When discussing ontology, religion, and spirituality, it is often necessary to address questions of ontology. An example of an animistic ontology is Animism. Animism is an ideology that stresses the interconnectedness among people and things. Western commentators have often dismissed indigenous peoples as being mentally unstable and delirious.
Ontology
The Ontology of Animism focuses primarily on the intersubjective nature of human and nonhuman relationships. Recent research on the subject shows that many indigenous cultures share animistic worldviews. These cultures are founded on the belief in nature's interconnectedness and aliveness. An example of an animistic culture is that of Sami reindeer herders.
Descola notes that an animist ontology recognizes that the human and animal body have similar properties. For instance, a monkey can look just like a human, yet it is still an animal. The same goes for Sionas. Although they may appear to be human-like, the inside is still Siona. The idea that an animal can be a Siona, a human, or both is still a common myth in animist mythology.
Religion
Animism is the belief in an object's spiritual essence. This belief allows ananimists to view all things as animated and living. It promotes the belief that there is an eternal spiritual relationship between humans and their environment. Animism is widely practiced throughout the world and is considered a form of religion by many.
Animism originated as an attempt to save the environment from the harmful effects of industrialization. This led to the anthropomorphization or resemblance of animals, and eventually a shift from an animalistic perspective to one that focuses on humanistic issues. Respect for the living was lost during this period.
Animistic Ontology
Recent work on animistic ontology has inspired a reimagining animist cosmos. This re-vision is centered on the concept of hybridity, a recurrent theme among contemporary anthropologists. This concept recalls the landmark transnational science work of Bruno Latour, which showed that machines can have agency, life force and individuality.
According to Descola, different types of bodies exist in animistic worlds, such as the body of a human, the body of a certain animal or plant, and the body of a spirit. Another possibility is that an object or animal could have a transparent or airy body. Different animists share this type of body, and they have different social attributes.
Relational ontology
For animists, the concept of objecthood has a distinct meaning. This idea challenges the traditional notions of personhood. Animism is a way to be and know, and the concept objecthood is an integral part of that way of knowing. Animism is therefore a social, collective form of animism and not an individualistic one.
Animism's relationshipal ontology is a philosophy that combines animistic and humanist views of nature. It is a way for being that breaks the modernist divide between nature and culture. The animist lives in an "world-information", which is constantly evolving, emerging, and being born. This means that there is no pre-determined world and the world can always evolve.