Perennialism is a philosophy about systems of thought. It pretends to describe many different lines of thinking into one. Humankind has developed many philosophies and religions that are very different at first glance. However, perennialists believe that one can generalize them all, as they all express the same truth, only looking at it through different eyes. For the thinkers that fall into this current, different contextual factors account for the variations between different systems of thought, yet they all have the same center.
One of the most famous perennialists of recent time was Aldous Huxley. He defined this theory as “the metaphysic that recognizes a divine Reality substantial to the world of things and lives and minds; the psychology that finds in the soul something similar to, or even identical to, divine Reality; the ethic that places man's final end in the knowledge of the immanent and transcendent Ground of all being” (Huxley, 1945, p. 1). In the definition one can see that there are different interpretations from various fields that reach the same conclusion about an Absolute that reigns over all. Most significantly, this has found its place in religions with the acceptance of God as eternal and almighty. One can also see this in different philosophies, but more closely related to an eternal, objective value, such as Truth or Beauty.
Nevertheless, one finds varied hues in the many systems across time. Perennialists believe that these are the different ways the different peoples have come to know this same truth. Thus, the historical and cultural context is also important for perennialists, as it influences how this will be presented. As we only have these different expressions, not the divine truth itself, it is important to study and generalize these different theories, so that one may better understand this general, timeless truth.
References
Huxley, A. (1946). The Perennial Philosophy. London: Chatto and Windus.
