Alas, Gregor does provide references to some of his less flattering descriptions.
The ‘hysterical fanatic’ slur has two footnotes relating to it –
‘Montini identified Evola as suffering from “those strange forms of cerebralism and neurasthenia, of intensive cultivation of incomprehensibility, of the metaphysic of obscurity, of cryptology of expression, of pseudo-mystical precosity, of cabbalistic fascinations magically evaporated by the refined drugs of Oriental erudition.” As cited by Richard Drake, “Julius Evola, Radical Fascism, and the Lateran Accords, “Catholic Historical Review, no.74 (1988), p.414 and D.A. Binchy, Church and State in Fascist Italy (London: Oxford University Press, 1941), p.119.
Of course, a Catholic would say that wouldn’t they? One can never trust the perceptions of Catholicism.
I have previously (though I cannot remember where) read that something to the contrary opinion of Gregor, saying that Evola actually manipulated Mussolini. Either Evola or Mussolini being manipulated by each other seems a bit unrealistic too me – I am sure that they both would capable of recognizing any subterfuge or ‘social engineering’ that was taking place.
evola_as_he_is <evola_as_he_is@...> wrote:
Lately, a message has been posted on the forum of the site www.juliusevola.it by a former student of Piero di Vona, one of the foremost experts on Evola's work. It attempts to show, on the basis of the 'Taccuini mussolianini', that Evola's relations with Mussolini were far closer, both in human and in intellectual terms, than Evola claimed in his autobiography.
We shall describe some of the contents of this meesage, which show unequivocally that Gregor's views on Evola and his influence on the ideology of the Fascist regime are as exaggerated as the views of the scholars whom he criticises for assuming that Evola was more or less the 'éminence grise' of Mussolini, and that, in any case, Mussolini never regarded Evola as an "hysterical fanatic" (would Gregor be kind enough to give us precise
references?).
Has anyone come across A. J. Gregors' book `Mussolini's Intellectuals'? The portrayal of Evola is this book is quite rancid to say the least… this is a quote...
Sure. In the meantime, this is a description of the book : "Fascism has traditionally been characterized as irrational and anti- intellectual, finding...
... I have not read "Mussolini's Intellectuals" yet, but its author, A. James Gregor (who has been writing studies of Fascism for about forty years now), has ...
By 1925, Evola was attempting to resolve the problems of philosophical idealism by pursuing epistemological problems into ontological conclusions that made the...
Lately, a message has been posted on the forum of the site www.juliusevola.it by a former student of Piero di Vona, one of the foremost experts on Evola's...
Gregor didn't write "Montini recognized Evola as just that kind of anticlerical "hysterical fanatic" who could best serve his purpose...", but "Mussolini...
But if Evola was universally viewed as a mere pipsqueak, how could he have either put the mighty Vatican on the defensive, or deceived the multitudinous Nazi...
In the most recent edition of 'Imperialismo pagano' (Edizioni Mediterranee, 2004), De Turris quotes a few excerpts from a text by Yvon de Bergnac called...
Note that Mussolini, talking of Evola, call him "il professor Julius Evola". Knowing the aversion of Evola for the academical titles and for the intellectuals...
Before we get too subtle here, note that Mussolini was a former primary school teacher. ... Evola". Knowing the aversion of Evola for the academical titles and...