In the tripartite psychology of the Republic, Plato characterizes the “spirited” part of the soul as the “ally of reason”: like the auxiliaries of the just city, whose distinctive job is to support the policies and judgments passed down by the rulers, spirit’s distinctive “job” in the soul is to support and defend the practical decisions and commands of the reasoning part. This is to include not only defense against external enemies who might interfere with those commands, but also, (...) and most importantly, defense against unruly appetites within the individual’s own soul.1 Spirit, according to this picture, is by nature reason’s faithful auxiliary in the soul, while appetite is always a potential enemy to be watched .. (shrink)

In the _Republic_, Socrates claims that the soul has three distinct parts or elements, each an independent source of motivation: reason, spirit, and appetite. While Socrates’ characterization of the reasoning and appetitive parts is fairly clear and intuitive, his conception of the spirited part is notoriously obscure. Recently, however, a consensus has emerged regarding we should understand the spirited part: the spirited part aims to be fine and honorable, where its conception of what it is to be fine and (...) honorable is determined by social norms. This paper argues against this prevalent interpretation and offers a new account. While it is correct to hold that spirit aims to be fine and honorable, it is not the case that the individual’s conception of what it is to be fine and honorable is determined by social norms. Instead, there is a fact of the matter about what it is to be fine and honorable and it is this fact that shapes the individual’s conception. The present account explains Socrates’ puzzling claims that (i) spirit is the natural ally of reason, (ii) being ruled by spirit is second-best, and (iii) physical training educates the spirited part of the soul. (shrink)

This project was provoked by the almost nonexistent pushback from the Democratic liberal establishment to the (2020) exoneration of Kyle Rittenhouse, despite his acknowledged killing of two Black Lives Matters protesters against the police murder of George Floyd. It builds on three prior articles arguing for the revival of ancient Dionysian practice, Haitian Vodou, and Indigenous South American shamanism to empower leftist revolution. In essence, I propose an assemblage of spiritual practices that are accessible today for the neo-colonized 99% of (...) the global population, by synthesizing and reconstructing three democratic, lower-SES, Indigenous religions, all of which share a militant defiance of their respective tyrannical plutocracies. To avoid cultural appropriation, I center these reconstructed spiritual practices on the figure of the “mage,” a psychosocial healer loosely analogous to a shaman. And the mage’s signature activity, “magic,” I redefine naturalistically as free interpersonal performative action, practiced using two theoretical disciplines (philosophy and psychology) and two practical disciplines chosen by each mage. More precisely, Spirit/Dance channels the “spirits” of dead ancestors, historical figures, legendary heroes, mythical beings, and fictional characters, into the three ultimate objectives of “mindfulness” for psyches/souls, “liberation” for mindful bodies, and “social justice” for liberated communities, indirectly empowering long-term revolution. (shrink)

Javanese spirits function as pre-juridical institutions of sacral social control. Their philosophical significance lies in the claim that normativity can be topographical: place itself can command before law speaks. In the Javanese spirit-world, authority is not only spoken by elders, written into rules, or centralised in institutions; it is distributed across houses, graves, trees, water- sources, village boundaries, forests, mountains, ritual sites, and zones felt as angker. Dhanyang, cikal-bakal, punden, ancestral guardians, and village rituals organ- ise conduct by transforming (...) space into obligation, an- cestry into authority, ecological boundaries into moral limits, invisible sanction into self-regulation, and sa- cred atmosphere into social compliance. The method is structural-philosophical reconstruction rather than empirical genealogy: the central question is not what Javanese spirits are believed to be, but what they do as structures of normativity. Internal Javanese vocabularies—rasa, pamali, kualat, laku, eling-waspada, memayu hayuning bawana, and jagad cilik–jagad gedhe— ground the analysis in local categories while preserving its philosophical scope. Sacral social control is distinguished from Durkheim’s general theory of the sacred by specifying the mechanisms through which sacred force becomes operational: spatialised authority, atmospheric prohibition, ritual mediation, ecolog- ical hesitation, cultivated rasa, fear of kualat, and the threshold at which communal order becomes domi- nation through monopoly of interpretation. The ques- tion is not whether spirits exist, but what kind of world becomes possible when land, ancestors, places, and prohibitions are experienced as watched, inherited, and dangerous. (shrink)

This article, which appeared in the Library of Living Philosophers series, is a thought experiment that imagines Danto’s analytical framework reaching well beyond what he had called the “drab” state of philosophy in the early 2000s. It describes, in minimalist terms, what he saw as the fundamental project of all philosophy -- regardless of the specific theoretical content any particular philosopher might put forth. It discusses his central (and still underdeveloped) notion of representation, and his quasi-Hegelian view of how art (...) theory has been altered by its own recently emerging self-consciousness. It draws out the implications of his Argument from Intelligibility, which informs Danto’s interest in human self-consciousness, in autonomy, and (somewhat speculatively) in “spirit.”. (shrink)

