Anima Mundi

The ''anima mundi'' ( Greek: , ) or world soul is, according to several systems of thought, an intrinsic connection between all living beings, which relates to the world in much the same way as the soul is connected to the human body.

Although the concept of the ''anima mundi'' originated in classical antiquity, similar ideas can be found in the thoughts of later European philosophers such as those of Baruch Spinoza, Gottfried Leibniz, Immanuel Kant, Friedrich Schelling, and Georg W.F. Hegel (particularly in his concept of ''Weltgeist'').

History

Platonism

Plato adhered to this idea, identifying the universe as a living being:

Plato's ''Timaeus'' describes this living cosmos as being built by the demiurge constructed as to be self-identical and intelligible to reason, according to a rational pattern expressed in mathematical principles and Pythagorean ratios describing the structure of the cosmos, and particularly the motions of the seven classical planets.

Following Plato, the ''anima mundi'' became an important component in Neoplatonic cosmology, often including its close relationship to the demiurge and the seven planets.

Stoicism

The Stoics believed it to be the only vital force in the universe.

Gnosticism

The ''anima mundi'' was borrowed from Platonist philosophy into several Gnostic sects.

Manichaeism

In Manichaeism, the ''anima mundi'' was also called the Light Soul and the Living Soul ( pal, grīw zīndag), contrasting it with matter, which was associated with lifelessness and death and within which the ''anima mundi'' was imprisoned. The ''anima mundi'' was personified as the Suffering Jesus (') who, like the historical Jesus, was depicted as being crucified in the world. This ''mystica cruxificio'' was present in all parts of the world, including the skies, soil, and trees, as expressed in the Coptic Manichaean psalms.

Mandaeism

In Mandaeism, the ''anima mundi'' has various parallels with '' mana''.

Hermeticism

The concept of the ''anima mundi'' is present in the works of hermetic philosophers like Paracelsus and Robert Fludd.

Judaism

In Jewish mysticism, a parallel concept is that of , which is the all-encompassing Supernal Wisdom that transcends, orders, and vitalises all of creation. Rabbi Nachman of Breslov states that this sublime wisdom may be apprehended by a perfect tzaddik (righteous man). Thus, the tzaddik attains cosmic consciousness and thus is empowered to mitigate all division and conflict within creation.

Parallels in eastern philosophy

Similar concepts in eastern philosophy include the ''brahman'', '' purusha'', and '' paramatman'' of Hinduism, and '' qi'' in the Chinese School of Naturalists, Taoism, and Neo-Confucianism.

See also

Further reading

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References

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Concepts in ancient Greek metaphysics
Concepts in ancient Greek philosophy of mind
History of philosophy
Latin philosophical phrases
Philosophical theories
Philosophy of mind
Mysticism
Neoplatonism
Platonism
Gnosticism
Hermeticism
Spirituality
Stoicism
Jewish mysticism
Christian mysticism
Western esotericism