Abstract

Mainstream philosophy of religion has persistently failed to engage seriously or critically with animist beliefs and practices. The field that is now called "philosophy of religion" could quite easily be renamed "philosophy of theism" with few lecturers on the subject having to radically alter their lecture notes. It is the aim of this volume to rectify that failure and to present animism as a live option among the plethora of religious worldviews. Additionally, the volume will demonstrate how much wide and fertile ground animism holds for philosophical reflection and exploration. The volume will contain four sections, which will address: 1. The very concept of animism, 2. Philosophical arguments concerning animist belief and practice, 3. The relationship between animism, naturalism, and the sciences, and 4. The wider cultural implications of taking animism seriously. The volume therefore seeks to give a relatively complete assessment of the conceptual, metaphysical, epistemological, and pragmatic issues surrounding the phenomenon of animism. This volume is intended to be the first authoritative scholarly volume on the issue of animism and its place in the philosophy of religion. Ambitiously, it aims to act as the cornerstone volume for future work on the subject and as a key text for courses engaging with the subject.