How to Make Up One's Mind: Reason, Passion, and Ethics in Spirit Possession
University of Toronto quarterly April 1, 2010 DOI: 10.3138/utq.79.2.720 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Key points | Argues that the Western assumption that sound ethical judgment requires a unified mind governed by reason over passion is challenged by Malagasy spirit possession ethnography, which suggests that being of multiple minds can be a basis for ethical judgment and action. |
Abstract
What does it mean to know one's own mind, to make up one's mind, or to be of two minds? The paper explores some of the assumptions Westerners make about mind and confronts them with elements from the ethnography of spirit possession among Malagasy speakers. It challenges the assumption that a unified state of mind, exemplified by pure reason as opposed to passion, is the necessary basis for sound ethical judgment and action.
Citations in the library
Cited by 3
- An Atlantic Genealogy of “Spirit Possession” Comparative Studies in Society and History March 29, 2011
- What does it mean to be possessed by a spirit or demon? Some phenomenological insights from neuro-anthropological research HTS Teologiese Studies / Theological Studies August 28, 2015
- From distress to disease: a critique of the medicalisation of possession in DSM-5. Anthropology & medicine December 1, 2017