A scientific, philosophical, and spiritual overview of the relationship between science and spirituality, neuroscience and the mystery of consciousness, mind and the nature of reality, evolution and life. A plaidoyer for a science that goes beyond the curve of reason and embraces a new synthesis of knowledge. The overcoming of the limitations of the intellect into an extended vision of ourselves and Nature. A critique of physicalism, the still-dominant doctrine that believes that all reality can be reduced to matter and (...) the laws of physics alone. A review and reassessment of the old and new philosophical and metaphysical ideas which attempts to bring closer Western and Eastern traditions where science, philosophy, consciousness, Spirit and Nature are united in a grand vision that transcends the limited conventional scientific and philosophical paradigm. A possible answer to the questions of purpose and meaning and the future evolution of humankind beyond a conception that posits a priori a purposeless and meaningless universe. A report of the new scientific discoveries of a basal intelligence in cells and plants, on the question if mind is computational, the issue of free will, the mind-body problem, and the so called ‘hard problem of consciousness’. An essay on ancient as modern philosophical conceptions, from the One of Plotinus, the God of Spinoza until the recent revival of panpsychism or the universal consciousness. A journey into quantum physics from the perspective of philosophical idealism and an invitation to adopt new ways of seeing that might help us to transform our present understanding, expanding it into an integral cosmology, with a special emphasis on the spiritual and evolutionary cosmology of the Indian seer Sri Aurobindo. Not just a philosophical and metaphysical meditation but, rather, an appeal to work towards a change of consciousness, a widening of our perspective towards a new way of seeing beyond a purely mechanistic worldview to avoid a social, environmental and economic collapse. Humans are transitional beings that will have to make a choice: relapse into a pre-rational state or evolve towards a new trans-rational species supported by an ideal of human unity in diversity as the expression of a spiritual evolutionary process, the call of the Spirit on Nature. -/- This is a technical treatise for scientists and philosophers that wonder if and how they can expand their intellectual horizons beyond the straitjacket of materialism. It is dedicated to those who feel there is something more but struggle with connecting the dots into a more comprehensive and coherent picture supported by a way of seeing that allows us to overcome the present paradigm while maintaining scientific and conceptual rigor. Most of the topics discussed are unknown even to neuroscientists, biologists, philosophers, and yet are based on the findings published in their own mainstream peer-reviewed literature or on deep insights of the scientific, philosophical and spiritual giants of the past. (shrink)

This article deals with the relationship between Spirit (Geist) and Nature (Natur) in Husserl’s phenomenology and the potentially religious motifs involved in its treatment. I begin by outlining two different approaches that can be found in Husserl’s work regarding the dyad Nature-Spirit: firstly, a schematic opposition between the two, and secondly, the recognition of their fundamental intertwinement. I claim that, even in this second approach, there remains a sense of subordination of Nature to Spirit that is due (...) to the transcendental character of Husserl’s phenomenology. I analyze this primacy in the context of Husserl’s monadological theory, bringing forward certain religious elements of his account in order to connect this notion of spirit to a more contemporary idea of spirituality. (shrink)

Abstract: The present text compare the concepts of Spirit and Dialectic in Hegel's Phenomenology of Spirit and Kierkegaard's Sikness unto Death respectively. For this, the clarifications made by one author and the other of the concepts to be compared are taken, as a starting point, in order to detect whether or not these concepts have some kind of relationship that serves to bring german and danish closer together. -/- .

This paper proposes a foundational generative theory that precedes Brand DNA Architecture by examining a critical structural transition: the transformation of Creative-Spirit into Founding-Spirit. Human beings possess creativity as an inherent generative attribute, continuously producing thought through interaction with environment, experience, and necessity. When creativity becomes integrated with individual will, it forms Creative-Spirit—a self-contained generative structure in which judgment, execution, and responsibility are unified within the individual. However, when an individual recognizes collective necessity and establishes an enterprise, (...) this personal generative structure encounters a structural limit. An enterprise is not an extension of the individual; it is a system that incorporates the time, labor, and survival conditions of others. At this moment, Creative-Spirit can no longer remain personal. It must be transformed into a structure that others can share, interpret, and execute. This paper defines this transformation as the emergence of Founding-Spirit. Founding-Spirit is not a moral declaration, leadership attitude, or value statement. It is a structural conversion in which the generative logic of an individual’s Creative-Spirit is structurally translated into a shared generative system capable of sustaining collective judgment and action. By articulating this transition, the paper establishes a pre-Brand-DNA generative framework that explains why many organizations fail despite strong visions or values: the generative structure itself was never converted. This theoretical foundation clarifies the ontological conditions required for Brand DNA Architecture to function as a sustainable system of creation rather than a static definition of identity. (shrink)

Karoline von Günderrode (1780–1806) has long enjoyed a reputation as a Romantic poet, but her philosophical contributions have largely been neglected. This paper is one of the first to address Günderrode’s political thought, especially her view of the interrelationship between human society and the broader environment. The paper argues that Günderrode develops resources for reconceiving the relationship of human beings to the nonhuman and to each other that work against an instrumentalizing view of nature and programmatic political ideals. Günderrode’s normative (...) restraint, concept of harmony, and view of human beings as part of and the same in kind as the rest of nature contribute to a vision of sociality, grounded in her metaphysics, that envisions small communities fostering connections between human beings and the nonhuman. On Günderrode’s model, these connections can grow and strengthen and eventually, perhaps, enable the emergence of the single, perfect organism that she calls the “realized idea of the earth.”. (shrink)

The Nzila Spirit-Tech Paradigm proposes a new framework for understanding the relationship between technology, culture, memory, ecology, and human purpose. In an era defined by artificial intelligence, digital transformation, and accelerating technological change, many societies face a growing disconnect between innovation and the knowledge systems that have sustained human communities for generations. This manifesto introduces Spirit-Tech as an interdisciplinary paradigm that seeks to reconnect modern technological development with ancestral science, indigenous knowledge systems, cultural memory, and ethical responsibility. Rather (...) than positioning traditional knowledge and modern technology as opposing forces, the paradigm explores how they may be understood as complementary approaches to organizing information, energy, relationships, and collective wellbeing. Drawing from systems thinking, cultural preservation, indigenous innovation, and future studies, the Nzila Spirit-Tech Paradigm advocates for conscious technologies that strengthen human flourishing, ecological balance, memory preservation, and cultural continuity. It calls for a new generation of researchers, technologists, artists, historians, and community leaders to participate in building technologies that are not only powerful but also meaningful, responsible, and deeply connected to humanity's collective inheritance. (shrink)

