Concept
Supernatural
Overview
Supernatural phenomena or entities are those beyond the laws of nature. The term is derived from Medieval Latin supernaturalis, from Latin super- 'above, beyond, outside of' + natura 'nature'. Although the corollary term "nature" has had multiple meanings since the ancient world, the term "supernatural" emerged in the Middle Ages and did not exist in the ancient world. Many cultures around the world lack concepts or reject distinctions between the natural and supernatural.
The supernatural is featured in religious and folkloric contexts, but can also feature as an explanation in more secular contexts, as in the cases of superstitions or belief in the paranormal. The term is attributed to non-physical entities, such as spirits, angels, demons, gods, and goddesses. It also includes claimed abilities embodied in or provided by such beings, including magic, telekinesis, levitation, precognition and extrasensory perception.
The supernatural is hypernymic to religion. Religions are standardized supernaturalist worldviews, or at least more complete than single supernaturalist views. Supernaturalism is the adherence to the supernatural (beliefs, and not violations of causality and physical laws).
Overview adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0; see the article history for authors).
Possible passages
Found by search and not yet checked by a person; they may only mention the idea in passing.
The Positive mode of thought is not necessarily a denial of the supernatural; it merely throws back that question to the origin of all things. If the universe had a beginning, its beginning, by the very conditions of the case, was supernatural; the laws of nature cannot account for their own origin. The Positive philosopher is free to form his opinion on the subject, according to the weight he attaches to the…
John Stuart Mill, Auguste Comte and Positivism
States what Supernatural is; names Supernatural several times.
VI. sect. 4, proceeding from sense, we cannot be said to know it, because it proceedeth not from the conceptions engendered by sense. And if we understand knowledge as supernatural, we cannot have it but by inspiration: and of that _inspiration_ we cannot judge, but by the _doctrine_: it followeth, that we have not any way, natural or supernatural, of the _knowledge_ thereof, which can properly be called _infallible…
Thomas Hobbes, The English works of Thomas Hobbes of Malmesbury, Volume 04
States what Supernatural is; names Supernatural several times.
Fear of the supernatural is one variety of fear. It is difficult to assign any normal object for this fear, unless it were a genuine ghost.
William James, Psychology
States what Supernatural is; names Supernatural twice.
Philosophers who discussed Supernatural
- Paul Carus
- Ludwig Büchner
- Mircea Eliade
- Lucian
- David Ray Griffin
- Jaegwon Kim
- Short story
- Julius Evola
- Islam
- Colin McGinn
- Arthur Schopenhauer
- The End of Faith
- Victor J. Stenger
- Detective fiction
- Max Kadushin
- Nikolay Lossky
Related ideas
- Ritual
- Faith
- Folklore
- Renaissance magic
- Afterlife
- Outline of ancient India
- Gnosticism
- Ghost
- Philosophical realism
- Goddess
- Hinduism
- Philosophy
- Hero
- Heaven
- Thomas McEvilley
- History of India
- Abrahamic religions
- Hierarchy
- Orphism
- Counterexample
- Henotheism
- Indian religions
- Ancient Greek
- Spiritualism (beliefs)
Opposing perspectives
Place in the tradition
Part of Absurdism.