Race and Zen: Julius Evola, Fascism, and D. T. Suzuki by Filippo Pedretti“The present paper focuses on Julius Evola’s representation of Japan and Zen Buddhism, a representation that is strongly connected to his racial theorizations as well as his religious and spiritual views. A multifaceted figure of the Italian far right, Evola often wrote about Asian cultures and religions, producing several works strongly marked by his political ideas. I will try to show how Evola’s racism and esotericism lie at the core of his views about Japan and Zen, first by contextualizing his early discourse on Japan within the political context of Italian fascism, and then by clarifying how his initial interest in themes like Zen, Samurais and Japanese Empire fit within a greater programme of fascist propaganda aimed at legitimizing Japan as fascist Italy’s ally – a task which will require a careful consideration of Italian racial laws. Following this, I will present Evola’s discourse on Zen, focusing on the orientalist themes he adopted. Here, I will critically analyze Evola’s use of Daisetsu Teitarō Suzuki’s sources in his writings (hereafter D. T. Suzuki), showing how Evola confronted their Japanese nationalist/nativist elements, as well as their responses to Japan’s encounter with Euro-American colonialism. It is my overarching assertion that a critical analysis of Evola’s narrative – its sources and presumptions – demonstrates how religious studies can contribute to problematizing political narratives rooted in the intersection of racism and spirituality. As Evola’s ideas on religion and race are still alive within the far-right, such work is more relevant now than ever.”
https://arcjournal.library.mcgill.ca/article/download/293/309#RaceIdealism #Buddhism #Japan #Traditionalism #Spirituality #Fascism #Italy #Politics
