A definition of the Perennial Philosophy The central idea of the Perennial Philosophy Why is this philosophy considered "perennial"? What distinguishes this philosophy from others? Perennialism and Traditionalism: The same thing? How the word "Tradition" is used in a special sense The science of the Perennial Philosophy The study of multiple levels of existence The science of the Absolute and the relative The language of the Perennial Philosophy

World Wisdom's books focus on the Perennial Philosophy. The many books in our series of that name clearly show this focus, but all the other series are very much related to this central theme. Thus it is important to understand what is meant by the term Perennial Philosophy. This slideshow will be the first in a series of slideshows to address specific topics of importance to the exposition of the Perennial Philosophy. This slideshow will present a very elementary definition of the terms Perennial Philosophy and tradition. Our starting point will be a definition taken from the primary writer on the Perennial Philosophy in the twentieth century, Frithjof Schuon: The term philosophia perennis…designates the science of fundamental and universal ontological principles… This is certainly a very compact statement. However, we will look at it word by word in the rest of this slideshow, and in doing so we hope to gradually unfold the layers of meaning that can help us understand the Perennial Philosophy.