Spirit (animating force): Difference between revisions

Content deleted Content added

Inline

Revision as of 14:33, 20 January 2015

The English word spirit (from Latin spiritus "breath") has many differing meanings and connotations, most of them relating to a non-corporeal substance contrasted with the material body. In the last paragraph of his "Principia", Sir Isaac Newton wrote: "And now we might add something concerning a certain most subtle spirit which pervades and lies hid in all gross bodies; by the force and action of which spirit the particles of bodies mutually attract one another at near distances, and cohere if contiguous; and electric bodies operate to greater distances, as well repelling as attracting the neighbouring corpuscles; and light is emitted, reflected, refracted, inflected, and heats bodies; and all sensation is excited, and the members of animal bodies move at the command of the will, namely by the vibrations of this spirit, mutually propagated along the solid firmaments of the nerves, from the outward organs of sense to the brain, and from the brain into the muscles. But these are things that cannot be explained in few words, nor are we furnished with that sufficiency of experiments which is required to an accurate determination and demonstration of the laws by which this electric and elastic spirit operates.” ^[1]The word spirit is often used metaphysically to refer to the consciousness or personality. The notions of a person's spirit and soul often also overlap, as both contrast with body and both are understood as surviving the bodily death in religion and occultism,^[2] and "spirit" can also have the sense of "ghost", i.e. a manifestation of the spirit of a deceased person.

The term may also refer to any incorporeal or immaterial being, such as demons or deities. In the Bible "the Spirit" (with a capital "S") specifically denotes the Holy Spirit.

Etymology

The English word spirit comes from the Latin spiritus, meaning "breath", but also "spirit, soul, courage, vigor", ultimately from a Proto-Indo-European *(s)peis. It is distinguished from Latin anima, "soul" (which nonetheless also derives from an Indo-European root meaning "to breathe", earliest form *h₂enh₁- ^[3]). In Greek, this distinction exists between pneuma (πνεῦμα), "breath, motile air, spirit," and psykhē (ψυχή), "soul"^[4] (even though the latter term, ψῡχή = psykhē/psūkhē, is also from an Indo-European root meaning "to breathe": *bhes-, zero grade *bhs- devoicing in proto-Greek to *phs-, resulting in historical-period Greek ps- in psūkhein, "to breathe", whence psūkhē, "spirit", "soul"^[5]).

The word "spirit" came into Middle English via Old French. The distinction between soul and spirit also developed in the Abrahamic religions: Arabic nafs (نفس) opposite rúħ (روح); Hebrew neshama (נְשָׁמָה nəšâmâh) or nephesh (in Hebrew neshama comes from the root NŠM or "breath") opposite ruach (רוּחַ rûaħ). (Note, however, that in Semitic just as in Indo-European, this dichotomy has not always been as neat historically as it has come to be taken over a long period of development: Both נֶ֫פֶשׁ (root נפשׁ) and רוּחַ (root רוח), as well as cognate words in various Semitic languages, including Arabic, also preserve meanings involving misc. air phenomena: "breath", "wind", and even "odour".^[6]^[7]^[8])

Metaphysical and metaphorical uses

English-speakers use the word "spirit" in two related contexts, one metaphysical and the other metaphorical.

Metaphysical contexts

In metaphysical terms, "spirit" has acquired a number of meanings:

