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 Cover of the first edition | |
| Author | René Guénon |
|---|---|
| Original title | Le Règne de la quantité et les signes des temps |
| Translator | 1953:Lord Northbourne |
| Language | French |
| Subjects | Materialism,civilization,scientism,Idea of Progress |
| Published | 1945 (in French) 1953:Luzac 1972:Penguin Metaphysical Library 2001:Sophia Perennis |
| Publication place | France |
| Pages | 363 (Penguin) 284 (Sophia Perennis) |
| ISBN | 0-900588-67-5 (paperback edition) ISBN 0-900588-68-3 (hardcover edition) |
| Text | The Reign of Quantity and the Signs of the Times at Internet Archive |
The Reign of Quantity and the Signs of the Times (French:Le Règne de la Quantité et les Signes des Temps) is a 1945 book by the FrenchintellectualRené Guénon, in which the author offers a comprehensive explanation, based ontradition, of thecyclical conditions that led to themodern world in general and to theSecond World War in particular. The book was published with the support of Jean Paulhan from Gallimard, who created a collection exclusively dedicated to "Tradition" in order to publish Guénon.
Jacob Needleman, inThe Sword ofGnosis, writes:
"Many of Guénon's books, notablyThe Reign of Quantity, are such potent and detailedmetaphysical attacks on the downward drift ofWestern civilisation as to make all othercontemporarycritiques seem half-hearted by comparison."
Harry Oldmeadow, author ofTraditionalism:Religion in the Light of thePerennial Philosophy:
"The Reign of Quantity is a brilliantly sustained and excoriating attack on modern civilisation [...] The book is a controlled and dispassionate but devastating razing of the assumptions and values of modern science. At the same time it is an affirmation of the metaphysical andcosmological principles given expression intraditionalculture and religions."[1]
There are complete translations ofLe règne de la quantité in a number of languages: English, Romanian, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Swedish, Persian, and Turkish.[2]Walter James, 4th Baron Northbourne being among the translators for the 1953 English version.[3]