The Influence of the Daimōn in Ancient Philosophy upon Contemporary Psychology

Abstract

This paper explores the relevance of the Hellenic daimōn as the root meaning of the Latin genius or the English ‘genius’, with its influence upon contemporary psychology in the context of a wider philosophical quest to ‘know thy Self’. Sufficient evidence has emerged from multiple bodies of work by various thinkers to suggest that past and present intellectual lineages should be adequately interconnected as mutually informing outlooks. Additionally, this article points out that scholarship alone is insufficient and that it needs the practical application of philosophy in order to render more accurate perspectives on knowledge. As our predecessors have shown, appropriate educational and legal systems need to be in place to encourage and to effectively support philosophy with its interdisciplinary vision towards a new paradigm for human excellence.