An incorporeal but ubiquitous, non-quantifiable substance or energy present individually in all living things. Unlike the concept of souls (often regarded as eternal and sometimes believed to pre-exist the body) a spirit develops and grows as an integral aspect of a living being.^[9] This concept of the individual spirit occurs commonly in animism. Note the distinction between this concept of spirit and that of the pre-existing or eternal soul: belief in souls occurs specifically and far less commonly, particularly in traditional societies. One might more properly term this type/aspect of spirit "life" (bios in Greek) or "aether" rather than "spirit" (pneuma in Greek).
A daemon sprite, or a ghost. People usually conceive of a ghost as a wandering spirit from a being no longer living, having survived the death of the body yet maintaining at least vestiges of mind and consciousness.
In religion and spirituality, the respiration of a human has for obvious reasons become seen as strongly linked with the very occurrence of life. A similar significance has become attached to human blood. Spirit, in this sense, means the thing that separates a living body from a corpse—and usually implies intelligence, consciousness, and sentience.
Latter-day Saint prophet Joseph Smith Jr. taught that the concept of spirit as incorporeal or without substance was incorrect: "There is no such thing as immaterial matter. All spirit is matter, but it is more fine or pure, and can only be discerned by purer eyes."^[10]
In some Native American spiritual traditions the Great Spirit or Wakan Tanka is a term for the Supreme Being.
Various forms of animism, such as Japan's Shinto and African traditional religion, focus on invisible beings that represent or connect with plants, animals (sometimes called "Animal Fathers"), or landforms (kami)^{[citation needed]}: translators usually employ the English word "spirit" when trying to express the idea of such entities.
Individual spirits envisaged as interconnected with all other spirits and with "The Spirit" (singular and capitalized). This concept relates to theories of a unified spirituality, to universal consciousness and to some concepts of Deity. In this scenario all separate "spirits", when connected, form a greater unity, the Spirit, which has an identity separate from its elements plus a consciousness and intellect greater than its elements; an ultimate, unified, non-dual awareness or force of life combining or transcending all individual units of consciousness. The experience of such a connection can become a primary basis for spiritual belief. The term spirit occurs in this sense in (to name but a few) Anthroposophy, Aurobindo, A Course In Miracles, Hegel, Ken Wilber, and Meher Baba (though in his teachings, "spirits" are only apparently separate from each other and from "The Spirit.")^[11] In this use, the term seems conceptually identical to Plotinus's "The One" and Friedrich Schelling's "Absolute". Similarly, according to the panentheistic/pantheistic view, Spirit equates to essence that can manifest itself as mind/soul through any level in pantheistic hierarchy/holarchy, such as through a mind/soul of a single cell (with very primitive, elemental consciousness), or through a human or animal mind/soul (with consciousness on a level of organic synergy of an individual human/animal), or through a (superior) mind/soul with synergetically extremely complex/sophisticated consciousness of whole galaxies involving all sub-levels, all emanating (since the superior mind/soul operates non-dimensionally, or trans-dimensionally) from the one Spirit.
Christian theology can use the term "Spirit" to describe God, or aspects of God — as in the "Holy Spirit", referring to a Triune God (Trinity) (cf Gospel of Matthew 28:19).
"Spirit" forms a central concept in pneumatology (note that pneumatology studies "pneuma" (Greek for "spirit") not "psyche" (Greek for "soul") — as studied in psychology).
Christian Science uses "Spirit" as one of the seven synonyms for God, as in: "Principle; Mind; Soul; Spirit; Life; Truth; Love"^[12]
Harmonism reserves the term "spirit" for those that collectively control and influence an individual from the realm of the mind.

Metaphorical usage

Metaphorical use of the term "spirit" likewise groups several related meanings:

The loyalty and feeling of inclusion in the social history or collective essence of an institution or group, as in "school spirit" or in esprit de corps.
A closely related meaning refers to the worldview of a person, place, or time, as in "The Declaration of Independence was written in the spirit of John Locke and his notions of liberty", or to the concept of zeitgeist, meaning "spirit of the age".
As a synonym for "vivacity", as in "She performed the piece with spirit" or "She put up a spirited defense" or "that breed of horse shows spirit".
The underlying intention of a text as distinguished from its literal meaning, especially in law; see letter and spirit of the law
As a term for alcoholic beverages - often in the plural, as in "ardent spirits".
In mysticism: existence in unity with Godhead. Soul may also equate with spirit, but the soul involves a certain individual human consciousness, while spirit comes from beyond that. Compare the psychological teaching of Al-Ghazali.

