Egotheism

History

Ancient religions

Autotheistic beliefs can be traced back to ancient civilizations, where rulers and individuals were often deified. In ancient Egypt, pharaohs were declared gods during their reigns, merging their political and spiritual authority.

In Indian Philosophy, identification of the self (atman) with the ultimate reality (Brahman), expressed in the phrase aham Brahmāsmi ("I am Brahman"). This reflects the idea that divinity resides inherently within the self and can be realized through spiritual awakening. Similarly, Jainism teaches that one who extinguishes all of their karma becomes a tirthankara with godlike knowledge and powers.

Medieval to Enlightenment

In medieval Christianity, certain heterodox groups, such as the Adamites, believed in self-deification.

Early individuals who declared themselves to be gods include the English prophet John Robins and Danilo Filipov, who led a heterodox Quaker cult in Russia.

During the Protestant Reformation, Henry VIII was accused of autolatry for asserting his authority over the Church of England, effectively positioning himself as the supreme spiritual authority.

In the 18th century, Enlightenment thinker Jean-Jacques Rousseau proposed the idea of a civil religion to unify society, which critics accused of encouraging self-worship among citizens.

Post-Enlightenment thought

In the 19th century, Transcendentalist philosophies emerged, with Johann Gottlieb Fichte and Ralph Waldo Emerson emphasizing the divine potential of the individual. Critics labeled these ideas as "egotheism," accusing them of promoting excessive individualism.

In the 19th century, Max Stirner advocated for a form of autotheism through his philosophy of egoism. In his work The Ego and Its Own, Stirner argued that the individual is the ultimate authority and creator of meaning, rejecting external deities and societal constructs.

Modern examples

Political and religious leaders

Founder of North Korea Kim Il Sung instituted worship of himself amongst the citizens and it is considered the only country to deify its ruler with citizens bowing to his statues. After his death he was declared 'Eternal President' by the North Korean authorities.

Contemporary religious figures who have professed themselves to be deities include Father Divine and Jim Jones.

Mormonism

Mormon beliefs incorporate autotheistic elements through the doctrine of exaltation. This teaching holds that individuals can achieve godhood in the afterlife through faithfulness and spiritual progression, emphasizing the potential for divinity within each person.

Modern spirituality

Contemporary spiritual movements, such as those influenced by New Thought, often emphasize the divinity of the individual and the potential for self-realization. These movements focus on personal empowerment and the belief that individuals can achieve a godlike state through self-awareness and positive thinking.

References

• Peabody, Elizabeth Palmer. “Egotheism, the Atheism of To-Day” 1858, (reprinted in 1886 in her Last Evening with Allston)

References

1. "Egotheism definition and meaning | Collins English Dictionary".
2. "Definition of AUTOTHEISM".
3. "Autolatry definition and meaning | Collins English Dictionary".
4. Versluis, Arthur. (September 16, 1993). "American Transcendentalism and Asian Religions". Oxford University Press.
5. Hurth, Elisabeth. (August 30, 2007). "Between Faith and Unbelief: American Transcendentalists and the Challenge of Atheism". BRILL.
6. Hans, Jonas. (2001). "The Gnostic Religion: The Message of the Alien God and the Beginnings of Christianity". Beacon Press.
7. Sabbahy, Lisa K.. (April 24, 2019). "All Things Ancient Egypt: An Encyclopedia of the Ancient Egyptian World [2 volumes]". ABC-CLIO.
8. Radhakrishnan, Sarvepalli. (1994). "The Principal Upanishads". Indus / Harper Collins India.
9. Orr, Norman. (January 29, 2021). "Embracing Biological Humanism: Abandoning the Idea of God". Archway Publishing.
10. Smith, V.S.. (2008). "Clean: A History of Personal Hygiene and Purity". Oxford University Press.
11. (2022). "Apocalypse Now: Connected Histories of Eschatological Movements from Moscow to Cusco, 15th-18th Centuries". Taylor & Francis.
12. Delany, P.. (2015). "British Autobiography in the Seventeenth Century". Taylor & Francis.
13. de Lazari, A.. (1999). "Идеи в России". Semper.
14. Oman, C.W.C.. (2018). "Revival: The Sixteenth Century (1936)". Taylor & Francis.
15. (2021). "Routledge Library Editions: Historiography". Taylor & Francis.
16. Sangster, A.. (2019). "The Roots of Nationalism in European History". Cambridge Scholars Publishing.
17. Griffin, Roger. (2007). "Modernism and Fascism". Palgrave Macmillian.
18. (2023). "The Nationalization of the Masses: Political Symbolism and Mass Movements in Germany from the Napoleonic Wars Through the Third Reich". University of Wisconsin Press.
19. (2004). "Fascism: The nature of fascism". Routledge.
20. Kecmanovic, D.. (2013). "The Mass Psychology of Ethnonationalism". Springer US.
21. University of Prince Edward Island. (1978). "Canadian Review of Studies in Nationalism: Revue Canadienne Des Études Sur Le Nationalisme". University of Prince Edward Island..
22. (2002). "Disciplinarity at the Fin de Siècle". Princeton University Press.
23. (October 2, 1868). "The Contemporary Review". A. Strahan.
24. Woodress, James Leslie. (October 3, 2004). "American Literary Scholarship". Duke University Press.
25. Stirner, Max. (1995). "The Ego and Its Own". Cambridge University Press.
26. (2013). "Prospect Theory and Foreign Policy Analysis in the Asia Pacific: Rational Leaders and Risky Behavior". Taylor & Francis.
27. Floru, JP. (2017). "The Sun Tyrant: A Nightmare Called North Korea". Biteback Publishing.
28. (1982). "Vantage Point". Naewoe Press.
29. (2018). "North Korean Human Rights: Activists and Networks". Cambridge University Press.
30. (September 2, 2016). "10 Real People Who Became Gods".
31. "Gospel Principles- Chapter 47: Exaltation".