Introduction

O article by Heron Volpi (“THE EVOLUTION OF THE SPIRIT: Allan Kardec’s “Evolutionism”) assumes from the outset that Spiritism is ”a religion“ subject to the same criticisms as other traditional beliefs. This premise ignores the original Kardecist definition of Spiritism as threefold aspect doctrine – science, philosophy and morality – and already calls his argument into question. Volpi maintains that Allan Kardec was "repeatedly racist" and that he incorporated the racial evolutionism to please 19th-century science. From these points, we will develop a structured critical analysis, pointing out conceptual errors, methodological flaws, and contradictions in Volpi's claims. We will use only works by Kardec to confront accusations of racism, showing that his teachings emphasize equality, brotherhood, and condemn prejudice and slavery.

Spiritism as Science and Morality (not merely a religion)

The author's premise is flawed. Volpi repeatedly defines Spiritism as a "spiritist religion" and argues that it "appears to be based much more on discourse than on empirical science." This view disregards Kardec's statements that Spiritism is... new field of knowledge. In his foundational works, Kardec presents Spiritism as science of observation and philosophical doctrine, with its own moral implications:

“"Spiritism is, at the same time, a science of observation and a philosophical doctrine. As a practical science, it consists of the relationships established between us and the Spirits; as a philosophy, it encompasses all the moral consequences that arise from these same relationships.".
Kardec reaffirms: "Spiritism is the new science that comes to reveal to men […] the existence and nature of the spiritual world.".

Universalist moral doctrine. In addition to science, Kardec emphasizes the character moral and ecumenical of Spiritism:

“Spiritism is a moral doctrine that strengthens religious sentiments in general and applies to all religions. It belongs to all, and to none in particular. […] It leaves each person the freedom to worship God in their own way.”.

These texts make it clear that Kardec did not see Spiritism as a dogmatic religion, but as a path complementary to the Christian faith, reinforcing charity and freedom of worship. Therefore, classifying Spiritism **“like any other religion”** constitutes a conceptual error: the author disregards the threefold defining aspect of the Spiritist Doctrine and ignores the frequent Kardecist affirmations that it is justified by reason and experience, not by the imposition of faith.

Methodological flaws and inconsistent use of sources.

Volpi's article presents itself more as a personal reflection than rigorous academic research. The author himself admits to having written it in first person, Based on personal experiences in Spiritist centers:

“"To begin, I must clarify that I, personally, circulate among various Spiritist centers in Brazil […] I am writing this text trying to understand the spaces of which I myself am a part.".

This approach indicates strong subjectivity. There is no systematic methodology: he admits that his "short-term research" gathers personal accounts and isolated statements. At the same time, he mixes sources of varied nature (blogs, reports such as those by Chico Alves and CartaCapital, an interview from UOL) without a clear historical criterion. We found no direct citations to historical documents or reliable academic studies to support his conclusions. In short, It lacks scientific rigor.He begins the article as an amateur ethnographer and transforms it into an opinion piece. This flawed approach is revealed in the final text itself: he acknowledges that, since it is not a lengthy study, he must "be careful with generalist assertions"—which, however, does not prevent broad and contestable statements.

Central conceptual errors

A poorly founded Eurocentric and evolutionist view. Volpi insists that Kardec “allocated racial evolutionism in his discourse” and treated Spiritism as “for a paratopic place” of belief based on discourse. This interpretation ignores that, in Spiritist works, ideas of “evolution” refer to general moral progress, not to a fixed hierarchy of races. Kardec discusses how the original man appeared in various points of the globe, but emphasizes that such “varieties do not form different species: They are all from the same family.”"For him, physical differences (skin color, etc.) result from natural factors (climate, customs) and do not imply spiritual merit. Thus, the notion of..." human species The only one that underpins all the coding (cf. questions 53 and 54 of LE"All men are brothers in God, because they are animated by the spirit and tend toward the same end." These principles directly contradict the idea of permanent "superior races.".
Disregard for the moral focus of Spiritism. Kardec emphasizes that the main purpose of the Doctrine is to moralize, not to classify or exclude people. The teaching of "Do not do to others what you would not want done to you" is present in the book. The Gospel According to Spiritism as the ultimate guiding principle of human conduct. Furthermore, he states that Spiritism aims to... “"to instill in men the spirit of charity and brotherhood"” and thus erase the remnants of social barbarity. These positions indicate a profoundly egalitarian orientation, opposed to discrimination. Therefore, portraying Spiritism "like any other religion" based on empty rhetoric is an unfounded exaggeration: the Spiritist doctrine claims coherence between thought, experience, and morality, not limiting itself to apologetic rhetoric.

