The Perennial Philosophy, also referred to as Perennialism, is a perspective within the philosophy of religion which views each of the world’s religious traditions as sharing a single, universal truth on which foundation all religious knowledge and doctrine has grown.
The idea of a perennial philosophy has great antiquity. It can be found in many of the world's religions and philosophies. The term philosophia perennis was first used by Agostino Steuco (1497–1548), drawing on an already existing philosophical tradition, the most direct predecessors of which were Marsilio Ficino (1433–1499) and Giovanni Pico della Mirandola (1463–94).
In the 20th century it has been popularized in the west by Aldous Huxley's book The Perennial Philosophy, published in 1945. A historical survey of the concept has been recently drawn anew by William W. Quinn, Jr., with attention to both ancient and contemporary sources.
In contemporary discourse it designates a worldview that is opposed to the scientism of modern secular societies and which promotes the rediscovery of the wisdom traditions of the pre-secular developed world.
Read more about Perennial Philosophy: Definition, Origin of The Term, Appearance in World Religions and Philosophies
Famous quotes containing the words perennial and/or philosophy:
“Today, supremely, it behooves us to remember that a nation shall be saved by the power that sleeps in its own bosom; or by none; shall be renewed in hope, in confidence, in strength by waters welling up from its own sweet, perennial springs. Not from above; not by patronage of its aristocrats. The flower does not bear the root, but the root the flower.”
—Woodrow Wilson (1856–1924)
“Why does philosophy use concepts and why does faith use symbols if both try to express the same ultimate? The answer, of course, is that the relation to the ultimate is not the same in each case. The philosophical relation is in principle a detached description of the basic structure in which the ultimate manifests itself. The relation of faith is in principle an involved expression of concern about the meaning of the ultimate for the faithful.”
—Paul Tillich (1886–1965)