Anima mundi

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The anima mundi (Latin), world soul (Greek: ψυχὴ κόσμου, psychḕ kósmou), or soul of the world (ψυχὴ τοῦ κόσμου, psychḕ toû kósmou) is an intrinsic connection between all living beings according to several systems of thought, which hold that it relates to the world in much the same way as the animating force or immortal soul is connected to the human body. (Both the Greek psychḕ and Latin anima are ambiguous between the two meanings.)

Although the concept of a world soul originated in classical antiquity, similar ideas can be found in the thoughts of later European philosophers such as those of Baruch Spinoza, Gottfried Leibniz, Immanuel Kant, Friedrich Schelling, and Georg W.F. Hegel (particularly in his concept of Weltgeist).