From Pneuma to Geist: A History of Human Trialism from Ancient Greece to Goethe

2023 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 17K02255
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: History of thought
• Research Institution: Kobe University
• Principal Investigator: Chatani Naoto 神戸大学, 人文学研究科, 教授 (00379330)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 久山 雄甫 神戸大学, 人文学研究科, 准教授 (70723378)
• Project Period (FY): 2017-04-01 – 2024-03-31
• Keywords: プネウマ / ガイスト / ゲーテ / 古代ギリシア哲学 / 雰囲気学

Outline of Final Research Achievements

In this research project, which attempted to uncover a history of the human triad consisting of soul, spirit, and body, we first conducted basic research both on the concept of pneuma in ancient Greek philosophy and on the concept of Geist in modern German thought. We first conducted basic research both on the concept of pneuma in ancient Greek philosophy and on the concept of Geist in modern German thought, focusing particularly on Aristotle and Goethe. On the next step, the history of pneuma, spiritus, and Geist was examined. It has become then clear that spirit, whose original meaning has been breath, was understood not only as the copula between soul and body but also as an atmospheric mediator between the inner and outer worlds of any living beings. Yet it has been internalized and abstracted in the course of the history of thought. Based on the research results, we established the Atmospheric Studies as a new academic field.

Free Research Field

哲学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

プネウマ、スピリトゥス、ガイストの概念史について、いまだ本邦には先行研究が少なく、これをテーマにした本科研の取り組みは多方面から好意的反響を呼んだ。なお、これら諸概念と東アジア思想史における「気」概念との類似性についても、本科研で今後の研究の種を蒔くことができた。また本科研をひとつの基盤として創出された新学術領域「雰囲気学」は、思想史研究を分野横断的に展開させるプラットフォームとなるべきものであり、本科研後継課題では、プネウマ、スピリトゥス、ガイストの概念が担っていた内面と外界をつなぐ雰囲気的な媒介項を、倫理学、芸術学、地理学などの諸分野との協働により現代的な視点から再考する。