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

Now that we have understood the particular ways in which perennialists use some terms, we can sum up our examination of Schuon's definition of the Perennial Philosophy in this way: The Perennial Philosophy is the science of the Absolute and the relative. If we understand the words "science," "Absolute," and "relative" as they have been used in the previous slides, the definition just above will suggest a great deal to us. If we understand the relationship of the Absolute to the relative (or, to put it another way, of the Divine to the human), we are able to resolve all sorts of previously irreconcilable problems, with the primary one, of course, being how the world's great faiths can all be valid expressions of a single Truth. We know that the Perennial Philosophy sees everything from the standpoint of realities that transcend the level of material existence. Although its point of departure is always from the higher to lower levels of being, it must be stressed that the Perennial Philosophy is not a religion. It does not pretend to be one, nor can it accept people making a religion of it. It is a wisdom, not a practice. This is abundantly evident from its content and its insistence on the traditional, that is to say revealed, nature of valid doctrines and practices. On the other hand, this science must also encompass the relative, in other words human existence and experience. It does this by being grounded, at the other end of its spectrum, in Tradition. As we saw in an earlier slide, this means that the Perennial Philosophy focuses on that which in human civilizations is still attached to its divine origin. So, when they discuss art, perennialists will naturally focus on the sacred art of a given tradition. Sometimes it becomes necessary to step outside of the continuum that connects the Divine to the human, and so the Perennial Philosophy will inevitably address modern deviations from tradition, such as the deviation that is profane modern art. The next slide examines the language that perennialists have used to explain the Perennial Philosophy.