«pantheism" - a term in philosophy, which is a literal translation from Greek means "everything is God."This system of views that seek to converge even equate the concepts of "God" and "nature."At the same time God is the beginning of a kind of impersonal, it is present in everything, it is inseparable from a living.
essence of pantheism
Since pantheism unites God and substance-world universe, there is a need ratio static signs of the divine nature, such as infinity, eternity, immutability, and mobility, the constant volatility of the world of nature.In ancient philosopher Parmenides God and the world can not be separated from each other, with static deity in the form of a peculiar characteristic of all living things (like an endless cyclical).But pantheism in philosophy Hegel endowed god usually uncharacteristic ability to move and develop, thus eliminating the main contradiction between the divine and alive.Supporters immanent pantheism tend to see God as a kind of higher law, eternal and unchanging force that rules the world.This line of thought developed Heraclitus, adepts of Stoicism, so in general terms was a pantheism of Spinoza.As part of the Neo-Platonic philosophy arose emanation kind of pantheism, according to which nature is an emanation derived from God.Emanation of pantheism in the philosophy of the Middle Ages does not conflict with the dominant theological doctrine, but only represented a variation of realism.Such pantheism can be seen in the writings of David and Dinanskogo Eriugena.
Destinations pantheism
in the history of philosophy, there are two areas that unite all the pantheistic doctrine:
1. The naturalistic pantheism, presented in the writings of the Stoics, Bruno, Spinoza, in part, deifies nature, all living things.It is characterized by concepts such as infinite mind and soul of the world.This trend tends to materialism, the reduction in favor of the divine nature.
2. mystical pantheism developed in the doctrines of Eckhart, Nicholas of Cusa, Malebranche, Boehme, Paracelsus.To determine this direction have a more accurate term "panentheism" - "all in God", as the philosophers of this trend is not likely to see God in nature and nature in God.Nature - a different level of the existence of God (objective idealism).
There are many examples of mixing both types of pantheism within the teachings of the thinker.
history
first time the term "pantheism" (or rather "pantheist") used the John Toland, English materialist philosopher turn XVII-XVIII centuries.But the roots go pantheistic worldview in ancient religious and philosophical systems.Thus, Hinduism and Brahmanism in ancient India, Vedanta and Taoism in ancient China were clearly pantheistic in nature.
ancient religious and philosophical texts, bearing the ideas of pantheism is the ancient Indian Vedas and Upanishads.For the Hindu Brahman - is boundless, permanent, impersonal entity that became the basis for all life in the universe, everything that has ever existed or will exist.The text of the Upanishads constantly affirms the idea of unity between Brahman and the world.
Ancient Chinese Taoism - deep pantheistic doctrine, the foundations of which are described in the work "Tao Te Ching" written by semi-legendary sage Lao Tzu.For Taoists no creator god, or any other anthropomorphic incarnation, divine impersonal, it is akin to the notion of the way and is present in all things and phenomena.
pantheistic tendency present in varying degrees in many ethnic religions in Africa, weaving with polytheism and animism.Zoroastrianism and Buddhism also some flow panteistichny nature.
in 14-15 centuries in Western Europe pantheism has been in decline.The teachings of prominent Christian theologians John Scotus Erigena, Meister Eckhart and Nicholas of Cusa were very close to him, but openly in support of this worldview made only Giordano Bruno.Further spread of the ideas of pantheism in Europe got thanks to the work of Spinoza.
In the 18th century under the influence of his authority his pantheistic sentiment spread among Western philosophers.At the beginning of the 19th century pantheism spoken of as the future of religion.In the 20th century this world was pushed aside by the ideology of fascism and communism.
origins of pantheism in ancient philosophy
Pantheism - this is the philosophy of the ancient main element of all knowledge of the world, nature and the cosmos.He first encountered the teachings of pre-Socratic thinkers period - Thales, Anaximenes, Anaximander and Heraclitus.For the religion of the Greeks at the time I was still characterized by a dedicated polytheism.Therefore, early antique pantheism - a belief in a kind of animated divinity inherent in all material things, living organisms and natural phenomena.
heyday pantheistic philosophy reached in the teaching of the Stoics.According to their doctrine, the cosmos is a single body of fire.Stoic pantheism identifies and unites all living things, and humanity in particular, with the cosmos.Last - is both God and the world state.Hence, pantheism also means the original equality of all people.
During the Roman Empire, the philosophy of pantheism widespread thanks to the influential position of the school of the Stoics and the Neoplatonists.
Middle Ages Middle Ages - the reign of the monotheistic religions, which are characterized to determine the identity of God as a powerful, dominating man and the world.At this time, pantheism persisted emanation theory of Neo-Platonic philosophy, which represented a compromise with religion.For the first time as a materialistic pantheism concept emerged David Dinanskogo.He argued that the human mind, God and the material world - the same thing.
Many Christian sects recognized by the official Church heresy and persecution, gravitated to pantheism (eg amalrikane in the XIII century.).
Revival
In contrast to medieval theology, Renaissance thinkers turned to the ancient heritage and natural philosophy, paying more attention to the natural sciences and comprehension of the mysteries of nature.The similarity with antique look confined to the recognition of the integrity and animation of the world, the cosmos, but significantly different methods of study.Rejects the rationalist views of antiquity (in particular, the physics of Aristotle) and carried out the ideas of magic and the occult knowledge of nature as a single spiritualized start.A great contribution to this field was made by a German alchemist, physician and astrologer Paracelsus, uses magic to try to control the Archean (soul) nature.
