Animism (from Latin: anima, 'breath, spirit, life') is the belief that objects, places, and creatures all possess a distinct spiritual essence. Potentially, animism perceives all things—animals, plants, rocks, rivers, weather systems, human handiwork, and perhaps even words—as animated and alive. Animism is used in the anthropology of religion as a term for the belief system of many indigenous peoples [...] — Wikipedia
Environmental personhood is a legal concept which designates certain environmental entities the status of a legal person. This assigns to these entities, the rights, protections, privileges, responsibilities and legal liability of a legal personality. Environmental personhood emerged from the evolution of legal focus in pursuit of the protection of nature. — Wikipedia
Environmental personhood, which assigns nature (or aspects of it) certain rights, concurrently provides a means to individuals or groups such as Indigenous peoples to fulfill their human rights. — Wikipedia
They invented philosophy, so probably.Were our forefathers wiser than we think they were? — TheMadFool
No. At most, pandeism + ethical & scientific naturalisms.Should animism be legitimized as a bona fide, preferred (?),religion?
I think animism actually regards animals as the highest expression of mother nature and holds them as God-like, hence the connections with environmental concerns — Gregory
Animism encompasses the beliefs that all material phenomena have agency, that there exists no categorical distinction between the spiritual and physical (or material) world and that soul or spirit or sentience exists not only in humans but also in other animals, plants, rocks, geographic features such as mountains or rivers or other entities of the natural environment: water sprites, vegetation deities, tree sprites, etc. — Wikipedia
They invented philosophy, so probably.
Should animism be legitimized as a bona fide, preferred (?), religion?
No. At most, pandeism + ethical & scientific naturalisms. — 180 Proof
Relationship with animals is easier than with a stone so animists build totems and look into the eyes of animals to see their reflection — Gregory
When all matter is Divine it seems to me human nature is then drawn to animals for an answer to life's questions, as if they had the wisdom we need. A rock might do this but it's less communicative — Gregory
Oh, my God. I'm back. I'm home. All the time, it was – We finally really did it. YOU MANIACS! YOU BLEW IT UP! AH, DAMN YOU! GOD! DAMN YOU ALL TO HELL! — Planet of the Apes, 1968 (film)
I don't think "personhood" is a relevant concern — 180 Proof
In the history of religion, pan-theism seems the corollary to animism, not pan-deism. — 180 Proof
Anthropocene [isn't] an auto-extinction event — 180 Proof
I think animism actually regards animals as the highest expression of mother nature and holds them as God-like, hence the connections with environmental concerns — Gregory
Ah, sorry. I just don't see where the idea, supported by what animists do/did gives such centrality to animals, then. Could you justify this quoteI never said animism comes from the word "animals". — Gregory
especially in light of the various points I've made. And especially that part I bolded above.I think animism actually regards animals as the highest expression of mother nature and holds them as God-like, hence the connections with environmental concerns
I don't think we have a great deal of knowledge or reincarntion in indigenous animisms, though we do for religions like Jainism and Hinduism, say. Further there may be categories spirits can shift between, but we need not conflate that with importance. And if you are talking about being God-like, suns and stars and mountains and special places (not the only ones with life force, but those that are considered more powerful, say) can certainly compete with animals if not often surpassing them Especially at an individual animal level.Totems expressed how we are connected to animals and most reincarnation accounts say we can come back as an animal but not as a piece of iron. — Gregory
Pets? And again, where is this coming from? One major point in animism is precisely that things most Westerners do not and/or did not think so much as having relations with and certainly not with the degree of importants animists give it, are thought of as having relations with. They are social or perhaps better put relational with things we consider inanimate. And I am not sure why pets is coming in? Most totem animals are not pets at all and are not related to socially in any Western sense. In fact they are related to in overlapping ways that what Westerners (most at least) would be likely to call inanimate. And in those animisms, for example, that consider the sun and moon animate, I doubt most totem animals are as important. Perhaps your clan animal, though, here setting a hierarchy is tricky since they would be important in different ways.The social element is important and if the river and your pet are divine a healthy religion is going to give more care and thought to the pet as it expresses the divine to us more clearly. — Gregory
Wiki, huh? :roll: — 180 Proof
I've recommended SEP to you a few times. I often check on topics there before I go to wiki to read the same; whichever seems clearer and uses less jargon I tend to link in my replies. SEP articles are comprehensive (& often technical) and wiki articles tend to be summaries (and incomplete). Also, I've found SEP's bibliographies much more detailed and useful than wiki's. Mostly I use SEP to help specify my Google searches when I'm really digging deep. YMMV. — 180 Proof
Environmental personhood is a legal concept which designates certain environmental entities the status of a legal person. This assigns to these entities, the rights, protections, privileges, responsibilities and legal liability of a legal personality. Environmental personhood emerged from the evolution of legal focus in pursuit of the protection of nature. — Wikipedia
I have no idea how you measure that one, and sun cults were really quite popular, and especially if we are talking about something being God-like, something like the sun and well beyond humans ability to control seems more God-like than creatures humans can kill. I can't see why they would or did considered animals the highest expression of mother nature.My point was if someone were to consider nature to be Divine it would be far easier to see divinity in animals then in the sun. — Gregory
Animism encompasses the beliefs that all material phenomena have agency, that there exists no categorical distinction between the spiritual and physical (or material) world and that soul or spirit or sentience exists not only in humans but also in other animals, plants, rocks, geographic features such as mountains or rivers or other entities of the natural environment: water sprites, vegetation deities, tree sprites, etc. Animism may further attribute a life force to abstract concepts such as words, true names, or metaphors in mythology
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