. The Dissolution of the Individual Can Lead to the Absolute Person.
The "defense of the personality" appears insignificant and absurd when measured on any individual basis.
Individualism's dead end. Modern society's emphasis on the individual, born from the collapse of traditional structures, has led to atomization, standardization, and the anonymous mass. Defending the individualistic "personality," often based on subjectivism and external traits, is futile against these dissolving forces.
Person vs. Individual. The traditional concept of "person" (mask) signifies a concrete manifestation of a higher principle, differentiated and structured, unlike the formless individual. When reference to the supra-personal is lost, the person degrades into the individual, leading to subjectivism and arbitrary self-affirmation.
Active anonymity. The dissolution of the individual can be a positive process for the differentiated man. By maintaining inner tension and activating the transcendent dimension, he can burn out individuality and reveal the "absolute person." This is a state of active anonymity, where the supra-individual principle gives objective perfection to the "persona," reflecting a higher, impersonal grandeur.
12. Apoliteia and Detachment are Necessary Responses to Modern Society.
His principle will become apoliteia, as it was called in ancient times.
Disengagement from the absurd. In the modern world, characterized by the lack of legitimate authority, the degradation of politics into party haggling and material interests, and the rise of the mediocre mass-man, the differentiated man must adopt an inner attitude of apoliteia – detachment from the political realm.
Inner distance. Apoliteia is not necessarily practical abstention but an inner distance that prevents being bound by the myths and "values" of contemporary society. Political activity, if engaged in, is done impersonally, for the sake of the action itself, not for any inherent higher value in the current political landscape.
Beyond nations and parties. The crisis of nation-states and the struggle between power blocs are spiritually meaningless. The differentiated man cannot take sides based on these degraded forms. His potential unity is an invisible one, based on shared nature and inner law, transcending national, social, and political divisions, anticipating a possible future order based on ideas rather than naturalistic or material factors.
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FAQ
1. What is Ride the Tiger by Julius Evola about?
- Crisis of Modernity: The book explores the spiritual and existential crisis of modern civilization, which Evola sees as an age of dissolution and nihilism.
- Survival Manual: It serves as a guide for the "aristocrats of the soul"—individuals who do not inwardly belong to the modern world—on how to survive and maintain integrity amid chaos.
- Tradition vs. Modernity: Evola contrasts the principles of traditional civilization with the antithetical values of the modern era, emphasizing the impossibility of returning to the past.
- Transcendence and Conduct: The work focuses on how to live authentically and with inner sovereignty in a world that has lost its connection to higher, transcendent values.
2. Why should I read Ride the Tiger by Julius Evola?
- Unique Perspective: The book offers a rare, uncompromising critique of modernity from a traditionalist and metaphysical standpoint.
- Guidance for Outsiders: It provides practical and philosophical advice for those who feel alienated by contemporary society and seek a deeper sense of purpose.
- Intellectual Challenge: Evola’s arguments challenge readers to reconsider the foundations of their beliefs about society, culture, and the self.
- Relevance to Modern Crisis: The themes of nihilism, alienation, and the search for meaning are highly relevant to current existential and cultural dilemmas.
3. Who is the intended reader or "aristocrat of the soul" in Ride the Tiger by Julius Evola?
- Differentiated Individual: The book is aimed at those who, while living in the modern world, do not inwardly belong to it and maintain a connection to transcendent or traditional values.
- Survivors Among Ruins: These readers are described as "still on their feet among the ruins," able to resist the dissolution of modernity both materially and spiritually.
- Not for the Ordinary Man: Evola explicitly excludes the average person, focusing instead on those with the inner strength and character to withstand the pressures of nihilism.
- Spiritual Elite: The "aristocrats of the soul" are those who can maintain their integrity and sovereignty in a world that has lost its higher principles.
4. What are the key takeaways from Ride the Tiger by Julius Evola?
- Affirmation of Self: The importance of affirming one’s own being and acting beyond conventional notions of good and evil.
- Transcendent Anchor: The necessity of anchoring oneself in a transcendent dimension to achieve calm, sovereignty, and invulnerability.
- Detachment and Action: The value of acting impersonally and without attachment to outcomes, maintaining detachment from the chaos of the external world.
- Critical View of Modernity: A deep critique of modern science, art, politics, and social institutions as expressions of nihilism and dissolution.
5. How does Julius Evola define "Tradition" in Ride the Tiger?
- Transcendent Principles: Tradition is a civilization ruled by principles that transcend the human and individual, ordering all aspects of life from above.
- Constant World: Evola claims that, beyond historical forms, there has always existed an essentially identical and constant world of Tradition.
- Antithesis to Modernity: Modern civilization is seen as the exact opposite of Tradition, making a return to it nearly impossible under current conditions.
- Foundation for Normalcy: Only societies rooted in Tradition can be considered "normal" in a higher, metaphysical sense.
