ANIMISM. –
1. ETHNOLOGY
This term is generally understood to mean the tendency of certain primitive peoples to attribute a soul not only to human beings but also to things. In particular, animistic tribes are those that practise a special cult of the dead and of souls. On this animism as a fact E. B. Tylor constructed his theory of animism, which comprises three distinct parts, namely: an attempt to explain the origin of the idea of the soul; a hypothesis concerning the historical succession of certain forms of religion; and finally his opinion regarding the position of animism as a fact within the said series.The idea of the soul is said to have arisen in the mind of natural man from two sequences of phenomena: from the observation of the sleeping, sick, and dead person; and from the observation of dreams, ecstasy, and visions. In the first group, the primitive would have formed the impression that something had more or less departed from the body; in the second, that this very unknown element acted on its own impulse and was therefore capable of existing independently. Thus the idea would have arisen of a soul distinct from the body and capable of surviving II. A dualism subsequently applied also to animals and plants, and even to inorganic nature. The idea of the pure spirit—that is, one always free from union with the body—would then soon have arisen; and hence the attribution of a spirit to all objects and elements of nature. From this came a more developed polytheism, in which, finally, one divinity asserted itself over all the others.
Tylor therefore posits an evolutionary scale which, beginning with animism and passing through the cult of spirits and polytheism, reaches monotheism. His ideas prevailed in the scientific sphere for several decades, subsequently declining inevitably. Today, in fact, the opinion of
With this, the historical scale of religions formulated by Tylor falls, because monotheism is in no way the final product of an evolution, but reveals itself at the very dawn of humanity. Tylor nevertheless retains the merit of having illuminated the significance of a. in fact with regard to the history of human thought: that is, of having recognized even in natural man the philosopher capable of investigating the causes of things and forming a conception of the world; and, moreover, of having understood that the animists’ conception of the world does not have a purely materialistic background, but also rises to spiritual motives of the kind represented by the soul.
Michele Schulien
2. MEDICINE
In medicine, a., no less than theurgy (v.), constituted the first and most ancient form of etiological interpretation of diseases, explaining them by attributing their cause to the action of invisible animate beings, such as demons or evil spirits, or even the souls of the dead. Animistic interpretation is almost always connected with magical interpretation.The medical conception of the most ancient ages and of civilizations such as the Egyptian, Assyro-Babylonian, Indian, Iranian, etc., appears animistic, and it Talmud (v.). It is normally widespread among all currently existing primitive peoples, even when they possess the concept of the natural causes of diseases. Treatment is predominantly exorcistic, based on the principle of frightening the evil spirit that has caused the illness, or enticing it elsewhere with blandishments, deceiving it, and sometimes making it suffer so that it will depart.