Ana Cláudia Archanjo (photo), from the Brazilian city of Rio de Janeiro, is a Philosophy lecturer in Montes Claros, in the state of Minas Gerais. She has a Masters degree, with a specialisation in History of Philosophy, and has a PhD in Religious Sciences. In the Spiritist Movement, she is an active member of Fraternidade Espírita Canacy, a Spiritist Centre in the city of Montes Claros, where she works as a volunteer in mediumship groups and as a public speaker. In the following interview, she talks about the main principles of Spiritist Philosophy.

When and how did you become a Spiritist?  

The search for spirituality, in the sense of a profound condition of human essence, has always been and continues to be a strong part of my personality. Looking for the meaning of life was, therefore, something that came naturally to me. But I couldn’t find the answers I was seeking in another religious affiliation I was linked to. And that anguished me. I was surrounded by Spiritist books, which belonged to my father, but that wasn’t enough to prompt me to start reading them. That only happened after my father passed away. I found the motivation to look harder for those answers and my will to read the books that were around me suddenly increased. Then at that period of my life, my godmother gave me a book that changed my perception of the world: Nosso Lar - Our Home. From that moment on, the doors of Spiritism opened up to me, until I eventually found Fraternidade Espírita Canacy and was very welcome there, having, effectively, the opportunity of beginning to work. 

What in the Spiritist Teachings strikes you the most?  

The triple aspect of the Teachings (science, philosophy and religion) encourages the development of reasoned faith. What reassures me that Spiritism is a safe pathway to seek evolution in all aspects of human existence is the absence of dogmas, its encouragement of charity from an ethical perspective and at the same time religious perspective, as well as the ideal that we enjoy conscious and responsible freedom, no to mention the vast and edifying literature that Spiritism provides. 

How did you become interested in Philosophy? 

As part of my personality, I always questioned things around me and that is why I felt the urge to look for coherent answers. Reading was always an important part of my life and my father always encouraged that habit. So I first developed the capacity of asking questions. Then I sought the answers and always strived to produce a summary of what I had found out. It became clear to me eventually that what I was taking was, in fact, a philosophical approach. 

As someone with academic knowledge of Philosophy, what is your view of Spiritist Philosophy?

The philosophical movement is a combination of the development of criticism, appropriate methods and rigorous epistemological foundations. These three elements are put together in the search for answers concerning human existence. These questions can focus, for example, on ethical, cultural, economic, political or religious matters, or those involving language and metaphysics. Following this path, it develops themes around metaphysical, scientific and moral aspects. The difference is in the epistemological basis, which is built from the answers we get from the Spirits.  

Where would you place Spiritism within the context of the history of the religions?

As a researcher of the sciences of religion, I would say that Spiritism is generally defined as a religious proposal of French origin, from the age of Illuminism and therefore, firmly based on science and philosophy. It conveys principles that aren’t necessarily unique or exclusive to it, such as reincarnation, which is also part of Buddhism, or mediumistic phenomena, which is part of many African religions. The difference between each religious denomination comes in the interpretation of the principles. In Spiritism, we need to take into account the cultural aspects of the times when it appeared, its development, dissemination and the observation of its religious moral principles.  

How do you describe the relationship between philosophy and ethics? 

Ethics is one aspect of philosophy. Philosophy is, essentially, an effort to build a critical conscience that encourages us to focus on the agonising and unpleasant searches of human individuals. One of its main goals is to encourage us to leave our comfort zone and reflect on the human condition. The philosophical pillars that focus on relations, taking into account our gregarious needs, are politics and ethics. Care with life is the sacrosanct and unassailable principle of ethics. So, all human relations must have this maxim at its core. And that is why politics is eventually associated with ethics and, by extension, to philosophy. 

And how do you assess Spiritist ethics, in that context? 

One of the main directives of Spiritist ethics is to carry out your inner reform. And it must be highlighted that this goal is not only for incarnates but also for discarnate Spirits. Spiritist ethics go hand in hand with moral education. And along this road, where flowers still need to be planted, charity as a virtue is the most important seed that will lead us towards spiritual progress. It is particularly important because it demands that we keep a balance between the care with ourselves and the care we must show towards other people.