Allegations of racism: the author's theses versus the Kardecist context.

Volpi claims that Kardec was racist on "several occasions" and that his Spiritism had racist discourses rooted in... evolutionism of the sciences of the 19th century. In fact, in 1862 Kardec published in Spiritist Magazine the article “"Spiritist phrenology and the perfectibility of the black race"”, In which, reflecting the beliefs of his time, he says that "black people are undoubtedly of an inferior race... they are true children." However, this text, which reflects the science of the time, was separated from its main corpus and does not reflect the axiological teachings of Spiritism. On the contrary, the main works codified by Kardec contain clear messages of equality:

Equality before divine law: The Spiritist answer to the question “Are all human beings equal before God?” is emphatic: “Yes, all tend towards the same end, and God made his laws for all.” In other words, God did not create anyone with “natural” privileges, because *“the body of the rich man decays like that of the poor man”*. This answer (LE 803) destroys the idea of any essential inequality.
Universal brotherhood: Kardec questions whether, since not all men originated from the same "Adam," we should cease to be brothers. The answer was: *"All men are brothers in God, because they are animated by the spirit and tend towards the same end"*. This statement (LE 54) concludes that distinct appearances do not break fraternal bonds: from a moral point of view, humanity is a single family.
Condemnation of slavery: The Spiritist codifier analyzes slavery in several sections (LE 829-832). He concludes that “"Human law that enshrines slavery is contrary to nature."” and that it will disappear with moral progress. He criticizes those who benefit from this practice: *“He who takes advantage of the law of slavery is always guilty of violating the law of Nature”*. In other words, Kardec considered it morally reprehensible to enslave one's fellow man, even more so when the law of the time was already beginning to see freedom as inalienable.
Rejection of racial hierarchy: Kardec ironically addresses the notion of "purer blood" in the context of slavery: *"Those who act in this way consider themselves to have purer blood. Fools! They see nothing but matter. It is not the blood that is more or less pure, but the Spirit."* Here he makes it explicit that the only relevant "purity" is spiritual, not biological. This statement directly refutes the idea that skin color constitutes a legitimate moral or evolutionary criterion.
Spiritualist answers about human origins: In The Book of Spirits, Kardec transcribes questions to the Higher Entities about human diversity. The answers attribute the differences in appearance to natural factors ("climate, life and customs") and affirm that they do not form distinct species. The Spirits confirm that man has appeared in various places and times, but without signifying separate races. This reinforces that, for Spiritist thought, the multiplicity of ethnic groups is only a transitory appearance – never a justification for prejudice.

These central teachings from Kardec's works are inconsistent with accusations of racism which Volpi attributes to him. Even acknowledging that Kardec reflected questionable scientific concepts of the 19th century (such as phrenology), it must be emphasized that his official doctrine exalts universal brotherhood. On several occasions, he rejects prejudice: in addition to the examples cited above, Kardec repeatedly affirms the evangelical maxim of love for one's neighbor. We do not find in his books any passage that justifies discriminating against someone based on race or color. On the contrary, “"the unity of the human race"” It is an explicit Spiritist principle (LE 54).

Conclusion: critical analysis and academic support

In short, Volpi's article presents serious conceptual and methodological flaws. It disregards the Kardecist definition of Spiritism as a scientific-philosophical-moral system and restricts it to the category of "religion," ignoring that Kardec aimed to unify science and faith, not contradict them. His argument about racism in Kardec is based on personal interpretations and specific texts, but it clashes with clear statements by Kardec in favor of... equality among human beings, in condemning slavery and promoting universal brotherhood.

There is no significant academic support for the author's theses. Instead of historical research or rigorous critical analysis, Volpi uses unverifiable accounts, secondary statements, and recent journalistic reports. His own criteria—personal circulation in Spiritist centers and subjective accounts—do not constitute scientific evidence. To date, no serious academic study confirms the article's central claims. On the contrary, criticisms of Kardec arise more in media debates and anti-racist editorial initiatives than in historiographical investigations. Therefore, Volpi's conclusions have much more the character of personal impression than of the result of academic study, which weakens their credibility as a historical analysis of Spiritism.