Books by Alexander Jacob

The essays presented in this collection are based on Alexander Jacob's earlier works, ¿tman: A Reconstruction of the Solar Cosmology of the Indo-Europeans, Hildesheim: Georg Olms, 2005 and Brahman: A Study of the Solar Rituals of the Indo-Europeans, Hildesheim: Georg Olms, 2012. They expand on the cosmological and religious themes discussed in these books with special reference to the origins and development of the Indic and European spiritual traditions. Those familiar with the earlier works will not be surprised that Dr. Jacob's view of the term 'Indo-European' is rather more comprehensive than the more restricted term '¿ryan' that has hitherto been widely used as a synonym of it. And those interested in the ¿ryan ethos itself - chiefly on account of the German use of the term during the last war - may be surprised to learn that it does not consist in nationalistic virtues so much as in spiritual discipline and development - and that this development is characteristic of the religions of very extended and diversified branches of the Indo-European family. I. The Origins of the Indo-European ReligionsII. Pralaya: Cosmic Floods, the Sun and the First ManIII. S¿mkhya-Yoga, Shramana, Br¿hmana, Tantra: The religious traditions of the ancient IndiansIV. Vedic and Tantric Rituals: A comparisonV. Reviving Adam: The sacrificial rituals of the Indo-¿ryans and the earlyChristiansVI. Dionysus and Muruga: Notes on the Dionysiac religionVII. On the Germanic gods Wotan and Thor

Nobilitas is a study of the history of aristocratic philosophy from ancient Greece to the early twentieth century that aims at providing an alternative to the liberal democratic norms, which are propagated today as the only viable socio-political system for the world community. Jacob reveals that, contrary to popular belief, the social and cultural development of European civilization has, for twenty-five centuries, been based not on democratic or communist notions but, rather on aristocratic and nationalist notions. Beginning with the political philosophies of Plato and Aristotle, and continuing through Renaissance and Baroque aristocratic philosophers, the German Idealists, and English and Italian nationalists, the study ends with the transformation of aristocratic philosophy in nineteenth century Germany into racist elitism. As such, the study includes a survey of the philosophical bases of racism and anti-Semitism. These topics have been systematically excluded from academic and political debate since the end of the last Great War. This study is a pioneering work in understanding and changing political ideologies.