Receptive Spirit develops the thesis that the notion of self-induced mental activity at the heart of German idealism necessitated a radical rethinking of humans’ dependence on culturally transmitted models of thought, evaluation, and creativity. The chapters of the book examine paradigmatic attempts undertaken by German idealist thinkers to reconcile spontaneous mental activity with receptivity to culturally transmitted models. The book maps the ramifications of this problematic in Kant’s theory of aesthetic experience, Fichte’s and Hegel’s views on the historical character (...) of philosophy, the Fichtean model of philosophical communication, and Friedrich Schlegel’s theory and practice of literary communication and criticism. Drawing on Gadamer and McDowell, I argue that the conceptual framework established by the Idealists remains indispensable for orientation in the contemporary intellectual landscape. (See the PDF file below for a synopsis). (shrink)

This paper introduces the Nzila Spirit-Tech Paradigm, an emerging framework that investigates the relationship between indigenous spiritual knowledge systems, consciousness, cosmology, and technological development. Unlike contemporary approaches that apply technology to spiritual practice, the Nzila paradigm explores the inverse proposition: that spiritual knowledge systems may contain principles capable of informing future technological inquiry and civilizational development. The paper argues that modern technological civilization has largely evolved within material-only epistemic frameworks, while many indigenous traditions have historically maintained integrated models of (...) reality that include non-material dimensions of experience, perception, and knowledge. Drawing upon African indigenous epistemologies, particularly the Hu-Sofia field of spiritual wisdom and its expressions within Eʋe traditions, the paper proposes Spirit-Tech as a frontier of interdisciplinary investigation rather than a doctrine or belief system. Through an examination of knowledge fragmentation, cosmology, consciousness, and the continuity of indigenous knowledge systems, the paper presents Nzila as an open research orientation that seeks to expand the boundaries of technological thought while preserving the integrity of diverse epistemic traditions. The paradigm is offered as a contribution to ongoing discussions concerning the future of knowledge, intelligence, and human technological evolution. (shrink)

Many religions and religious philosophies say that ultimate reality is a kind of primal energy. This energy is often described as a vital power animating living things, as a spiritual force directing the organization of matter, or as a divine creative power which generates all things. By refuting older conceptions of primal energy, modern science opens the door to new and more precise conceptions. Primal energy is referred to here as ‘spirit’. But spirit is a natural power. A (...) naturalistic theory of spirit is developed using ideas from information theory and thermodynamics, such as the maximum entropy production principle. Spirit drives the evolution of complexity at all levels of existence. (shrink)

In this paper I argue that although the Republic’s tripartite theory of the soul is not explicitly endorsed in Plato’s late work the Laws, it continues to inform the Laws from beneath the surface of the text. In particular, I argue that the spirited part of the soul continues to play a major role in moral education and development in the Laws (as it did in earlier texts, where it is characterized as reason’s psychic ‘ally’). I examine the programs of (...) musical and gymnastic education in the Laws and highlight parallels to the accounts of the spirited part of the soul and its role in moral education and virtue that are offered in Republic and Timaeus. I also examine the educational role given to the laws themselves in Magnesia, and I suggest that the education provided through them is largely directed at the spirited part of the soul as well. (shrink)

In this article, I defend the consideration of the Phenomenology of Spirit as a model for thinking processes of subjectivation in contemporary society, especially considering the notion of failure of experience and the figures of self-consciousness. For that, I divide the presentation into three parts and a conclusion: First, I critically evaluate the proposal made by Brazilian philosopher Marcos Nobre, in his book Como nasce o novo [How the New Is Born], of taking the Phenomenology as a philosophical model (...) for contemporary Critical Theory. I argue that he fails to present the relation between his proposal for Critical Theory and his analysis of the Introduction to the Phenomenology. Secondly, finding his hypothesis useful, I turn to Honneth’s Struggle for Recognition (taken by Nobre as one of the models for a phenomenological work) and criticize his position concerning the Phenomenology of Spirit, in particular for not recognizing that this work implies a radicalization, and not a weakening, of the notion of intersubjectivity, in relation to Hegel’s earlier writings. I propose the notion of failure of experience, rather than that of struggle for recognition, as a guide for understanding social conflicts, considering it to be a broader concept which also encompasses recognition. Finally, I consider self-consciousness in the Phenomenology as a model for understanding social figures and their problems, concluding that this can be helpful as a tool for interpreting contemporary society, especially Brazilian society in face of the rise of the new far-right. (shrink)

Claims that the Holy Spirit produces recognizable moral, cognitive, or communal transformation often function apologetically as evidence of Christian distinctiveness. This paper argues that such claims carry an empirical burden once they are used publicly. If Spirit-transformation is presented as a difference-making feature of Christian life, it must be distinguishable from ordinary human moral development, social reinforcement, therapeutic change, charismatic authority, and identity consolidation. The paper develops a control-condition framework for testing pneumatological difference without reducing religious experience to (...) crude scientism. It argues that appeals to the Spirit become epistemically unstable when they explain both transformation and its absence, treat internal conviction as externally probative, or immunize failure through ad hoc theological redescription. A defensible pneumatology may remain existentially meaningful, but public apologetic use requires contrastive evidence, defeater sensitivity, and disciplined limits on what transformation claims can show. (shrink)