See soul and ghost and spiritual for related discussions.

Related concepts in other languages

Similar concepts in other languages include Greek pneuma and Sanskrit akasha/atman^[4] (see also prana). Some languages use a word for "spirit" often closely related (if not synonymous) to "mind". Examples include the German Geist (related to the English word "ghost") or the French 'l'esprit'. English versions of the Bible most commonly translate the Hebrew word "ruach" (רוח; "wind") as "the spirit", whose essence is divine^[13] (see Holy Spirit and ruach hakodesh). Alternatively, Hebrew texts commonly use the word nephesh. Kabbalists regard nephesh as one of the five parts of the Jewish soul, where nephesh (animal) refers to the physical being and its animal instincts. Similarly, Scandinavian languages, Baltic languages, Slavic languages and the Chinese language (qi) use the words for "breath" to express concepts similar to "the spirit".^[4]

References

^ Burtt, Edwin A. (2003). Metaphysical Foundations of Modern Physical Science. Mineola, New York: Dover Publications, Inc. p. p 275. {{cite book}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help); |page= has extra text (help)
^ OED "spirit 2.a.: The soul of a person, as commended to God, or passing out of the body, in the moment of death."
^ anə-, from *ə₂enə₁-. Watkins, Calvert. 2000. The American Heritage^® Dictionary of Indo-European Roots, second edition. Boston: Houghton-Mifflin Co., p.4. Also available online. (NB: Watkins uses ə₁, ə₂, ə₃ as fully equivalent variants for h₁, h₂, h₃, respectively, for the notation of Proto-Indo-European laryngeal segments.)
^ ^a ^b ^c François 2008, p.187-197.
^ bhes-². Watkins, Calvert. 2000. The American Heritage^® Dictionary of Indo-European Roots, second edition. Boston: Houghton-Mifflin Co., 2000, p.11. Also available online
^ Koehler, L., Baumgartner, W., Richardson, M. E. J., & Stamm, J. J. (1999). The Hebrew and Aramaic lexicon of the Old Testament (electronic ed.) (711). Leiden; New York: E.J. Brill.
^ Brown, F., Driver, S. R., & Briggs, C. A. (2000). Enhanced Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew and English Lexicon (electronic ed.) (659). Oak Harbor, WA: Logos Research Systems. (N.B. Corresponds closely to printed editions.)
^ Brown, F., Driver, S. R., & Briggs, C. A. (2000). Enhanced Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew and English Lexicon (electronic ed.) (924ff.). Oak Harbor, WA: Logos Research Systems. (N.B. Corresponds closely to printed editions.)
^ http://www.patheos.com/Library/Mormonism/Beliefs/Human-Nature-and-the-Purpose-of-Existence.html
^ Doctrine and Covenants 131:7
^ Kalchuri, Bhau: Meher Prabhu: Lord Meher, Volume Eighteen, Manifestation, Inc., 1986, p. 5937.
^ Eddy, Mary Baker (1875). "Glossary". Science and Health With Key to the Scriptures. p. 587. GOD. The great I AM; the all-knowing, all-seeing, all-acting, all-wise, all-loving, and eternal; Principle; Mind; Soul; Spirit; Life; Truth; Love; all substance; intelligence. {{cite book}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help); |format= requires |url= (help); Cite has empty unknown parameters: |nopp=, |lastauthoramp=, |month=, |laydate=, |laysummary=, and |separator= (help); External link in |chapterurl= (help); Unknown parameter |chapterurl= ignored (|chapter-url= suggested) (help) — "Glossary" entry for "GOD".
^ RUACH: Spirit or Wind or ??? at BiblicalHeritage.org

