Folk Beliefs about Soul and Mind: Cross-Cultural Comparison of Folk Intuitions about the Ontology of the Person
Abstract The present study addressed two related problems: The status of the concept of the soul in folk psychological conceptualizations across cultures, and the nature of mind-body dualism within Chinese folk psychology. We compared folk intuitions about three concepts – mind, body, and soul – amo...
Authors: | ; ; ; |
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Format: | Electronic Article |
Language: | English |
Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
Journals Online & Print: | |
Fernleihe: | Fernleihe für die Fachinformationsdienste |
Published: |
Brill
2021
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In: |
Journal of cognition and culture
Year: 2021, Volume: 21, Issue: 3/4, Pages: 346-369 |
Standardized Subjects / Keyword chains: | B
China
/ Poles
/ Folk religion
/ Body
/ Person
|
RelBib Classification: | AE Psychology of religion AX Inter-religious relations KBK Europe (East) KBM Asia VA Philosophy |
Further subjects: | B
Soul music
B Spirituality B Folk Psychology B mind-body dualism B China B Religion B Poland |
Online Access: |
Volltext (lizenzpflichtig) Volltext (lizenzpflichtig) |
Summary: | Abstract The present study addressed two related problems: The status of the concept of the soul in folk psychological conceptualizations across cultures, and the nature of mind-body dualism within Chinese folk psychology. We compared folk intuitions about three concepts – mind, body, and soul – among adults from China (N=257) and Poland (N=225). The questionnaire study comprised of questions about the functional and ontological nature of the three entities. The results show that the mind and soul are conceptualized differently in the two countries: The Chinese appear to think of the soul similarly to how they view the mind (importantly, they still seem to see it as separate from the body), while Poles differentiate it both in ontological and functional respects. The study provides important insights into cross-cultural differences in conceptualizing the soul as well as into the nature of Chinese mind-body dualism. |
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ISSN: | 1568-5373 |
Contains: | Enthalten in: Journal of cognition and culture
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Persistent identifiers: | DOI: 10.1163/15685373-12340116 |