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Panpsychism And Immortality In Empedocles, Charles H. Kahn

The Society for Ancient Greek Philosophy Newsletter

The general position of Empedocles in the matter of consciousness may be described as a rigorous panpsychism. In this view there is really no such thing as inanimate nature. It is the physis or composition of our body which accounts for, if it is not identical with, our psychic character and thought. At the same time, he distinguishes the wandering daimon from the four physical elements. The realm from which he has been banished can only be that of Love. Far from contradicting the physical poem, the doctrine of reincarnation and release constitutes its logical sequel, the coping-stone which completes …