structure for 'Religion'    |     alphabetical list of themes    |     unexpand these ideas

29. Religion / A. Polytheistic Religion / 1. Animism

[belief that many spirits inhabit parts of nature]

3 ideas
The heavens must be full of gods, controlling nature either externally or from within [Plato]
     Full Idea: A soul or souls have been shown to be cause of all the phenomena, and whether it is by their living presence in matter that they direct all the heavens, or by some other means, we insist that these souls are gods. So 'everything is full of gods'.
     From: Plato (The Laws [c.348 BCE], 899b)
     A reaction: This seems to have little to do with the pagan gods on Olympus. It is also notably not monotheistic. It is somewhere between animism and panpsychism. Does he think the rivers and woods contain gods? Probably not. Just the orderly heavens.
It is mad to think that what is useful to us, like lakes and rivers, are gods [Sext.Empiricus]
     Full Idea: To suppose that lakes and rivers, and whatsoever else is of a nature to be useful to us, are gods surpasses the height of lunacy.
     From: Sextus Empiricus (Against the Physicists (two books) [c.180], I.040)
     A reaction: He also points out the what is useful to us decays and changes. Sextus lived in a time when monotheism was becoming dominant.
Animism is belief that every part of nature is aware and feeling, and can communicate [Harari]
     Full Idea: Animism is the belief that almost every place, every animal, every plant and every natural phenomenon has awareness and feelings, and can communicated direct with humans.
     From: Yuval Noah Harari (Sapiens: brief history of humankind [2014], 03 'Talking')
     A reaction: So does this count as a 'supernatural' belief system? It seems not, if the awareness is integral to the natural feature, and dies with it. Panpsychism is not supernatural either. A problem for anyone trying to define Naturalism.