The explosion of interest in consciousness among scientists in recent decades has led to a revival of interest in the work of Whitehead. This has been associated with the challenge of biophysics to molecular biology in efforts to understand the nature of life. Some claim that it is only through quantum field theory that consciousness will be made intelligible. Most, although not all work in this area, focusses on the brain and how it could give rise to consciousness. In this (...) paper, I will support this challenge, but I will suggest that the focus of work in this area reflects the failure to fully overcome the assumptions of Cartesian thought, associated above all with a defective understanding of consciousness as a ‘thinking substance’. Firstly, as Bergson, Whitehead and Merleau-Ponty argued, consciousness is embodied. Secondly, as Jacob von Uexküll argued, consciousness is only comprehensible in relation to the organism’s world defined as such by the organism. Thirdly, in the case of humans, this is a ‘with-world’, a world shared with others. The consequent social nature of human consciousness is better captured by the German word for mind: Geist, which also translates as ‘Spirit’. And as Hegel argued, along with Subjective Spirit, there is also Objective Spirit, the realm of institutions, and Absolute Spirit, the realm of culture, with Subjective, Objective and Absolute Spirit being conditions, and even components, of each other. My argument is that this broader notion of mind as Spirit should be embraced, but without abandoning the work in biophysics. What is required is a further expansion of the notion of mind and Spirit as humanity comes to appreciate that it is part of nature and that it is through the development of institutions and culture that nature, through human subjects, is becoming conscious of itself and its significance. The development of process philosophy inspired by Whitehead, associated with the development of the concepts of field and ecology, should be seen as a development of the semiosphere and the advance of the Spirit of Gaia, essential for the creation of a global civilization able to augment the life of the current regime of the global ecosystem of which we are part. It is to orient humanity to create an ecologically sustainable civilization; an ecological civilization. (shrink)

This paper explores the positionality of war-ridden female characters in Leila Aboulela’s latest novel River Spirit through the theoretical perspectives of Cynthia Enloe, Fatima Mernissi, and Sara Ahmed. Set in 19th-century Sudan, the novel is a depiction of intricate circumstances women go through during times of war. This paper examines how gender, religion, and power dynamics intersect and determine feminine experiences. Drawing on Cynthia Enloe’s analysis of militarism, this paper examines how war intensifies patriarchal control and situates women in (...) a position that is pivotal yet peripheral to the war. Fatima Mernissi’s critique of patriarchal interpretations of Islam helps the paper frame the man-made religious and cultural engagements that suppress female agency. It also explores those moments of rebellion when women implement their will within these structures of subjugation. The work of Sara Ahmed on emotions and feminist killjoy provides an affective line to these war-torn experiences and allow one to predict how emotions of fear, defiance, and resilience would shape their actions and identities. This research shows how River Spirit not only represents the gendered impacts of war and religion but also demonstrates women’s agency against the interrelated forces of patriarchy, militarism, and religious orthodoxy. (shrink)

This paper introduces depth-structured materialism: a pluralistic ontology in which matter is organized around ontologically primary nuclei of absolute inpenetrability. Neither transparent (Spinoza), eternally withdrawn (Harman), nor equipotently vibrant (Bennett), these nuclei refuse total relational entry while contingently pulsing—via a reinterpreted clinamen—to generate prototypically monotonic gradients of relational density. The result is a topologically saturated envelope: liveliness emerges not from added spirit but from the rhythmic tension between opaque core and thickened periphery. The framework resolves Chalmers’ hard problem by (...) redefining qualia as vibrations at the horizon of refusal, not epistemic gaps but ontological asymmetries. Consciousness, black holes, ecosystems, and neural assemblies are shown to share radial depth-structure. Implications extend to AI (requiring hardware inpenetrability), ethics (gradient stewardship), and scientific inquiry (measuring refusal via entropy differentials). Inpenetrability is proposed as matter’s spirit: not mystical, but the breathing “no” that thickens the world. (shrink)

This essay explores the notion of the Holy Spirit as the indwelling presence of God within human existence, proposing a reinterpretation that moves beyond purely doctrinal or metaphysical approaches. -/- Rather than understanding the Spirit as an external or occasional intervention, the text presents it as the foundational condition of human consciousness and relational awareness. The Spirit is described as the dimension in which the human being becomes capable of recognizing, inhabiting, and responding to the depth of (...) reality. -/- From this perspective, divine presence is not something added to human life, but the very ground that makes experience, understanding, and relational existence possible. The Spirit is thus understood as the interior horizon in which human freedom, ethical awareness, and openness to transcendence emerge. -/- The essay develops a philosophical and anthropological framework in which the experience traditionally attributed to the Holy Spirit is reinterpreted as the awakening of consciousness to a presence that has always already been there. This approach seeks to bridge theology and lived experience, offering a coherent account of divine immanence without reducing it to abstraction. -/- [ESPAÑOL] Este ensayo explora la noción del Espíritu Santo como presencia de Dios que habita en el interior del ser humano, proponiendo una reinterpretación que va más allá de enfoques exclusivamente doctrinales o metafísicos. -/- Más que entender al Espíritu como una intervención externa o puntual, el texto lo presenta como la condición de posibilidad de la conciencia humana y de la apertura a la realidad. El Espíritu es comprendido como la dimensión en la que el ser humano puede reconocer, habitar y responder a la profundidad de lo real. -/- Desde esta perspectiva, la presencia de Dios no es algo añadido a la vida humana, sino el fundamento mismo que hace posible la experiencia, la comprensión y la relación. El Espíritu aparece así como el horizonte interior en el que emergen la libertad, la ética y la apertura a la trascendencia. -/- El ensayo desarrolla una propuesta filosófica y antropológica en la que la experiencia tradicionalmente atribuida al Espíritu Santo se interpreta como el despertar de la conciencia a una presencia que siempre ha estado ahí. Este enfoque busca articular teología y experiencia vivida sin reducir la dimensión divina a una abstracción. (shrink)

The paper presents the notion of “Spirit of Nature” in Henry More and describes its position within More’s philosophical system. Through a thorough analysis, it tries to show in what respects it can be considered a scientific object and in what respects it cannot. In the second part of this paper, More’s “Spirit of Nature” is compared to Newton’s various attempts at presenting a metaphysical cause of the force of gravity, using the similarities between the two to see (...) this notorious problem of Newton scholarship in a new light. One thus sees that if Newton drew from Stoic and Neo-Platonic theories of aether or soul of the world, we need to fully acknowledge the fact that these substances were traditionally of a non-dualistic, half-corporeal, half-spiritual nature. Both More’s “Spirit of Nature” and Newton’s aether can thus be understood as different attempts at incorporating such a pneumatic theory into the framework of modern physics, as it was then being formed. (shrink)