@@ Line 2: / Line 2: @@
 [[File:Theodor von Holst Bertalda Assailed Spirits.png|170px|thumb|[[Theodor von Holst]], ''Bertalda, Assailed by Spirits'', c.1830]]
-The English word '''''spirit''''' (from [[Latin]] ''spiritus'' "[[breath]]") has many differing meanings and connotations, most of them relating to a non-corporeal substance [[mind-body dualism|contrasted with the material body]]. In the last paragraph of  his "[[The Principia|Principia]]", [[Sir Isaac Newton]] wrote: "And now we might add something concerning a certain most subtle spirit which pervades and lies hid in all gross bodies; by the force and action of which spirit the particles of bodies mutually attract one another at near distances, and cohere if contiguous; and electric bodies operate to greater distances, as well repelling as attracting the neighbouring corpuscles; and light is emitted, reflected, refracted, inflected, and heats bodies; and all sensation is excited, and the members of animal bodies move at the command of the will, namely by the [[vibrations]] of this spirit, mutually propagated along the solid firmaments of the [[nerves]], from the outward [[organs]] of sense to the [[brain]], and from the brain into the [[muscles]]. But these are things that cannot be explained in few words, nor are we furnished with that sufficiency of experiments which is required to an accurate [[determination]] and demonstration of the laws by which this electric and elastic spirit operates.” <ref>{{cite book|last1=Burtt|first1=Edwin A.|title=Metaphysical Foundations of Modern Physical Science|date=2003|publisher=Dover Publications, Inc|location=Mineola, New York|page=p 275|accessdate=7 January 2015}}</ref>The word spirit is often used [[metaphysically]] to refer to the [[consciousness]] or [[personality]]. The notions of a person's spirit and [[soul]] often also overlap, as both contrast with [[Human body|body]] and both are understood as surviving the bodily death in religion and occultism,<ref>OED "spirit 2.a.: The soul of a person, as commended to God, or passing out of the body, in the moment of death."</ref> and "spirit" can also have the sense of "[[ghost]]", i.e. a manifestation of the spirit of a deceased person.
+The English word '''''spirit''''' (from [[Latin]] ''spiritus'' "[[breath]]") has many differing meanings and connotations, most of them relating to a non-corporeal substance [[mind-body dualism|contrasted with the material body]]. In the last paragraph of  his "[[Philosophiæ Naturalis Principia Mathematica|Principia]]", [[Sir Isaac Newton]] wrote: "And now we might add something concerning a certain most subtle spirit which pervades and lies hid in all gross bodies; by the force and action of which spirit the particles of bodies mutually attract one another at near distances, and cohere if contiguous; and electric bodies operate to greater distances, as well repelling as attracting the neighbouring corpuscles; and light is emitted, reflected, refracted, inflected, and heats bodies; and all sensation is excited, and the members of animal bodies move at the command of the will, namely by the [[vibrations]] of this spirit, mutually propagated along the solid firmaments of the [[nerves]], from the outward [[organs]] of sense to the [[brain]], and from the brain into the [[muscles]]. But these are things that cannot be explained in few words, nor are we furnished with that sufficiency of experiments which is required to an accurate [[determination]] and demonstration of the laws by which this electric and elastic spirit operates.” <ref>{{cite book|last1=Burtt|first1=Edwin A.|title=Metaphysical Foundations of Modern Physical Science|date=2003|publisher=Dover Publications, Inc|location=Mineola, New York|page=p 275|accessdate=7 January 2015}}</ref>The word spirit is often used [[metaphysically]] to refer to the [[consciousness]] or [[personality]]. The notions of a person's spirit and [[soul]] often also overlap, as both contrast with [[Human body|body]] and both are understood as surviving the bodily death in religion and occultism,<ref>OED "spirit 2.a.: The soul of a person, as commended to God, or passing out of the body, in the moment of death."</ref> and "spirit" can also have the sense of "[[ghost]]", i.e. a manifestation of the spirit of a deceased person.
 The term may also refer to any incorporeal or immaterial being, such as [[demon]]s or [[deity|deities]]. In the Bible "the Spirit" (with a capital "S") specifically denotes the [[Holy Spirit]].