His motivation in various kinds of religious and philosophical teachings is not the same. Thus, in dualistic teachings that consider materiality and the body as a “dungeon of the soul”, asceticism acted as a way to overcome the flesh, from its liberation (especially in such a syncretic religious teaching as Manichaeism), while among the Cynics it was determined by the idea of freedom from public connections, needs.
So, the article will consider such a concept as asceticism (what is it, its ideas, principles). Basically, we will talk about its philosophical component.
Asceticism: what is it?
Translates from Greek as "exercise". This is a moral principle that prescribes to people self-denial, suppression of sensual aspirations, renunciation of worldly pleasures, goods for the sake of achieving certain social goals and moral self-improvement.
So, we have learned about asceticism (what is it), now it is worth moving on to its history. It would be useful to know how this concept was perceived in the Middle Ages.
History of the concept under consideration
In pre-Marxist moral teachings, asceticism was most often opposed to Epicureanism and hedonism. Its roots go back to primitive society: material living conditions demandeda person of high physical endurance, the ability to endure very extreme hardships. This objective need was reflected in special religious rituals.
For example, with the help of the rite of initiation, all teenagers were initiated into men. Such a ceremony consisted of a long fast, isolation, filing of teeth and other things, was intended to instill in adolescents the idea of the need to endure hardships and hardships.
Principles of asceticism within the framework of a class society acquired a direction of a different kind. For the first time, attempts at its theoretical justification can be traced in ancient Eastern religions, more precisely, in the religious teachings of Pythagoras, and later in Christianity. Ascetic asceticism was regarded as a path to high moral perfection: a person's overcoming of his material nature, the development of spiritual substance (“reunion with God”, “mortification of the flesh”). The real social meaning of this principle was to spread the idea of the need to completely abandon any desire for goods that were absorbed by the ruling classes. The idea of asceticism was preached, which acted as an ideological means to justify the class system, rooting its foundations. For example, the institute of monasticism, which provides for the asceticism of clergy (celibacy, fasting, self-torture), formed an aura of holiness around them, and promoted the idea of abstinence among the masses of workers.
Religious asceticism was criticized by the ideologists of the revolutionary bourgeoisie (Humanism). Butthe rehabilitation of human needs within the framework of bourgeois ideology was internally contradictory. After the proclamation of the human right to enjoyment, the then existing bourgeois society did not provide real opportunities for this, due to poverty, social inequality, etc.
The concept under consideration from the point of view of philosophy
Asceticism in philosophy is the neglect of the sensual world, its belittling, denial for the sake of the future, the spiritual world. As a simple form, it involves restriction, suppression of desires, as well as the voluntary transfer of suffering, pain, etc.
If we consider more radical cases, here asceticism requires the rejection of property, family, etc., in order to ensure the priority of the highly spiritual over the worldly material, the perfect world over the real.
In a broader sense, it has a number of ontological grounds, as it relies on the worldview that exists in reality regarding the structure of the world, its parts, their relationships. The ex altation of a completely ideal world, which is the essence of this concept, implies an extremely large-scale assertion of the main values of such a world in a really existing one.
Asceticism: collectivist societies and communities
He is one of their main characteristics. In the first case, this is a medieval society, communist, and others, and in the second, a church, a totalitarian political party or a religious sect, an army,others.
Within collectivist societies, asceticism was perceived as the first of the most important means that ensured the transition from the social order to a more perfect society, one might say, “paradise in heaven” or “paradise on earth.”
Components of asceticism
He has a material and spiritual side. In the first case, it is expressed by the denial or condemnation of property, the family, or at least a very sharp belittlement of their social role, as well as the division of human needs into artificial and natural, with a belittling of the former.
Spiritual asceticism included the rejection of most spiritual, intellectual needs or the glorification of spiritual poverty, as well as the restriction of participation in the spiritual intellectual life of that time, and the renunciation of their civil, political rights. The boundary between the first component and the second is relative.
Medieval asceticism
He meant sacrificing everything earthly for the sake of the highest heavenly, restraint of existing manifestations of earthly life, as well as reducing earthly goals, worries to a minimum, reducing the significance of human flesh in the life of everyone, restraint in displaying earthly life, all its diversity, we alth in art.
According to Augustine, the attraction to pleasures from food, wine, smells, sounds, colors, forms is very dangerous, but not in general, but only when they are an end in themselves, an independent source of worldly pleasure. What a person creates with his own hands is always beautiful, but onlyinsofar as it contains traces of the ideal beauty contained in the Lord. It was believed that the temptation of vain knowledge is more dangerous than even carnal lust. To experience a passion for studying the surrounding world was regarded as the "lust of the eyes", the greed of curiosity, which is "dressed" in the clothes of knowledge, science. It could only be approved if it served religious purposes, combined with faith.
The originality of Russian asceticism
In ancient Russia, he was an integral part of both worldly piety and religious ascetic life (holiness, eldership, monasticism, foolishness). Russian asceticism was distinguished by its originality, which was expressed in the absence of sharp contrasts between the bodily and the spiritual, the secular and the religious, leading to a departure from the world, a break with them.
According to V. V. Zenkovsky, it does not go back to any contempt for the flesh, the rejection of the world, but to a vivid vision of the undeniable heavenly truth, beauty, which through its radiance makes clear the untruth that reigns in the world, calling us to complete liberation from worldly captivity. Its basis is a positive moment, and not a negative one, that is, asceticism is a means, a path to sanctification, the transformation of the world.
His principle lies at the basis of ancient Russian foolishness, the exploits of holiness. The image of a saint that existed at that time, in other words, "God's man", had no analogues in relation to Western Christianity and the Byzantine spiritual tradition. The peculiarity of the Russian type lies in the deepening of the entire moral principle, as well asin revealing precisely the moral meaning of our Christianity, in the direct, complete implementation of Christian moral commandments and, of course, in the organic unity of spiritual contemplation with service to people, to the world. The latter is realized through the self-denial of love. The most expressive is the feat of self-sacrifice. Our type of holiness is characterized by neither the radical nor the heroic asceticism of the Syrian, Egyptian Christian tradition, nor the sublime mysticism of the Catholic, Greek holiness. Within the framework of our Christianity, the Russian saint always expresses himself through active love for the world, meek humility, compassion.
Conclusion
The article described what asceticism is: what is it from the point of view of philosophy, its principles, ideas.