This paper ties together several anthropological and naturphilosophische themes in Hegel in order to re-examine the place of the philosophy of nature in the Encyclopedia. By taking Hegel’s anthropology as a starting point, I argue that his philosophy of nature has for its subject not nature “as such,” but nature as cognized by Geist, so that the identity of these two natures is only constructed by spirit itself retroactively. I trace the origin of this difference to the revolutionary event (...) that institutes Hegel’s anthropology – which is not a transition from nature to spirit, but a pure break or new beginning, culminating in the creation of the conceptual world of nature as “we” know it. As a result, the philosophy of nature does not precede, but follows from, the anthropology and the philosophy of spirit; the natural foundation is retroactively replaced by the philosopher with the anthropological one. (shrink)

The debate on the existence of ghost in the human being world has been one of the ongoing controversies globally, especially based on a very ancient idea that a human body is separate from their soul, and when the body dies, the spirit can still live on nor remain trapped in the living world under certain circumstances. This research paper explores the existence of ghosts, aiming to compel the readers and making them aware of their potential reality based on (...) historical accounts, eyewitness testimonies, and scientific inquiry. The study analyses a range of documented experiences, captured documentaries, cultural perspectives, and paranormal investigations to build a case for the credibility of ghost phenomena. Qualitative methods were primarily used, including the examination of secondhand interviews, case studies from paranormal researchers, and content analysis of reports from reputed researchers and organisations. Additionally, secondary data from scientific studies on electromagnetic fields, infrasound, and psychological responses were evaluated to support or challenge claims of ghostly encounters. The research findings reveal more about the factors or reasons behind the manifestation of ghostly spirits in the living world, the distinction between ghosts and spirits, the types of ghost hauntings, forms of ghosts and technology behind the detection of ghostly spirits. The findings suggest that while scepticism remains valid, there is compelling evidence that warrants further open-minded investigation into the paranormal: existence of ghosts. (shrink)

Though Wilfrid Sellars portrayed himself as a latter-day Kantian, I argue here that he was at least as much a Hegelian. Several themes Sellars shares with Hegel are investigated: the sociality and normativity of the intentional, categorial change, the rejection of the given, and especially their denial of an unknowable thing-in-itself. They are also united by an emphasis on the unity of things—the belief that things do ‘‘hang together.’’ Hegel’s unity is idealist; Sellars’ is physicalist; the differences are substantial, but (...) so are the resonances. (shrink)

The aim of this research was to find out what the most popular films among the Akan in southeast Amsterdam (The Netherlands) are and how these films are used by this West African diaspora in the formation of a new religious identity after their migration to Europe. The outcome of this research is that the most popular films among the Akan are those with Pentecostal-Charismatic proselytizing messages. The Akan use these films to create an ‘imagined diasporic community’ to remain culturally (...) connected to West Africa. The second most popular films are those of an Akan indigenous religious nature. However, because the name of these films does not fit with the newly acquired European Christian identity of the Akan people in the diaspora, they have slightly changed the name of these movies to ‘cultural films’ in order to overcome the contradiction between over three centuries of ‘Akan spirits of migration’ to Europe with the recent ‘migration of spirits’ via Ghanaian films. (shrink)

This study reinterprets the political and spiritual tension between Russia and the West as the contemporary manifestation of Spirit’s inner dialectic and the struggle of freedom to become whole. Drawing upon Hegel’s Phenomenology of Spirit and Philosophy of Right, and extending Harry Frankfurt’s and Gerald Dworkin’s analyses of autonomy to the civilizational level, it argues that the division between reflection and unity, individuality and communion, underlies both personal and historical consciousness. The essay traces this polarity through the split (...) of Hegel’s disciples into Left and Right Hegelianism: The Left emphasizing critical autonomy and secular emancipation, the Right affirming sacred order and communal belonging. These opposing tendencies, embodied in Western liberalism and Russian Orthodox communitarianism, have defined modernity’s dual path of freedom. Yet in the twenty-first century, this dialectic has turned inward. The West itself now mirrors its ancient opposite: populist nationalism, cultural traditionalism, and the crisis of the European Union reveal Spirit’s recoil from excessive abstraction. Trumpism and European sovereigntism emerge as distorted attempts to restore unity within a civilization governed by reflection. -/- The liberal order and the sacred order, once external antagonists, have become two interior moments of the same global Spirit seeking reconciliation. Interpreted through Hegel, this confrontation is not a mere geopolitical contest but the self-education of Spirit, and its effort to comprehend freedom’s need for belonging and belonging’s need for freedom. The energy of Spirit is the world’s drive toward coherence: the inner motion that transforms conflict into understanding. Reconciliation, in this light, is not submission to power but the recognition of freedom in the other. The essay concludes by envisioning a planetary consciousness in which reason and faith, reflection and immediacy, the West and Russia, and the Left and Right tendencies of Spirit become transparent to one another as moments of one self-knowing humanity. -/- . (shrink)

