The Formation of Occultist Identities Amidst the Theosophy and Socialism of fin-de-siècle France

Abstract

Fin-de-siècle occultism is usually analyzed within the context of the „occult revival” that implies the modernization of the older esoteric tradition. However, this notion is rooted in the defi ning esoteric discourses at the end of the nineteenth century. This article discusses two major aspects of these discourses. First, French esotericists polemically distanced themselves from the „Eastern” esotericism of the Theosophical Society by constructing an ésotérisme occidental. This separation of „East” and „West” occurred as a reaction to the T.S., and should thus be seen as a „nationalist” response to a global phenomenon. The second major aspect of occultist identity formations is socialism. Fin-de-siècle occultists were deeply interested in the socialist theories formulated during the July Monarchy but ambiguously distanced themselves from contemporary „materialist” socialisms.