6. What does the phrase "ride the tiger" mean in Julius Evola’s Ride the Tiger?
- Survival Strategy: The phrase, borrowed from Far Eastern wisdom, means that if one can ride the tiger, one avoids being devoured and may eventually master it.
- Personal and Historical Application: It applies both to individual conduct and to navigating the end of a civilizational cycle marked by chaos and dissolution.
- Doctrine of Cycles: Evola connects the phrase to the traditional doctrine of the "Four Ages," with the present being the terminal, most chaotic phase.
- Active Engagement: "Riding the tiger" involves engaging with the forces of dissolution without being destroyed by them, using them as opportunities for inner growth.
7. How does Ride the Tiger by Julius Evola interpret the crisis of the modern world and nihilism?
- Collapse of Values: Evola sees the modern world as marked by the collapse of all higher values, symbolized by Nietzsche’s "God is dead."
- Phases of Nihilism: He outlines a progression from autonomous morality to utilitarian ethics, ending in anarchic dissolution and existential alienation.
- Spectrality and Absurdity: The crisis manifests in a sense of absurdity, alienation, and the loss of meaning, especially among youth and cultural movements.
- Opportunity for Transformation: Despite its dangers, nihilism is also seen as a potential stage for the emergence of a new, essentialized spiritual existence.
8. What is "positive nihilism" in Ride the Tiger and how does it relate to Nietzsche?
- Nihilism as Transition: Evola interprets Nietzsche as the first to live and overcome nihilism, seeing it as a necessary but transitional stage.
- Affirmation Beyond Values: Positive nihilism means affirming life as a value in itself, organizing existence without reliance on external or traditional meanings.
- Freedom and Nobility: Nietzsche’s challenge is to live freely and nobly without laws from above, proving one’s worth through self-mastery.
- Limits of Nietzsche: Evola critiques Nietzsche for lacking awareness of the transcendent dimension, which he sees as essential for true invulnerability.
9. How does Julius Evola in Ride the Tiger critique modern science, art, and culture?
- Science as Pragmatic: Modern science is criticized for abandoning true knowledge in favor of practical utility and power over nature, reducing truth to probability.
- Art’s Dissolution: Modern art and culture are seen as fragmented, neutral, and disconnected from any higher unifying principle, reflecting societal dissolution.
- Spiritual Irrelevance: Both science and art are viewed as spiritually irrelevant, failing to provide access to deeper realities or transcendence.
- Potential for Liberation: Despite their flaws, the self-dissolution of modern art and the exposure of science’s limits can have a liberating value for the differentiated individual.
10. What is the "Animal Ideal" in Ride the Tiger by Julius Evola, and how does it relate to modern man?
- Biological Emphasis: The "Animal Ideal" refers to the modern focus on physical well-being, comfort, and material success, reducing man to his animalistic aspects.
- Roots in Darwinism: Evola links this ideal to Darwinism and evolutionism, which promote a purely naturalistic and regressive view of human existence.
- Critique of "Back to Nature": He condemns the confusion between returning to nature and regressing to a denatured, subhuman state.
- Discipline of the Body: True human existence, for Evola, requires disciplining the body as part of a higher, integrated personhood.
11. What is "apoliteia" and how does Julius Evola advise engaging with politics and society in Ride the Tiger?
- Inner Detachment: Apoliteia is the attitude of inner detachment from the modern political and social world, which lacks true authority and higher ideals.
- Crisis of the State: Evola describes the disappearance of traditional states and leaders, replaced by mass democracy and administrative systems.
- Impersonal Action: While detached, the differentiated man may still act politically or socially, but always impersonally and without illusions.
- Absence of Transcendence: Engagement with society is done with the recognition that contemporary politics is devoid of transcendent values.
12. What practical advice does Julius Evola give in Ride the Tiger for living in a nihilistic modern world?
- Affirm One’s Being: Be oneself and act as one’s own law, beyond conventional morality and external rewards or punishments.
- Act Without Attachment: Engage in action impersonally, without desire for specific outcomes, and with full involvement in the present.
- Maintain Transcendence: Anchor oneself in the transcendent dimension to achieve calm, sovereignty, and invulnerability amid chaos.
- Cultivate Detachment: Practice apoliteia and maintain inner tension, using the challenges of modernity as opportunities for spiritual growth.
Review Summary
Ride the Tiger receives mixed reviews. Many praise Evola's critique of modernity and philosophical insights, finding it thought-provoking and relevant. Some appreciate his analysis of existentialism and cultural decay. However, others criticize the dense writing, lack of clear solutions, and controversial views. Critics argue Evola's ideas are outdated, impractical, or even dangerous. Some readers struggle with the abstract concepts and philosophical references. Overall, the book is seen as challenging but influential, appealing mainly to those interested in traditionalist philosophy and critiques of modern society.
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