Austerity: what is it? Principles of asceticism

His motivation in different kinds of religious and philosophical teachings is not the same. Thus, in dualistic teachings that regard materiality and the body as the "soul's prison," asceticism acted as a way of overcoming the flesh, from its liberation (especially in such syncretic religious teachings as Manichaeism), and in Cynics it was determined by the idea of freedom from the public Ties, needs.

So, the article will consider such a concept as asceticism (what is it, its ideas, principles). Basically we will talk about his philosophical component.

Austerity: what is it?

From Greek it means "exercise". It is a moral principle that prescribes to people self-denial, suppression of sensual aspirations, renunciation of worldly pleasures, blessings for the achievement of certain social goals and moral self-perfection.

So, we learned about asceticism (what is it), now it is worth turning to its history. It is not out of place to learn how this concept was perceived in the Middle Ages.

The history of the concept under consideration

In pre-Marxist moral teachings, asceticism was most often opposed to epicureism and hedonism. Its roots go to primitive society: the material living conditions required from a person high physical endurance, the ability to endure very extreme deprivation. This objective need was reflected in special religious rituals.

For example, with the initiation rite, all teenagers were initiated into men. Such a rite consisted of a long fast, isolation, filing teeth and other things, was intended to inspire adolescents with the idea of the need to transfer hardship and deprivation.

The principles of asceticism within the framework of class society have acquired a different kind of direction. For the first time attempts of its theoretical justification can be traced in the 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: the overcoming by man of its material principle, the development of spiritual substance ("reunion with God", "mortification of the flesh"). The real social meaning of this principle was the dissemination of the idea of the need to completely abandon any aspiration for the benefits that were absorbed by the ruling classes. The idea of asceticism was preached, which was an ideological means, justifying the class system, rooting its foundations. For example, the institution of monasticism, which provides for the asceticism of priests (celibacy, fasting, self-torture), formed a halo of holiness around them, and promoted the idea of abstinence among the masses of working people.

Religious asceticism was criticized by the ideologists of the revolutionary bourgeoisie (Humanism). But the rehabilitation of human needs within the framework of bourgeois ideology was internally contradictory. After the proclamation of the human right to enjoyment, then the bourgeois society that existed then, did not provide real opportunities for this, in view of poverty, social inequality, and so on.

The concept under consideration from the point of view of philosophy

Asceticism in philosophy is the neglect of the sensible world, its depreciation, denial of the future, of the spiritual world. As a simple form, it involves limiting, suppressing desires, as well as voluntary transfer of suffering, pain, etc.

If we consider more radical cases, then here asceticism requires a refusal from property, family, etc., in order to ensure the priority of a highly spiritual over the material world, a perfect world over the real.

In a broader sense, it has a number of ontological grounds, since it relies on the worldview view existing in reality regarding the structure of the world, its parts, their interrelations. The exaltation of an absolutely ideal world, which is part of the essence of this concept, assumes an extremely large-scale confirmation of the main values of such a world in the real world.

Asceticism: Collective Societies and Communities

He is one of their main characteristics. In the first case, it is a medieval society, a communist one, and others, and in the second - a church, a totalitarian political party or a religious sect, an army, and others.

Within the framework of collectivist societies, asceticism was perceived as the first of the most important means that ensured the transition from a social order to a more perfect society, one might say, "paradise in heaven" or "paradise on earth."

The components of asceticism

He has a material and spiritual side. In the first case, it is expressed by the denial or censure of property, the family, or at least a very sharp depreciation of their social role, as well as the division of human needs into artificial and natural ones with the belittling of the first.

Spiritual asceticism included the rejection of the majority of spiritual, intellectual needs, or the exaltation of spiritual poverty, as well as limiting participation in the spiritual intellectual life of that time, and renouncing its civil and political rights. The boundary between the first component and the second is relative.

Medieval asceticism

He meant sacrificing the whole earthly for the sake of the higher heavenly, restraint of the existing manifestations of earthly life, as well as reducing earthly goals, cares to a minimum, reducing the importance of human flesh in the life of everyone, restraint in mapping the earthly life, its diversity, wealth in art.

According to Augustine, the attraction to enjoyment of 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 enjoyment. What man creates with his own hands is always beautiful, but only as much as there are traces of the ideal beauty in the Lord. It was believed that the temptation of vain knowledge is more dangerous than even carnal desires. To feel the passion for studying the world around us was regarded as the "lusts of the eyes", the greed of curiosity, which is "disguised" in the clothing of knowledge, science. This could be approved, only if it served religious purposes, was combined with faith.

Originality of Russian asceticism

In ancient Russia, it was an integral part of both worldly piety and religiously selfless life (holiness, eldership, monasticism, foolishness). Russian asceticism was distinguished by its uniqueness, which was expressed in the absence of sharp contrasts bodily and spiritual, secular and religious, leading to withdrawal from the world, breaking with them.

According to V. Zenkovsky, he does not go back to any contempt of the flesh, rejection of the world, but to a vivid vision of the indisputable heavenly truth, the beauty that, through its radiance, makes clear the untruth that reigns in the world, thus calling us to the full Liberation from worldly captivity. Its basis is a positive moment, not a negative one, that is, asceticism is a means, a path to sanctification, a transformation of the world.

Its principle is concluded in the basis of Old Russian foolishness, the exploits of holiness. The then existing image of a saint, in other words, "a man of God," had no analogues with Western Christianity and the Byzantine spiritual tradition. The peculiarity of the Russian type lies in the deepening of the whole moral principle, as well as in the disclosure of the moral meaning of our Christianity, in the immediate, full implementation of Christian moral precepts and, of course, in the organic unity of spiritual contemplation with serving people and the world. The latter is accomplished through the self-sacrifice of love. The most expressive is the feat of self-sacrifice. For our type of holiness, neither the radical, nor the heroic asceticism of the Syrian, Egyptian Christian tradition, nor the lofty mysticism of Catholic, Greek holiness is characteristic. In the framework of our Christianity, the Russian saint always expresses himself through an active love of the world, meek humility, compassion.

Conclusion

In the article it was told what is asceticism: what is from the point of view of philosophy, its principles, ideas.