Ontology is often a necessary topic when discussing religion, ontology, and spirituality. Animism is an example of an animistic ontology. Animism is an ideology that stresses the interconnectedness among people and things. Western commentators often dismiss indigenous people as mentally ill and delirious and dismiss their religious systems and religions as primitive forms of scientific explanation.
Ontology
The Ontology of Animism focuses primarily at the intersubjective aspect of human-nonhuman relationship. Recent research has shown that many indigenous cultures have animistic worldviews. These cultures are grounded in the belief of nature being alive and interrelated. Sami reindeerherders would be an example of animistic culture.
Descola points out that an animist theory recognizes the similarity between human and animal bodies. One example is a monkey that may appear human-like, but in reality, it's still a monkey. A Siona, on the inside, may appear like a person, but it's still a Siona or a human. The idea that a human or a Siona was once a human and that all animals share human qualities is still present in animist mythology.
Religion
Animism is a belief that all things, places and creatures have a spiritual element. This belief allows ananimists to view all things as animated and living. It also encourages the idea that a spiritual relationship exists between humans and nature. Many consider animism a religion because it is widespread practiced all over the globe.
Animism started as a way to save the world from the destructive 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. During this time, animal rights were lost.
Animistic ontology
Recent research on animistic ontology has prompted a reimagining of the animist cosmos. This re-vision focuses on hybridity, a popular theme among contemporary archaeologists. This concept recalls landmark studies in transnational science, such as Bruno Latour's work showing that machines possess agency, life force, and personhood.
Descola explains that different types of bodies exist within animistic universes. They include the body (of a human), the body (of a certain animal/plant) and the body (of a spirit). A transparent or airy body could also be a characteristic of an animal or object. 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 conventional views about what constitutes personhood. Animism is a way of being and knowing, and the concept of objecthood is a fundamental part of this way of knowing. Animism is therefore a social, collective form of animism and not an individualistic one.
Relational ontology for animisim is a philosophical theory that integrates animistic and humanist understandings of nature. It is a way to be that transcends modernist distinctions between culture and nature. The world-in-formation of the animist is continually changing and growing. This means that the world is not pre-determined, and the world is always on the edge of actuality.