Animism: Its Scope and Limits

Abstract

The aim of this paper is to work out what we should be animists about. I begin by distinguishing between ontological and ideological formulations of animism; I suggest that plausible forms of animism will be merely ideological. Next, I consider the extent to which idealism, pantheism and panpsychism might be taken to support universal animism; I claim that there is no plausible form of universal animism. After noting that animals are the easy case for animism, I turn to a discussion of a range of hard cases: flora, geological features, astronomical bodies, word tokens, artefacts, and institutions; I suggest that we should not be animists about anything of these things. Finally, I consider whether the discussion that I have given is insensitive to the kinds of reasons that people have had for holding animistic beliefs about things other than animals.(1) Animism Some formulations of animism have an ontological bent. In subsequent discussion, I shall call these ontological formulations of animism.According to some ontological formulations of animism, there are spirits: non-physical beings such as demons, ghosts, fairies and angels. Opinion about the perceivability of spirits varies. Some animists take some spirits to be imperceptible; some animists take some spirits to be perceptible only to those to whom the spirits are willing to reveal themselves; and some animists take all spirits to be perceptible to all.According to some ontological formulations of animism, there are minds or souls: nonphysical components of entities that also have physical components. Opinion about the capacity for independent existence of minds and souls varies. Some animists suppose that minds and souls can only exist as components of entities that also have physical components. Other animists suppose that minds and souls are capable of independent existence, i.e. existence in which they are not components of entities that also have physical components. Some formulations of animism have an ideological bent. In subsequent discussion, I shall call these ideological formulations of animism.According to some ideological formulations of animism, some-or perhaps all-things are spirited: these things manifest certain properties that characterise spirited things. Opinion about the properties that characterise spirited things vary. Some animists suppose that spirited things are capable of independent movement. Some animists suppose that spirited things are alive. Some animists suppose that spirited things are capable of acting. Some animists suppose that spirited things are capable of experiencing and cognising.According to some ideological formulations of animism, some-or perhaps all-things are sentient: these things manifest sentience. Roughly speaking, things that manifest sentience are things that experience: things that see and hear and feel and smell and taste and so on.According to some ideological formulations of animism, some-or perhaps all-things are minded: these things manifest mindedness. Roughly speaking, things that manifest mindednes...

Animism and Science

“…Bird-David objects to calling the performances rituals, but calls them "practices" instead (Bird-David 1999). 12 Graham Oppy defends a similar argument, though not closely tied to science (Oppy 2023).…”