This paper proposes a generative architecture through which Creative-Spirit becomes continuously productive across time. Rather than treating brand as a surface construct or market-driven identity system, this work defines brand as an applied structure through which Creative-Spirit acquires form, direction, and economic operability. -/- Building upon prior work that framed philosophy and brand as parallel systems of thought reproduction, this study advances the discussion by articulating a concrete causal process through which internal spirit is transformed into sustained (...) external action. This process is formalized as a seven-dimensional architecture: Spirit, Ideology, Purpose (Reason), Vision, Role, Mission, and Commitment. -/- Unlike existing Brand DNA models that enumerate elements without causal hierarchy, this architecture establishes a generative sequence grounded in inner–outer causality, cognitive development, and temporal reinforcement. Vision precedes role not as an idealized future image, but as the cognitive field within which role becomes possible. Mission is not assigned in advance; it emerges as a residual task generated through role execution. Commitment functions as the temporal mechanism that binds these dimensions into a self-reinforcing cycle. -/- This paper further demonstrates that time, within this architecture, is not a neutral container but the medium through which cognition deepens. Through repeated cycles of self-awareness, insight, execution, and intuitive decision-making, Creative-Spirit re-enters the system at progressively deeper levels. The result is not linear growth but spiral expansion. -/- By positioning brand as a surface manifestation of a deeper generative ontology, this work reframes Brand DNA Architecture as an applied system of Creative-Spirit production rather than a descriptive branding framework. This architecture provides the structural condition under which thought, spirit, and intention can remain productive beyond the individual and persist as a living system in economic reality. (shrink)

The reality of spirits? A historiography of the Akan concept of 'mind' (La réalité des esprits: Vers une historiographie de la conception akan de l'esprit). In this article the following thesis is considered: the classifications used to define African Indigenous Religions are 'inventions' of Western scholars of religion who employ categories that are entirely "non-indigenous". The author investigates the presumptions of this statement and discusses the work of scholars of religion studying the Akan and in particular the Akan concept of (...) mind. In the analytic philosophical tradition the precise meaning of Akan concepts of mind such as okra and sunsum, described by various scholars of religion in different eras, are reviewed. The pre-colonial, colonial and the postcolonial era all have had specific influence on the conceptualisation of the mind. On the basis of an historiography of the Akan mind the author concludes that, contrary to the originally thesis under review, 'cultural background' and 'academic discipline' are relatively unimportant in the classification of 'indigenous religions'. The 'paradigm' prevailing within a discipline , 'personal belief' and the spatio-temporal context in which conceptualisations are created, turn out to be far more significant. (shrink)

In this very brief piece, I outline a way of thinking about spiritual pursuits.

In Michel de Certeau’s Invention of the Everyday, improvisational community dance function as a catalyst for the subversive art of the oppressed, via its ancient Greek virtue/power of mētis, being “foxlike.” And in de Certeau’s The Possession of Loudun, this foxlike dance moves to the stage, as an improv chorus that disrupts the events at Loudon when reimagined as a tetralogy of plays at City Dionysia. More precisely, Loudun’s tetralogy could be interpreted as a series of three tragedies and one (...) comedy, the latter of which involves the chorine nuns’ channeling of anomie into a proto-feminist transfiguration. More precisely, the tactical prowess of the nuns’ chorus leader, namely the prioress Jeanne des Anges, elevates her to the status of an angelic prophet, which in de Certeau’s theatrical dancing critique makes her the Loudun tetralogy’s Dionysian, foxlike mage. In conclusion, this analysis suggests de Certeau’s relevance for revolutionary social justice today. (shrink)

The Sikh identity, represented by the Khalsa, is deeply rooted in unity, equality, and selfless service. Sikhs, known for their resilience, spirituality, and commitment to justice, have historically taken leading roles during challenging times. As the world becomes increasingly interconnected and complex, the need for a Global Sikh Renaissance has become more urgent. A key driver of this renaissance can be "Khalsa Synergy"—the collective unity and action of the global Sikh community. Through Khalsa Synergy, Sikhs can reconnect with their roots (...) while addressing modern challenges, ensuring that the core principles of Sikhism—Naam (spirituality), Kirat (honest living), and Vand Chhako (sharing with others)—are both preserved and adapted innovatively to meet contemporary needs. Understanding Khalsa Synergy: Khalsa Synergy refers to the harmonious collaboration among Sikhs worldwide to leverage their collective potential. "Khalsa," introduced by Guru Gobind Singh, embodies the virtues of purity, courage, and selflessness, representing a collective spirit that transcends individualism. On the other hand, Synergy emphasizes that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. This concept allows Sikhs from diverse social, economic, or geographical backgrounds to work together toward common goals, such as addressing inequality, promoting education, advocating for environmental sustainability, and striving for global peace. (shrink)

The rapid emergence of Spirit-Tech has created new opportunities for exploring relationships between spirituality and technology. Existing approaches largely investigate how contemporary technologies may facilitate meditation, contemplative practice, consciousness exploration, and spiritual well-being. This paper introduces the Nzila Spirit-Tech Paradigm as a complementary and distinct framework. Rather than asking how technology can enhance spirituality, the Paradigm asks whether indigenous knowledge systems, spiritual intelligence, ecological wisdom, and humanity's relationship with nature can inform the design principles of future technologies themselves. (...) The paper positions the Paradigm within the emerging global Spirit-Tech landscape, presents its four foundational pillars, outlines an interdisciplinary research agenda, and proposes an expanded framework for evaluating technological progress based on harmony, responsibility, ecological integrity, cultural continuity, and long-term human flourishing. (shrink)