That pantheism Renaissance typical of many philosophical theories of the time, was the unifying element between such extremes as natural philosophy and theology.
interpretation of pantheism in the teachings of Nicholas of Cusa
One of the brightest representatives of pantheism early Renaissance was the famous German philosopher Nicholas of Cusa.He lived in the 15th century (1401-1464 years).At that time he received a solid education and became a priest.He was very talented, faithful church and had a successful career, becoming in 1448 a cardinal.One of the main goals of his life was to strengthen the authority of Catholicism.Together with an active role in the life of the Church in Europe Cusa much time to philosophical writings.His views were closely connected with the doctrine of the Middle Ages.But pantheism Nicholas of Cusa also acquired an inseparable organic integrity, constant movement and development of the world and, consequently, its inherent divinity.He contrasted the self-assured knowledge of God and of the Middle Ages the world the theory of "learned ignorance," the basic idea of which was that no earthly doctrine is not able to give an understanding of the divine majesty and infinity.
philosophy of Giordano Bruno
thinker and poet, a follower of Cusa and Copernicus, the 16th century Italian philosopher Giordano Bruno was a real pantheist.All life on earth he thought spiritual, endowed with a spark of the divine.According to his teaching, God is found in all parts of the world without exception - great and very small, invisible.All of nature with man - a holistic living organism.
In an attempt to create an ideological justification for the doctrine of Copernicus, he put forward the theory of the existence of many worlds and the universe, which has no boundaries.
pantheism of Giordano Bruno, Italian philosopher of the XVI century, subsequently became the classical concept for the Renaissance.
Pantheism in the philosophical doctrine of Spinoza
philosophical legacy of Spinoza - is the most vivid conception of pantheism, created to modern times.To present his vision of the world he used geometric method, as he called it.They guided him to create the fundamental work "Ethics", dedicated to philosophical metaphysics, nature, God, man.A separate section is devoted to the human mind, feelings, moral and ethical issues.The author sets out for each question in sequence determination, after - axioms, then - the theorems and their proofs.
At the heart of the doctrine of Spinoza - the idea of the identity of God, the nature and substance.The priority of the divine, his leading role in the overall picture of the world characteristic of modern philosophy.But Spinoza followed Descartes defends the view that the existence of (being) of God is necessary to prove.Based on the arguments of his predecessor, he has added much of his theory: Spinoza rejected the original given, a priori the existence of God.But the proof of this is possible thanks to the following postulates:
- the world's infinite number of knowable things;
- finite minds can not understand the infinite truth;
- knowledge is impossible without the intervention of an external force - the force is God.
Thus, in the philosophy of Spinoza, the connection is infinite (the divine) and final (human and natural), the latter being itself proves the presence of the first.Even the idea of the existence of God can not appear independently in the human mind - it puts to God himself.This is manifested pantheism of Spinoza.Being God is inseparable from the world, it is impossible without it.Moreover, God is related to the world, it is inherent in all of its manifestations.It is also the reason for the existence of all living and non-living in the world and the reason for its own existence.Following the prevailing philosophical traditions, Spinoza declares God is absolutely infinite substance endowed with a variety of properties that characterize its eternity and infinity.
If other representatives of pantheism lined dualistic view of the world, where there are two poles - God and nature, Spinoza probably idolized the world.It is a certain reference to the ancient pagan cults.Wildlife in its eternal cyclical development and there is a god, giving birth to itself.The divine nature is not something separate, delimited from the material world, on the contrary, it is immanent, inherent in all living things.Anthropomorphic, personalized tokovanie God adopted in most religions, is absolutely foreign to Spinoza.Thus, natural philosophy, and pantheism Renaissance found its fullest expression in a single doctrine.
current situation
So pantheism - a way of thinking in philosophy, in which God and nature converge (or combined), a reflection of the divine is present in all living things.He's in one form or another is present in the teachings of different philosophers from ancient times, most of the development reached in the Renaissance and modern times, but was not forgotten later.For the thinkers of the XIX century, the term "pantheism" was not an anachronism.Thus, in the religious and ethical frame of Leo Tolstoy clearly seen his features.
In the middle of the XIX century pantheism is so widespread that drew the attention of the official church.Pope Pius IX in his speech spoke about pantheism as "the most important error of our day."
In today's world of pantheism - a philosophy and religion is an important element of many theories, such as neo-pagan Gaia hypothesis.He still persists in some forms of Theosophy, forming a kind of alternative to the traditional monotheistic religions.In the last decades of the twentieth century pantheism - determination and a certain ideological platform for conservationists.It pantheists primarily lobbied issues related to the improvement of environmental awareness, involving environmental issues the attention of the public and the media.If pantheism primarily perceived as part of the pagan world view, in our day proponents of such views attempt to create an independent form of religion based on the worship of divinity that comes from nature.Such a definition of pantheism is conformable topical issues related to the rapid disappearance of many plant and animal species, even entire ecosystems.
organizational efforts of supporters of pantheism led to the creation in 1975 "universal pantheist society," and in 1999 - "World pantheistic movement" with a solid base of information on the Internet and representation in all social networks.
Vatican official continued methodical attack on the base of pantheism, although the latter is hardly an alternative to Catholic Christianity.
pantheism - a concept in the minds of most modern, implying a conscious and careful attitude to the biosphere of the Earth, not a religion in the full sense of the word.
