RELIGION WITHOUT REVELATION AND REVELATION WITHOUT RELIGION. THE EVOLUTIONARY ESOTERICISM OF JULIAN AND ALDOUS HUXLEY

The synthesis of evolutionary theories and esoteric teachings is a significant example of the contact between science and esotericism. The article examines the ideas of British biologist Julian Huxley and his brother Aldous Huxley on the subject of their correspondence to the concepts of evolutionary esotericism (E. Prophet, V. Hanegraaff, J. Kripal). A distinction between the concepts of “evolutionary esotericism” and “evolutionary mysticism” is introduced. The following ideas are proposed to be the key elements of “evolutionary mysticism”: the recognition of the possibility of human transition to a new stage of evolution; the active role of man in evolution and his consideration as an engine of its development; the primacy of mental evolution in relation to physical evolution; the need to develop “supernatural abilities” as a condition of evolution. The correspondence of J. Huxley’s project of “Evolutionary Humanism” and A. Huxley’s views to the concepts of evolutionary esotericism (E. Prophet, J. Kripal) is established. The article demonstrates the similarity of the Huxley brothers’ views on evolution, in particular, their belief in the possibility of group progress through individual self-improvement, and argues that it is possible to study their ideas about evolution as part of evolutionary esoterism.