How can a person tell whether an inner prompting comes from the Holy Spirit, a deceptive spirit, or ordinary human imagination? Hans-Georg Lundahl answers by recommending prayer, conformity to Catholic teaching, submission to Catholic authority, attention to moral fruits, and, in exceptional cases, later miracles. These practices may help a Catholic decide whether an impression is safe to act on. They do not identify the impression's source. A thought produced by religious training can agree with Catholic teaching. An (...) institution can approve a mistake. A decision can turn out well by coincidence, competence, or selective reporting. Even an event that remains medically or historically unexplained would not, by that fact alone, identify the Holy Spirit rather than some other supernatural or unknown cause. Lundahl tries to close these gaps by appealing to Christ's promise to the Church, the Church's preservation of the Gospel accounts, the prima facie credibility of tradition, the growth of early Christianity, and the beneficial effects of Catholicism. But these claims form a closed evidential circuit. The institution certifies the texts, the texts certify the institution, traditions and miracle reports certify both, and the institution's alleged divine protection supplies the favored interpretation of those reports. Evidence that is genuinely independent—the mere historical existence of the Church, for example—does not establish the supernatural authority attributed to it. This paper reconstructs Lundahl's position in its strongest form, then shows why it fails. It also refines the original challenge. Absolute certainty is unnecessary, and historical claims are not tested exactly like laboratory hypotheses. The proper demand is more modest: a method must discriminate among the proposed causes better than chance, bias, and hindsight. Lundahl provides no such method. He offers an internally Catholic policy for managing impressions, not a publicly reliable way to discover who—or what—produced them. A dedicated objections section answers the strongest replies in his own words. A verification roadmap then identifies the conditions, possible falsifiers, and prospective tests Lundahl would need to establish his claims, while two appendices supply a formal argument audit and a practical discernment matrix. (shrink)

Theology Without Walls is a project that seeks to understand the nature of divine reality through an exploration of all the world's religious traditions, without confining itself to any one in particular. In this essay, I discuss why theology has traditionally been done within the boundaries of specific traditions and suggest that, in our time, we are called to a new, more comprehensive, approach to theology.

This thesis attempts to address the philosophical implications of the N, N-Dimethyltryptamine (DMT) research of Dr. Rick Strassman. Strassman concludes that the psychedelic properties of DMT represent a proper biological starting point for discussing spiritual and near-death experiences. My research attempts to incorporate philosophical elements from the philosophy of mind and philosophy of religion/mysticism to give an accurate account of some of the philosophical issues worth exploring for future research. One of the essential patterns in this thesis is to trace (...) the research and conclusions of Strassman, compare them with the philosophical issues in the contemporary philosophy of mind and to address the problems of spiritual qualia and mystical experience. Part of the issue stems from understanding a theoneurological (brain mediated prophetic/spiritual communication) account for spiritual experiences within the framework of naturalism/supernaturalism philosophy. Here, I decipher the problems of qualitative distinctions amongst spiritual and nonspiritual experiences and how consciousness plays an essential role in this process. (shrink)

Hegel wrote that “Die Architektur ... ist die Kunst am \usserlichenﾓ (A 14.271).1 We might translate this as "Architecture is art in the external." But since all art is sensuous externalization, perhaps we should translate Hegel as saying "Architecture is the art of the external." Architecture is art at its most external. Let us ask what this ﾒexternalityﾓ might be that is so important to architecture. There are more dimensions to the answer than may at first appear. We might say (...) that architecture is “external” because architecture constructs in physical space “out there” and uses external material such as wood and stone and steel. But other arts, for instance sculpture and painting, do the same. There are kinds of externality more specific to architecture. I will discuss first architecture’s special relation to gravity, then the unorganic externality of architectural purpose, the outward architectonic act, and the externality of meaning in symbolic art. My conclusion will suggest going beyond Hegel on this topic by following his directions. (shrink)

A debate has arisen over whether “the spirit of sport” is an appropriate criterion for determining whether a substance should be banned. In this paper, I argue that the criterion is crucial for Olympic sport because Olympism celebrates humanity, specifically human agency, so we need to preserve the degree to which athletes are personally and morally responsible for their performances. This emphasis on what I call “athlete agency” is reflected metaphysically in the structure of sport, which characteristically prescribes inefficiencies (...) in order to create challenges, and seeks to reduce or eliminate the proportion of a performance outside an athlete’s control. Emphasizing athlete agency also prevents wealthier and more technologically developed countries from using their resources to gain an advantage in sport. Interpreted according to athlete agency, the World Anti-Doping Agency’s (WADA) “spirit of sport” can be clarified to imply that substances, techniques, and equipment that reduce athlete agency should be reduced or eliminated, while things that increase it should be encouraged. (shrink)

A foundational declaration establishing the Nzila Spirit-Tech Paradigm, a framework that seeks to unite technological innovation with spiritual intelligence, ecological responsibility, indigenous knowledge systems, and human consciousness. The Declaration also establishes the Nzila Research Institute (NRI), the Nzila Spirit-Tech Research Laboratory, and the affiliated Sɛ-Nzila Shrine as institutional expressions of the Paradigm.

Sophocles’s tragedy, Antigone, is evoked twice in Hegel’s Phenomenology of Spirit, once near the beginning of chapter six (Spirit), in the Ethical Order (Sittlichkeit) section, and again, in chapter seven, on Religion, in the section on the Spiritual Work of Art. Each occurrence presents a significantly distinct perspective on the play, which represents, for Hegel, the paradigmatic expression of Greek tragedy. Reflecting on the specificity of each occurrence not only sheds light on Hegel’s views on tragedy but reveals (...) a fundamental and generally ignored binary division within Hegelian philosophy itself, and its systematic reconciliation. The transition from the Phenomenology’s Spirit chapter to Religion presents a crucial shift; from the narrative recounted from the perspective of human reason, we move to that of absolute revelation. In Religion, we thus have the outline of the same story that has been presented in the earlier chapters of the Phenomenology but now told through the experiences of a different protagonist, the Absolute itself. Without this second, “religious” point of view, the story that Hegel recounts would end in the endless strivings of human morality, in the ambiguous considerations of confession and forgiveness that close chapter six. The twin narratives of reason and revelation can then be brought together in the short, dense final chapter, Absolute Knowing. Hegel’s two presentations of the Antigone tragedy in Spirit and Religion are informed by this fundamental distinction between human and absolute agencies, as well as their complicity. By reflecting upon the two appearances of Antigone, in the Phenomenology, we apprehend both the difference and the complicity between the two narratives: the strivings of human reason and the agency of absolute revelation. Thus, we gain a holistic insight into the system that Hegel calls Science. (shrink)

