A Cultural History of the Soul: Europe and North America from 1870 to the Present

The concept of the soul has disappeared from the sciences and humanities but is prevalent in popular culture. This book explores its history in twentieth-century Europe and North America, revealing how it remains central to a culture that is only seemingly secular.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 352 pages
Publication date: 15 February 2022
Publisher: Columbia University Press

The concept of the soul, which once dominated intellectual debates at the turn of the twentieth century, has largely faded from the realms of science and the humanities. However, it permeates popular culture in diverse ways, manifesting in holistic therapies, new spiritual practices, literature, film, ecological and political ideologies, and more. Despite being overlooked by scholars, the soul remains hidden in plain sight within a multitude of religious, psychological, environmental, and scientific movements.

In this captivating book, Kocku von Stuckrad delves into the historical trajectory of the concept of the soul in twentieth-century Europe and North America. Beginning in the late 19th century in Germany, he traces a fascination that spanned philosophy, science, the arts, and the study of religion, as well as occultism and spiritualism. Against the backdrop of the emergence of experimental psychology, von Stuckrad explores how and why the United States experienced a flourishing of ideas about the soul in popular culture and spirituality during the latter half of the century.

Von Stuckrad's examination encompasses a vast array of figures and movements, ranging from renowned philosophers such as Ernest Renan, Martin Buber, and Carl Gustav Jung to influential institutions like the Esalen Institute, deep ecology, and revivals of shamanism, animism, and paganism. He also examines the impact of figures like Rachel Carson, Ursula K. Le Guin, and the Harry Potter franchise on the cultural landscape. By revealing how the soul remains central to a culture that appears secular, this book offers a fresh perspective on the role of spirituality, religion, and metaphysics in Europe and North America today.

The soul, once a central tenant of intellectual discourse, has gracefully retreated from the forefront of scientific and humanities pursuits. However, it persists in permeating popular culture, manifesting in diverse forms such as holistic therapies, new spiritual practices, literature, film, ecological and political ideologies, and more. Despite being overlooked by scholars, the soul remains concealed in plain sight within a multitude of religious, psychological, environmental, and scientific movements.

In this captivating book, Kocku von Stuckrad delves into the historical trajectory of the concept of the soul in twentieth-century Europe and North America. Beginning in the late 19th century in Germany, he traces a fascination that spanned philosophy, science, the arts, and the study of religion, as well as occultism and spiritualism. Against the backdrop of the emergence of experimental psychology, von Stuckrad explores how and why the United States experienced a flourishing of ideas about the soul in popular culture and spirituality during the latter half of the century.

Von Stuckrad's examination encompasses a vast array of figures and movements, ranging from renowned philosophers such as Ernest Renan, Martin Buber, and Carl Gustav Jung to influential institutions like the Esalen Institute, deep ecology, and revivals of shamanism, animism, and paganism. He also examines the impact of figures like Rachel Carson, Ursula K. Le Guin, and the Harry Potter franchise on the cultural landscape. By revealing how the soul remains central to a culture that appears secular, this book offers a fresh perspective on the place of spirituality, religion, and metaphysics in Europe and North America today.

Weight: 548g
Dimension: 153 x 229 x 29 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780231200370