more from Plato

Single Idea 21265

[catalogued under 29. Religion / A. Polytheistic Religion / 1. Animism]

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'.

Gist of Idea

The heavens must be full of gods, controlling nature either externally or from within

Source

Plato (The Laws [c.348 BCE], 899b)

Book Reference

Plato: 'Complete Works', ed/tr. Cooper,John M. [Hackett 1997], p.1556


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.

Related Idea

Idea 12097 There are as many eternal unmovable substances as there are movements of the stars [Aristotle]