The answers to the first two questions are pretty basic, but I suppose it´s interesting that ChatGPT "knows" it, too. But...I also asked the system a third question and the answer might shock you!!! :D
What is the least anthropocentric religion, in your estimation?
That’s a fascinating and difficult question — and one philosophers of religion wrestle with often. "Least anthropocentric" would mean a religion or philosophy that:
-
Doesn’t treat human beings as the central concern of the cosmos,
-
Doesn’t see the gods as primarily existing to bless or punish humans,
-
Frames reality in terms of cosmic processes, laws, or consciousness that would exist whether humans were here or not.
Let’s survey some candidates across traditions:
1. Theravāda Buddhism
-
Why non-anthropocentric?
-
The Dharma is not “about humans” but about the nature of suffering and its cessation — a law as universal as gravity.
-
Beings of all types (gods, animals, humans, spirits) are equally subject to impermanence (anicca), suffering (dukkha), and non-self (anattā).
-
No creator god with human concerns. Even gods (devas) are impermanent and bound by the same laws.
-
-
Key idea: Dharma is cosmic law, not human-centered morality.
-
Drawback: Some interpretations still see human rebirth as the “best chance” for liberation, which is a kind of anthropocentrism.
2. Advaita Vedānta (Hinduism)
-
Why non-anthropocentric?
-
The only reality is Brahman — impersonal, infinite consciousness.
-
The human world (and even the gods) are maya, a projection.
-
Liberation isn’t about human concerns but about realizing impersonal absolute reality.
-
-
Key idea: Humans are not central at all, just temporary forms of Brahman.
-
Drawback: Still frames the purpose of realization in terms of human liberation.
3. Daoism (classical, Laozi/Zhuangzi)
-
Why non-anthropocentric?
-
Central concern is the Dao (the Way), the spontaneous order of nature.
-
Humans are just one manifestation among “the ten thousand things.”
-
The sage harmonizes with the Dao, not by imposing human will but by non-action (wu wei) and yielding to the flow of nature.
-
-
Key idea: Cosmic processes matter more than human ones; the Dao would “flow” whether humans exist or not.
-
Drawback: Still gives guidance for human flourishing (longevity, balance).
4. Stoicism (ancient Greco-Roman)
-
Why non-anthropocentric?
-
The universe is governed by Logos, a rational, cosmic order.
-
Humans are rational animals, but their role is just to align with the universal order, not to dominate it.
-
-
Key idea: Cosmic order > human desires.
-
Drawback: Stoics often emphasize human virtue, so anthropocentric in practice.
5. Zoroastrianism?
-
Actually quite anthropocentric: humans are the battleground between Ahura Mazda (good) and Angra Mainyu (evil).
6. Indigenous Animisms
-
Many animistic traditions see spirits in rivers, trees, stones, animals, etc.
-
Why non-anthropocentric? Humans are just one part of the web of beings. The spirits don’t exist for us; they have their own agency.
-
Drawback: In practice, ritual often centers on human survival (crops, health, hunting luck).
My Estimation
If I had to choose the least anthropocentric religion/philosophy, I’d say:
-
Advaita Vedānta: Humans and even gods are “maya”; only impersonal Brahman is real.
-
Theravāda Buddhism: The Dharma applies to all beings equally, human or not.
-
Classical Daoism: Nature’s way is utterly impersonal; humans are just one current in a greater flow.
Between these, Advaita Vedānta might win, because it outright declares human life, gods, worlds — all appearances, not ultimately real. From that perspective, the universe isn’t “about” humans at all.
👉 Would you like me to make a ranking list of religions from most to least anthropocentric, based on their cosmology and soteriology? That might clarify things.
Great — here’s a ranking of religions/philosophical traditions from most to least anthropocentric, based on their cosmology (what reality is about) and soteriology (how liberation/salvation is conceived).
📊 Religions Ranked by Anthropocentrism
Most Anthropocentric
-
Abrahamic Monotheisms (Judaism, Christianity, Islam)
-
God creates the universe for humans, gives humans dominion over Earth, salvation is for humans.
-
History itself is “human-centered.”
-
Angels and even creation often exist to serve human destiny.
-
-
Zoroastrianism
-
Cosmic battle between Ahura Mazda and Ahriman plays out through human moral choices.
