What does egotheism mean?
Egotheism is the doctrine or attitude of regarding one's own self as God — in effect, the worship or deification of oneself. The word combines the Greek-derived element 'ego,' meaning 'I' or 'self,' with '-theism,' from 'theos,' meaning 'god.' Though exceedingly rare in everyday vocabulary, it appears in philosophical, theological, and critical writing to describe systems of thought or personalities that place the individual self in the position traditionally occupied by the divine. It is closely related in spirit to terms like self-worship and self-deification, but it is more precise and formal. Egotheism frequently carries a critical or pejorative tone, since identifying oneself with God is generally viewed as the height of hubris or spiritual presumption. Writers may invoke it polemically to accuse a thinker, leader, or movement of making an idol of the human ego, making it a vivid term for discussions of extreme self-regard in religious or philosophical contexts.
nounThe belief or doctrine that one's own self is God, or the deification and worship of oneself as divine.
- The doctrine that one's own self is God or is identical with God; the worship of oneself as divine.
"Critics accused the cult leader of pure egotheism, placing his own will at the center of all worship."
"The philosopher dismissed the guru's teachings as little more than dressed-up egotheism."
"In his later writings, he drifted toward a quiet egotheism, treating his own conscience as the final arbiter of all moral truth."
The plural is uncommon but grammatically regular, used when referring to multiple distinct doctrines or varieties of self-deification.
"The survey of mystical traditions catalogued several distinct egotheisms across different cultures."
While most religions put God at the center of the universe, egotheism is the rare doctrine that makes YOU the deity — the ultimate act of spiritual self-promotion.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of egotheism
Egotheism derives from the Greek pronoun 'egō,' meaning 'I' or 'myself,' combined with 'theos,' meaning 'god,' via the English suffix '-ism.' The formation follows the pattern of other English terms for doctrines of divinity such as theism, atheism, pantheism, and monotheism, which all share the same Greek root 'theos.' The word emerged as a learned coinage, likely in nineteenth-century English religious and philosophical discourse, to name the specific position that the self is or contains God. Its cognates therefore include the broad family of -theism compounds rather than words from other roots.
How egotheism is actually used
A rare, learned term used mainly in philosophy of religion, comparative religion, and critical or polemical writing. It often carries a pejorative connotation when applied to individuals or movements seen as self-idolatrous. It is not commonly found in everyday speech.
Easily confused with egotheism
Egotism is excessive self-centeredness or conceit in ordinary conduct, whereas egotheism is a literal religious or philosophical identification of the self with God.
Egoism is the ethical theory that self-interest should be one's guiding principle; egotheism specifically claims divinity for the self.