Of the various loci of systematic theology that call for sustained philosophical investigation, the doctrine of sanctification stands out as a prime candidate. In response to that call, William Alston developed three models of the sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit: the fiat model, the interpersonal model, and the sharing model. In response to Alston’s argument for the sharing model, this paper offers grounds for a reconsideration of the interpersonal model. We close with a discussion of some of the (...) implications of one’s understanding of the transforming work of the Holy Spirit for practical Christian spirituality. (shrink)

The Nzila Spirit-Tech Research Lab & Institute Executive Summary presents the founding vision for an African-led research initiative dedicated to exploring the intersection of indigenous knowledge systems, consciousness studies, cosmology, ecological intelligence, and emerging technologies. Grounded in the Nzila Spirit-Tech Paradigm, the proposal outlines the Institute's mission, vision, institutional objectives, and long-term research agenda. It advocates an interdisciplinary framework where indigenous epistemologies and contemporary scientific inquiry can be investigated together with intellectual rigor, fostering innovative approaches to technological development (...) while preserving Africa's rich knowledge heritage. The document also introduces opportunities for strategic partnerships, research collaboration, and philanthropic support toward establishing a globally recognized research institution. (shrink)

Kierkegaard's preoccupation with a separation between the ‘inner’ and the ‘outer’ runs through his work and is widely thought to belong to his rejection of Hegel's idealist monism. Focusing on The Concept of Irony and Either/Or, I argue that although Kierkegaard believes in various metaphysical distinctions between inside and outside, he nonetheless understands the task of the philosopher as that of making outside and inside converge in a representation. Drawing on Hegel's philosophy of art, I show that Kierkegaard's project in (...) both of these books is the aesthetic project of revealing the inner essence of something in its outward appearance. Kierkegaard's portrait of Socrates in The Concept of Irony is a phenomenology of the spirit of irony. My interpretation adds a new dimension to our understanding of Kierkegaard's aesthetics and his relation to Hegel; it presents him as a follower of Plato, whom he is usually thought to have dismissed; and it uncovers a deep connection between Kierkegaard's first two books, which are never read in conjunction. (shrink)

The concept of the thing in itself in Kant's philosophy is the element which deprives us of knowing the thing as it is in itself. Hegel, who believed that knowledge is limited by nothing but itself, had to eliminate the thing in itself in his Absolute Idealism and in this way make his concept of Knowledge absolute. Many scholars believe that he did so in the first part of his Phenomenology of Spirit, titled 'Consciousness'. In this paper, in contrast (...) to other studies which are concerned with Hegel's external critique of this concept and what he has said about it here or there in his System of philosophy, we'll examine his internal encounter with the Thing in Itself as it is occurred in the first chapter of the Phenomenology of Spirit. In doing so, we will try to show why he believed that, if we pursue the process of sublating the shapes of consciousness into one another, there won't be anything like the Thing in Itself. Then We will attempt to explain why his efforts are futile and why, even in the Phenomenology of Spirit, the thing in itself exists exactly in the sense that Kant meant by the term. (shrink)

Hegel’s examination of habit in his subjective spirit sits at a critical juncture between nature and spirit. This ‘second nature’ has often been interpreted as leaving nature behind. This paper argues that Hegel’s examination of habit should not be understood in this way. While habit bridges the gap between nature and spirit it cannot be understood as a mere transition point. Habit represents a distinct way of considering the spirit-nature relation that challenges the common Kantian inspired (...) distinction between a space of reasons and a space of causes (terms by which the spirit-nature relation is often understood). (shrink)

According to the Cambridge Platonist Henry More, individual spirits--the souls of humans and non-human animals--are extended but cannot be physically divided. His contemporaries and recent commentators have charged that More has never given an explication of the grounds on which the indivisibility of spirits is based. In this article, I suggest that exploring the usage that More makes of the analogy between spirits and light could go some way towards providing such an explication. More compares the relation between spirit (...) and matter to the relation that, according to Aristotelian theories of light, holds between?intentional species? and matter. I will argue that the purpose of his comparison is to highlight that both intentional species and spirits are existentially independent from matter. The existential independence of intentional species from matter expresses itself in the fact that light is not moved through the motion of the illuminated body. The existential independence of spirits from matter expresses itself in the fact that when a body that is coextensive with a spirit is divided, the spirit is not thereby divided but rather contracts into the remaining living organism. (shrink)

In his new book, Kant and Mysticism, Stephen Palmquist argues that Kant had already formulated his critical method by the mid-1760s and that it emerged from his reflections on Swedenborg’s mystical visions. In order to evaluate these claims, I consider Kant’s correspondence with Charlotte von Knobloch and Moses Mendelssohn before and after the publication of Dreams of a Spirit-Seer; the context in which Kant published Dreams; and the method he employs when he discusses Swedenborg’s visions in that work. I (...) conclude that Kant’s critical method was not well-formed during the 1760s and did not emerge from Kant’s reflections on Swedenborg. (shrink)

Aang is unwilling to kill Ozai in order to secure peace. The Lion Turtle's remark indicates that Aang's alternative strategy involves bending Ozai's energy, and that Aang is victorious because his spirit is unbendable while Ozai's presumably is bendable. Buddhist teachings identify five fundamental hindrances that foster duhkha. Aang struggles with all five hindrances, but he ultimately overcomes them and has a true heart. The first hindrance concerns sensory desire, longing for pleasure through the bodily senses. The second hindrance (...) is ill will. The third hindrance is dullness and drowsiness. The fourth hindrance is restlessness and remorse. The fifth and final hindrance is doubt. By virtue of overcoming emotional hindrance and delusion, Aang becomes a person who embraces obstacles and strives to overcome them through compassion rather than control. (shrink)