Pneuma (πνεῦμα) — “Breath,” “air,” “spirit.” For the Stoics, pneuma is the cosmic reason (logos) that permeates and sustains the universe as an immanent tension (tonos). In Greek medicine, it is the vital principle. In the New Testament, it is the Holy Spirit. The distinction between soul (psyché) and spirit (pneuma) runs through Christian theology (Paul) and German philosophy (Geist).


Glossary