gentleness
Meekness is a character trait . It was considered a virtue of some rulers: Frederick II of Saxony (1412–1464) was nicknamed “the meek”, as was Count Palatine Ludwig IV (1424–1449). The bishop and Christian mystic Francis de Sales (1567–1622) is regarded as a saint of meekness who learned to curb his tendency to outbursts of anger.
Counter-terms to the adjective gentle are angry (out of date), irascible , quick- tempered and aggressive .
etymology
The term is a compound of the adjective gentle , in different sounds and spellings already in Middle High German with the meaning pleasant, mild , as a prefix with -mut . The latter goes back to the Middle High German muot , which assumes the meaning of mind, temperament in the combination of the two terms . So meekness means a mild, indulgent human nature.
Philosophical connections
Meekness is treated as a virtue in philosophical and religious discussions .
The philosopher Otto Friedrich Bollnow described meekness as follows:
“Meekness is in contrast to violence. ... He (the person) is gentle if he does not allow himself to be carried away by anger, without avoidable harshness in affect, soft and cautious. Meekness means not only a way of behavior, but even more a quality of disposition. ... The gentleness of behavior is then combined with cautiousness in handling. This cautiousness is a kind of caution that does not want any harm to other people ... to come near. "
In ancient times, gentleness was a typical quality of the philosopher. Thus, as Socrates in Plato's Phaedo (116c5) called gentle. In Aristotle (in the Nicomachean Ethics , (IV 11) Meekness along with its lack and excess ), meekness ( praotes ) is discussed under ethical aspects and defined as the middle between too little (insensitivity) and too much excitability ( quick anger ).
In Latin , gentleness is called mansuetudo (literally: tameness , also in animals), it is regarded as closely related to the virtue of clementia (mildness, forbearance ). Aquinas differentiates between forbearance and meekness, both of which he understands as virtues directed against the vice of anger ( ira ) - understood as the urge to excessive retribution - but which differ in their immediate object: while forbearance mitigates the consequences of anger, by the vindictiveness moderates, to gentleness aimed directly against the angry Gemütsaufwallung themselves and fought the anger already emerging. For this reason, in the traditional doctrine of virtue, forbearance is usually assigned to the cardinal virtue of moderation ( temperantia ), while gentleness is located in the area of the cardinal virtue of bravery ( fortitudo ).
Meekness in Judaism and Christianity
Psalm 25 : 9 ESV of the Tanach (and according to the Old Testament ) reads: He guides the meek in justice and teaches the meek his way.
In Christianity, meekness in the Gospel of Matthew is an element of the (self) characterization of Jesus (e.g. 11.29 ELB and 21.5 ELB ). In the Sermon on the Mount Jesus says : Blessed are the meek (in the Greek original μακάριοι οἱ πραεῖς makarioi hoi praeis ), because they will inherit the land. ( Mt 5.5 ELB ). Πραεῖς praeis is the plural of the adjective πραΰς pra'us ('meek'), which includes: mild, mild (comforting) words, mild (healing) plants, in animals: trusting. In Paul's letter to the Galatians (5:23 ELB ), meekness is mentioned as part of the fruit of the Holy Spirit .
Representation in the fine arts
Meekness has been personified in art especially since the 15th century. In classical iconology it corresponds to a girl with a lamb, for example in Cesare Ripa's Iconologia (1593).
literature
- A. v. Harnack : Meekness, grace and humility in the old church . Ceremony for J. Kaftan. 1920, pp. 113-129
- C. Horn, C. Rapp (Ed.): Dictionary of ancient philosophy . Munich 2002
- William Barclay: New Testament Words (Praus and Praotes) .
Web links
- Heinz-Jörg Graf: Meekness, In the conflict between anger and indifference . Radio feature at Deutschlandradio Berlin, broadcast June 5, 2004
Individual evidence
- ↑ gently. In: Jacob Grimm , Wilhelm Grimm (Hrsg.): German dictionary . tape 14 : R - skewness - (VIII). S. Hirzel, Leipzig 1893, Sp. 1775 ff . ( woerterbuchnetz.de ).
- ↑ on the etymology of courage cf. exact courage (virtue) # etymology and ancient usage ,
- ↑ Meekness. In: Jacob Grimm , Wilhelm Grimm (Hrsg.): German dictionary . tape 14 : R - skewness - (VIII). S. Hirzel, Leipzig 1893, Sp. 1787 ( woerterbuchnetz.de ).
- ↑ OF Bollnow: The virtue of patience . ( Memento of the original from November 10, 2007 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. (PDF; 102 kB) p. 299 f.
- ^ Aristotle : Nicomachean Ethics, IV, 11 in the Gutenberg-DE project
- ↑ Cf. Thomas Aquinas: On Mildness and Meekness , in Summa Theologiae , Quaestio 157 ( English translation ).
