Automatic Religion: Nearhuman Agents of Brazil and France

Automatic Religion explores the boundaries between humans, "nearhumans," and automata, revealing how they were constructed on gendered and racial foundations. It reanimates one of the most mysterious and yet foundational questions in trans-Atlantic thought: what is agency?

\n Format: Hardback
\n Length: 312 pages
\n Publication date: 15 December 2020
\n Publisher: The University of Chicago Press
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Two common answers—free will and religion—are in some ways fundamentally opposed. Whereas free will enjoys a central place in our ideas of spontaneity, authorship, and deliberation, religious practices seem to involve a suspension of or relief from the exercise of our will. What, then, is agency, and why has it occupied such a central place in theories of the human?

Automatic Religion explores an unlikely series of episodes from the end of the nineteenth century, when crucial ideas related to automatism and, in a different realm, the study of religion were both being born. Paul Christopher Johnson draws on years of archival and ethnographic research in Brazil and France to explore the crucial boundaries being drawn at the time between humans, "nearhumans," and automata. As agency came to take on a more central place in the philosophical, moral, and legal traditions of the West, certain classes of people were excluded as less-than-human. Tracking the circulation of ideas across the Atlantic, Johnson tests those boundaries, revealing how they were constructed on largely gendered and racial foundations. In the process, he reanimates one of the most mysterious and yet foundational questions in trans-Atlantic thought: what is agency?

The concept of agency has occupied a central place in theories of the human for centuries, and it remains a topic of intense debate and investigation. While some philosophers argue that agency is an essential characteristic of human beings, others argue that it is not unique to us and can be found in other animals and even machines. One of the key questions that scholars have been exploring is what distinguishes humans from non-humans in terms of their agency.

One common answer to this question is free will. Free will is the ability to make choices that are not determined by external factors or by our past experiences. It is a central concept in many religious and philosophical traditions, including Christianity, Judaism, and Islam. However, there are different interpretations of free will, and some philosophers argue that it is not a universal characteristic of human beings.

Another answer to the question of what distinguishes humans from non-humans is religion. Religion is a set of beliefs and practices that are often associated with the idea of a higher power or deity. Religious practices can involve a suspension of or relief from the exercise of our will, as we seek to align our actions with the will of the divine. However, not all religions involve a suspension of or relief from the exercise of our will, and some religions, such as Buddhism, emphasize the importance of mindfulness and self-control.

In Automatic Religion, Paul Christopher Johnson explores the boundaries being drawn at the time between humans, "nearhumans," and automata. Johnson draws on years of archival and ethnographic research in Brazil and France to explore the crucial boundaries being drawn at the time between humans, "nearhumans," and automata. As agency came to take on a more central place in the philosophical, moral, and legal traditions of the West, certain classes of people were excluded as less-than-human.

Johnson tests those boundaries, revealing how they were constructed on largely gendered and racial foundations. He argues that the concept of agency was used to justify the exclusion of certain classes of people, such as women, people of color, and people with disabilities. He also shows how the concept of agency was used to promote the idea of progress and development, as people sought to harness the power of machines and technology to improve their lives.

In conclusion, the concept of agency has occupied a central place in theories of the human for centuries, and it remains a topic of intense debate and investigation. While some philosophers argue that agency is an essential characteristic of human beings, others argue that it is not unique to us and can be found in other animals and even machines. The boundaries between humans, "nearhumans," and automata are an important topic to explore, as they reveal how the concept of agency has been used to justify exclusion and promote progress.

\n Weight: 632g\n
Dimension: 158 x 235 x 28 (mm)\n
ISBN-13: 9780226749693\n \n