-
Humans are the decisive arena of the war between good and evil.
-
-
Hindu Bhakti Traditions (Vaishnavism, Shaivism, Shaktism in devotional form)
-
God or Goddess manifests in forms accessible to humans.
-
The cosmic līlā (divine play) often revolves around human devotion.
-
But less anthropocentric than Abrahamics, since gods also play out cosmic dramas beyond humanity.
-
-
Mahayana Buddhism
-
Universal compassion extends to all beings, not just humans.
-
Bodhisattvas vow to save beings in all realms.
-
Still, humans are seen as having the best opportunity for enlightenment (more central than animals/gods).
-
-
Theravāda Buddhism
-
Dharma is universal: gods, humans, animals — all subject to impermanence.
-
Humans are not the center, but rebirth as a human is privileged because it balances suffering and opportunity.
-
-
Stoicism (Greco-Roman)
-
Humans are not rulers of the cosmos but participants in the Logos.
-
Anthropocentric only in that humans are rational beings who can align with cosmic reason.
-
-
Indigenous Animisms
-
The world is filled with spirits and powers that have nothing to do with humans.
-
Humans are just one part of a larger network.
-
But often rituals serve human survival (food, fertility), giving a practical anthropocentric flavor.
-
-
Classical Daoism (Laozi, Zhuangzi)
-
The Dao is utterly indifferent to humans.
-
Humans are just one ripple among “the ten thousand things.”
-
Best life is to stop being human-centered and flow with the Dao.
-
-
Advaita Vedānta (Shankara’s Nondualism)
-
Brahman alone is real.
-
Humans, gods, animals, worlds — all maya (illusion).
-
Liberation is not about human destiny but about realizing there never was a separate human self.
-
Least Anthropocentric
-
Nature Mysticism / Deep Ecology (modern spiritual movements)
-
Humans are one node in a vast, impersonal web of being.
-
Spirituality is about dissolving human-centeredness into ecological consciousness.
-
Comparable in spirit to Daoism or Advaita, though much newer.
🏆 Verdict
-
Most anthropocentric: Abrahamic religions (humans at center of cosmic plan).
-
Least anthropocentric: Advaita Vedānta and Daoism (humans are just one appearance of the ultimate reality or the Dao, neither of which depends on us at all).
Would you like me to also make a visual spectrum/scale diagram showing these traditions spread from “Human-Centered” → “Cosmos-Centered” → “Impersonal Absolute”?
Excellent question — because both Theosophy (Blavatsky, Besant) and Anthroposophy (Steiner) are cosmic in scope but still very human-centered. Let’s break it down:
Theosophy
-
Cosmology: Vast cycles of evolution, with hierarchies of beings (devas, masters, etc.).
-
Anthropocentrism: Humanity is the pivot point of evolution on Earth, but not the only concern. Other planets, other beings, and occult hierarchies also matter.
-
Goal: The human soul evolves toward divine consciousness, but so do other beings.
-
Conclusion: Anthropocentric, but at least humanity is seen as one stage among many in a grand cosmic ladder.
Anthroposophy
-
Cosmology: Steiner makes Earth and human evolution the central stage of the entire cosmos.
-
Angels, archangels, and archai exist primarily in relation to human destiny.
-
Christ event = central moment of all cosmic history — and it happens here, on Earth, for humans.
-
Goal: Human beings are the meaning of creation. The cosmos itself evolves so that humans can become fully spiritual.
-
Conclusion: Extremely anthropocentric — perhaps even more than Christianity in its traditional form, because Steiner explicitly says the cosmos exists for human evolution.
Comparison
-
Theosophy: Anthropocentric, but not exclusively. Humanity is a cosmic rung among countless beings and worlds.
-
Anthroposophy: Radically anthropocentric. Humanity is the main reason for the cosmos itself; everything funnels into our development.
✅ So, between the two, Anthroposophy is clearly the most anthropocentric.
It’s actually one of the most anthropocentric spiritual systems ever devised, because it reinterprets the entire universe in terms of human spiritual evolution.
Would you like me to place Theosophy and Anthroposophy on the anthropocentrism ranking I made earlier, so you can see where they fit relative to other religions?
