Baron Giulio Cesare Andrea Evola , better known as Julius Evola , was an Italian philosopher, painter, and esotericist. According to the scholar Franco Ferraresi, "Evola's thought can be considered one of the most radical and consistent anti-egalitarian, anti-liberal, anti-democratic, and anti-popular systems in the twentieth century. It is a singular blend of several schools and traditions, including German idealism, Eastern doctrines, traditionalism, and the all-embracing Weltanschauung of the interwar conservative Revolution with which Evola had a deep personal involvement".
Historian Aaron Gillette described Evola as "one of the most influential fascist racists in Italian history". Evola was admired by the Italian fascist leader Benito Mussolini. He idolized the Nazi Schutzstaffel . He admired SS head Heinrich Himmler, whom he knew personally. Evola spent World War II working for the Nazi Sicherheitsdienst. During his trial in 1951, Evola denied being a fascist and instead referred to himself as a "superfascist". Concerning this statement, historian Elisabetta Cassina Wolff wrote that "It is unclear whether this meant that Evola was placing himself above or beyond Fascism".
Evola was the "chief ideologue" of Italy's terrorist radical right after World War II. He continues to influence contemporary neo-fascist movements.
Many of Evola's theories and writings were centered on his idiosyncratic mysticism, occultism, and esoteric religious studies, and this aspect of his work has influenced occultists and esotericists. Evola also advocated domination and rape of women because he saw it "as a natural expression of male desire". This misogynistic outlook stemmed from his extreme right views on gender roles, which demanded absolute submission from women.
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19. máj 1898 – 11. jún 1974