Ep368: Aristocracy of the Soul - Dr Francisco José Luis
Freitag, 3. Juli 2026 · 1 h 57
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Shownotes
In this episode I am once again joined by Dr Francisco José Luis, scholar of Indo-Iranian Studies and Comparative Religion trained at the Sorbonne, Paris and SOAS, London.
Francisco describes the religious and philosophical view of Traditionalism, tracing the ideas of figures such as René Guénon, Julius Evola, and Henry Corbin to give a sense of the different strands of this increasingly influential system of thought.
Francisco explains what he sees as the importance of uniting spiritual and martial disciplines, recounts his own experiences of receiving death threats during his academic research, and argues for an aristocracy of the soul.
Francisco also addresses criticisms that associate Traditionalism with the political far right, various forms of ethnic and cultural chauvinism, and imperialism; compares and contrasts different caste and class systems from around the world; and outlines his objections to Plato’s ideas about education.
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Also available on Youtube, iTunes, & Spotify – search “Guru Viking Podcast”.
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Topics include:
- Intro
- First encounter with Traditionalism
- René Guénon
- Devotion to Indian saints
- Concern for the working class
- At odds with society’s direction
- Beyond René Guénon
- Debates are a competition between egos
- Julius Evola and the aristocracy of the Soul
- Who was Julius Evola
- Warriors, Brahmins, and merchants
- Corruption of the Brahmin class
- Evola’s theory of the body, soul, and spirit
- Evola and fascism
- Trial of Evola
- Francisco’s favourite Traditionalist
- Where does religion and mysticism fit into Traditionalism?
- Elites should practice a spiritual discipline
- Critique of institutional Catholicism
- Warrior spirituality
- Why Francisco is attracted to Sikhism
- Spiritual warfare
- Sikh Khalsa
- Francisco’s interest in the martial arts
- Receiving death threats
- Facing death like a samurai
- Embodiment
- Limitations of Henry Corbin
- Is Traditionalism far right?
- Cultures should respect each other
- European vs American cultures
- Pros and cons of American culture
- Warning about the language of Traditionalism
- Spirituality and politics
- Warrior spirituality is not for everyone
- Dangers of warrior spirituality
- Francisco’s spiritual path
- Francisco’s therapy journey
- Setting boundaries without hatred
- Why discuss the application of religion to politics?
- Plato’s views on education
- Francisco’s disagreement with Plato
- Francisco’s suggestion for education
- Waldorf education
- Speculum principum
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Previous episodes with Dr Francisco José Luis:
- guruviking.com/search?q=francisco
To find our more about Dr Francisco José Luis, visit:
- instagram.com/hludvig_tradicionalista
For more interviews, videos, and more visit:
- guruviking.com
Music ‘Deva Dasi’ by Steve James
