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| Spiritism (Allan Kardec) | |
|---|---|
| Name | Spiritism (Allan Kardec) |
| Caption | Allan Kardec (Hippolyte Léon Denizard Rivail) |
| Founder | Allan Kardec |
| Founded | 1857 |
| Places | France, Brazil, Portugal |
| Scriptures | The Spirits' Book, The Gospel According to Spiritism |
| Branches | Brazilian Spiritism, French Spiritist Movement |
Spiritism (Allan Kardec) Spiritism, codified by Allan Kardec in mid-19th century Paris, is a religious and philosophical doctrine asserting communication between the living and the spirits of the dead. Emerging amid debates in France about Spiritualism, Positivism, and Catholic Church responses, Spiritism advanced systematic moral and metaphysical claims through a series of published works. The movement influenced social reform debates in Brazil, Portugal, and parts of Europe and Latin America, intersecting with figures from science, literature, and politics.
Spiritism arose in the milieu of 19th-century Paris intellectual life alongside phenomena investigated by proponents of Spiritualism, experiments by Michael Faraday, and philosophical developments associated with Auguste Comte and Henri de Saint-Simon. Hippolyte Léon Denizard Rivail, known as Allan Kardec, synthesized reports of mediumship collected from séances in Paris and elsewhere, responding to public controversies involving figures like Édouard Laboulaye and institutions such as the Académie des Sciences. The timeframe includes concurrent events like the aftermath of the Revolutions of 1848, the rise of Second French Empire, and debates involving personalities such as Victor Hugo, Alexandre Dumas, and Gustave Flaubert over spiritual and social questions. Transnationally, Spiritism intersected with transatlantic exchanges involving Emanuel Swedenborg’s legacy, Franz Mesmer’s magnetism, and American mediums linked to Fox sisters controversies.
Kardec presented Spiritism as a doctrine dealing with the nature of spirits, reincarnation, and moral progression in works addressing metaphysics and ethics. Central teachings include belief in the immortality of the soul as articulated in The Spirits' Book, moral law and charity emphasized in The Gospel According to Spiritism, and reincarnation doctrines resonant with discussions in Hinduism and debates involving scholars such as Arthur Schopenhauer and G.W.F. Hegel on metaphysics. Spiritism asserts spirit communication via mediums, aligning with phenomena investigated by contemporaries like William Crookes and debated by skeptics such as Karl Marx and Émile Zola. The doctrine integrates a teleological view of moral improvement akin to strands in Christianity while diverging on clerical authority contested with institutions like the Roman Catholic Church.
Kardec published a corpus beginning with The Spirits' Book (1857), followed by The Mediums' Book, The Gospel According to Spiritism, Heaven and Hell, and Genesis, Miracles and Predications According to Spiritism. These works entered discussions alongside contemporary texts by John Stuart Mill, Charles Darwin, and Charles Lyell about science and religion. Publishing activities involved interactions with Parisian printers and periodicals that also covered authors like Honoré de Balzac and Alexis de Tocqueville. Translations and editions spread through networks associated with publishers in Rio de Janeiro, Lisbon, and cities linked to intellectuals such as Joaquim Nabuco and Machado de Assis.
Spiritist practice centers on study groups, circles, charitable societies, and centers known as “centros espíritas,” modeled in part on forms of association familiar in France and Brazil. Activities include mediumship sessions, public lectures, publication of periodicals, and philanthropic work paralleling efforts by organizations like Samaritan societies and contemporary mutual aid groups. Organizationally, branches developed national federations such as the Brazilian Spiritist Federation and local institutions in cities like São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, interacting with civic actors including municipal authorities and health institutions debating phenomena observed by investigators like Cesare Lombroso and Rudolf Virchow.
Spiritism spread widely in Brazil, where it influenced literature, public health debates, and figures like Allan Kardecists in cultural spheres alongside authors such as Machado de Assis and activists including Getúlio Vargas-era reformers. The doctrine found adherents and critics across Argentina, Uruguay, Portugal, and parts of Spain, engaging with intellectuals like José Rizal in the Philippines and missionary networks tied to Catholic Church responses. Spiritism affected artistic currents interacting with painters such as Gustave Courbet and composers addressing metaphysical themes; it also intersected with social movements examined by historians like Fernand Braudel and Eric Hobsbawm in studies of popular religiosity.
Spiritism provoked controversies involving scientific authorities and skeptics including James Randi-like critics, 19th-century investigators such as Michael Faraday and Alfred Russel Wallace (who supported some spiritual claims), and hostile responses from the Roman Catholic Church and legal authorities in various jurisdictions. Debates engaged scholars in psychology and medicine—fields influenced by Sigmund Freud, Jean-Martin Charcot, and Pierre Janet—who analyzed mediumistic phenomena differently. Fraud cases linked to séance practices recalled scandals surrounding the Fox sisters, prompting methodological critiques by figures associated with the Royal Society and journals like those edited by Francis Galton. Academic reception ranges from sociological studies by Émile Durkheim and Max Weber to contemporary research in religious studies and anthropology involving universities such as Université de Paris and University of São Paulo.
Category:Religions