ABSTRACT
The following chapter will assess the possible connections between Nazism and the belief in a hidden knowledge (i.e., Gnosticism), especially as they pertain to the subject of Ariosophy and its founder Guido von List. Before any connection can be identified, these key terms must first be defined. For the sake of conciseness, the most generic definition of “Gnosticism” will be employed in this study, accepting that the term derives from the Greek γνῶσις, literally translated as “knowledge.” While a wider definition remains the subject of much debate, we will simply defer to Webster’s Dictionary for a suitable working definition: “the conviction that matter is evil and that emancipation comes through gnosis” (cf. King 2003: 1). In other words, a higher knowledge leads to a spiritual salvation that transcends the physical, natural world. Further gnostic “traits” have been identified by Tom Hall, who defined the nature of many historical “gnostics” as being “focused on the individual rather than the group,” as being “liberals rather that holy tories … they were hippies, not corporate executives; spiritual people rather than attendees at divine services; they saw salvation in enlightenment, they were seekers after blessedness … they were idealists, not church-builders” (King 2003: 8). Few descriptions could apply more fittingly to the life and mystical teachings of Guido von List.
