Differences between THEOCENTRISM and ANTHROPOCENTRISM

In today's lesson we will focus on studying the differences between theocentrism and anthropocentrism. The two prevailing currents during the Middle Ages and the Modern Age: Theocentrism, prevailed throughout the Middle Ages (11th-14th centuries), in a context in which everything was traversed by the power and influence of the Church. Anthropocentrism reigned from the Modern Age (S. XV-XVI) and was directly linked to the Renaissance and the resurgence of the individual as a being with full decision-making capacity.

Both doctrines are totally opposite: if the first affirms that God is the creator and center of the universe, the second establishes that the human being is the center of the universe and that he is situated on a higher plane than other living beings. If you want to know more about the differences between theocentrism and anthropocentrism, keep reading this article because in a PROFESSOR we explain them to you.

The word theocentrism has its origin in Greek and is the result of the union of three Hellenic words:

Also, your origin dates back to antiquity, in cultures like the Egyptian, where the gods were superior beings and the monarchs were their representatives. However, its period of greatest splendor occurred during the Middle Ages (S.XI- XIV), when the power of Christianity and that of the Church dominated all aspects of the lives of individuals: thought, science, politics and society (sacred / profane). Everything was subordinated to God, as a superior and perfect being.

One of the main representatives of theocentric philosophy was the Italian theologian and philosopher Saint Thomas of Aquino (1224-1274). For him, everything exists through God and he affirms it in his work "The five ways ”. In which, by means of five arguments (way of movement, way of causality, way of contingency, via the degrees of perfection and via the order of the universe), demonstrates the existence of God.

Characteristics of theocentrism

The main theocentric characteristics are:

1. God is the center of the universe, omnipresent, a perfect and supreme being.
2. God is responsible for our destiny.
3. The idea of ​​the supremacy of faith over reason.
4. Religion is the greatest tool of political and social control.

Like the word theocentrism, anthropocentrism It also comes from the Greek and is the result of the union of three words: anthropos = person, ketron = center and ism = doctrine. That is, with this doctrine the man as center of the universe instead of the deity.

Anthropocentrism had its period of greatest splendor during the Modern Age / Renaissance and was directly linked to Humanism (S. XV-XVI). It is, then, a period of time that stood out for being a moment of rupture and change of mentality, of development of the critical spirit, of revaluation of the human being, of rediscovery of classical sources, of secularization of society and that brought with it a new conception of the world: universal anthropocentrism versus medieval theocentrism.

Likewise, within this current authors such as Francesco Petrarca (1304-1374), Erasmus of Rotterdam (1466-1536), Nicholas Machiavelli (1469-1527) andMichael montaigne (1533-1592), among others.

Characteristics of anthropocentrism

1. The human being is the center of the universe and superior to any living being.
2. The human being is fully qualified and has no intellectual limit.
3. The human being is responsible for his destiny.
4. Reason replaces faith and science / philosophy replaces theology.
5. God distances himself from the human being.
6. First of all, the welfare of the human being must be achieved.

Both philosophical currents were totally opposite and are located in different historical periods. While theocentrism is located in the Middle Ages, anthropocentrism is situated in the Modern age, he came to replace the first and continues to this day. The main differences between theocentrism and anthropocentrism are found in the following points are:

1. God vs Individual: For theocentrism God is the only protagonist, the center of the universe, the creator, director and executor of all actions that affect human beings. While in anthropocentrism this idea changes completely: God is displaced to the background and the human being is the undisputed protagonist of society and the culture in which he lives, is a living being superior to the rest (speciesism) and is situated in a superior sphere, since it has the ability to to reason.
2. The conception of destiny: According to theocentrism, the human being is not responsible for his destiny, the individual must accept what is in store for him and the only person responsible and owner of our destiny is God. For anthropocentrism, the individual is a free being, he is the owner of his destiny and can change it through his actions.
3. Faith and reason: In theocentrism, faith is located on a higher plane than reason, it is the way through which God can be accessed. While in anthropocentrism reason acquires a predominant place, it is the most valued capacity of the individual, since it allows him to acquire knowledge, to enhance the intellect and to free himself from prejudices religious. Thus, theology is subordinate to science and philosophy.
4. The object of human life: According to theocentrism, the end of the individual's life is to live close to God, according to his designs and his last end is to meet him in Heaven. The concept of life is pessimistic and this would be like a pilgrimage. For anthropocentrism, the object of life is to obtain human well-being (personal success, happiness, fame, autonomy ...) and for its achievement everything can be subordinate.
5. The ideal of a political model: In theocentrism the ideal political system is theocracy, where the ruler is a representative of the divinity and rules in his name. For anthropocentrism, the political ideal is the Popular State (= City-State), where the citizen acquires a greater role in political activity.
6. Dominance over nature: For theocentrism God, as creator, is the only one who can transform and dominate nature. However, for anthropocentrism the human being also has that capacity.

Reale, G and Antiseri, D. History of Philosophy (Vol. II). Ed. Herder, 2010