GUÉNON, René Jean Marie Joseph. Blois 15.11.1886 — Cairo 7.1.1951. French Philosopher and Author interested in Indian philosophy, rather uncritical admirer of the East. Son of Jean-Baptiste Guénon, an architect, and Anna-Léontine Jolly. Grew up in a Catholic home, school in Blois, suffered often of poor health. He studied mathematics at École polytechnique in Paris, but soon switched to philosophy at Sorbonne (diploma 1916, but 1919 failed the agrégation exam). Then studied Indology under Lévi, but again was dismissed. Became early interested in occultism, then in Hinduism and Sufism and adopted Islam in 1912 as ‘Abd al-Wāḥid Yaḥyā. All the time he was eager participant in various esoteric groups, for a while also close to Catholic Neo-Thomists. In the 1920s worked as schoolteacher, but mainly concentrated on literary work. In 1930 moved permanently to Egypt. In 1934 married Fatima, the daughter of Sheikh Mohammad Ibrahim. Egyptian citizen 1949.

Originally Guénon was rather appreciated by some colleagues (Masson-Oursel, Grousset) and influencing such people as Coomaraswamy, Eliade and Daniélou, but he soon turned especially more critical scholars (Renou, Filliozat) into well-deserved critics. His main point was the criticism of modern thought and science, which in his opinion can never understand or interpret India, which represents the primordial sacred tradition.

Publications: Many books – often also translated into English and other languages – and articles, e.g.

– Introduction générale à l’étude des doctrines hindoues. 256 p. Paris 1921 (written as a diss., but not accepted by Lévi), English translation by M. Pallis. L. 1945.

– Orient et Occident. 174 p. P. 1924; La crise du monde moderne. 245 p. P. 1927.

– L’Homme et son devenir selon le Vedanta. 214 p. P. 1925.

– Autorité spirituelle et pouvoir temporel. 118 p. P. 1929.

– Études sur l’hindouisme. 285 p. P. 1968 (articles).

Sources: X. Accart, D.O.L.F. 465f.; *P. Chacornac, La vie simple de R.G. 1958; *A. Desilets, René Guénon, index-bibliographie. 183 p. Québec 1977;R. Lardinois, “Genesis of Louis Dumont’s Anthropology. The 1930s in France Revisited”, Orientalism and Anthropology. Pondy Papers in Social Sciences 24. Pondicherry 1997 (2001), 31-59; J.-P. Laurant, “Le problème de R.G. ou Quelques questions posées par les rapports de sa vie et de son œuvre”, RHR 179, 1971, 41-70; *J. Robin, René Guénon, témoin de la Tradition. 350 p. P. 1978; *P.M. Sigaud (ed.), R.G. P. 1984; Wikipedia with photo.