From anthropocentric humanism to cosmomorphism

Abstract

Humanism, born hand-in-hand with Eurocentric anthropocentrism, long constituted a defense of the highest human values, holding the promise of the construction of a better world based on control over nature. But that promise of constant improve- ment has been overshadowed by the moral failures reflected by endless war and environmental crisis. This puts in question whether we all understand the same by the concept of humanism, and whether all those who invoke it share common goals. The article focuses in one of the central axes of humanism – the basic conception of a human being as a body/soul complex –, in order to excavate its foundations and analyze its oversights. The weight of this conception became manifest as soon as the Spanish conquistadors arrived in the New World: one of the first doubts that assaulted them was whether natives had a soul. How were body and soul conceived by those who populated the conquered territories? According to those views, do only humans have a soul, or can other beings have one as well? Which configurations are possible? We pursue these questions, bringing in examples from cultures that integrate a complex intersubjectivity among humans, non-humans and the rest of nature, suggesting a transition in values from anthropocentric humanism towards cosmomorphism.