Religious Panpsychism: The Ecological Stakes of Sacralizing the Earth

Mind–body dualism has justified a hierarchy that places the immaterial soul and culture above the material body and nature, thereby enabling the expropriation of the non-human world during the current ecological crisis. Panpsychism, which attributes mental properties to matter, is presented as the most promising philosophy to remedy these pathologies. The reanimation of matter in ecological panpsychism involves a resacralization of the sentient Earth. Both panentheist and pantheist versions of panpsychist religion transform worship of God into care for the planet, expressing a cosmic vocation.

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Abstract

In this time of ecological crisis, it is essential to recognize the conceptual framework that has facilitated the expropriation of the non-human world. Mind–body dualism must be held accountable for justifying a hierarchy of values that placed the immaterial soul and culture over and against the material body and nature. Today panpsychism is the most promising philosophy to provide a cure for these pathologies of western dualism. Matter has thus come to be understood as possessing the very mental properties attributed in modernity to the soul. In this article I will draw out the religious implications of such a panpsychist position, since the reanimation of matter intrinsic to ecological panpsychism is inspired by a resacralization of the sentient Earth. Whether we adopt a panentheist or a pantheist position, both of these panpsychist religions express a cosmic vocation in transforming worship of God into care for our awe-inspiring planet.