What is ASCETISM in philosophy

In today's class we are going to study what is the asceticism in philosophy. An ideal or way of life promulgated by some philosophical doctrines of Ancient Greece as the cynical or stoic school.

Originally, asceticism was located in the world of athletics and in the principles of discipline and effort in exercise. However, over time asceticism or ascesis became linked to a lifestyle whose objective was obtain a good for the world and the moral perfection of the individual through the renunciation of pleasures, living in balance and the practice of mental exercises.

if you want to know what is asceticism in philosophy, In this lesson from a PROFESOR we explain everything in detail. Continue reading!

Index

1. What is asceticism - definition
2. Main representatives of asceticism
3. Main schools linked to asceticism
4. asceticism in religion

Before studying what asceticism is in philosophy and to understand 100% what it is, we first have to study the

Over time, this way of life related to physical discipline was extrapolated to the moral, spiritual and philosophical training. Thus, asceticism was linked to a lifestyle whose purpose or motivation was obtain a good for the world and the moral perfection of the individual through the renunciation of pleasures, living in balance and the practice of mental exercises.

Therefore, asceticism establishes that the main principle to lead a fully ascetic life is control, give up and deny impulses, desires, needs and instincts of the body in order to redirect these desires towards a moral improvement through the renunciation of external pleasures and the practice of an austere life

Thus a ascetic is a virtuous person, morally educated, upright and who leads a life in which he dispenses with all material things, comforts, luxuries and who trains his intellectual and cognitive abilities.

Among the main representatives of pagan or philosophical asceticism, several philosophers of Ancient Greece and Rome stand out:

Socrates

In The banquet Plato shows us a Socrates who defends the principle of karteria or willpower and self-control in the physical sense. To do this, a Socrates is portrayed who in the Battle of Potidiea he was able to withstand the harshness of war thanks to his own mastery of body and mind. On the other hand, Socrates also promulgates the principle of enkrateiaor self-awareness moral and intellectual sense, based on the concept of virtue versus ignorance by controlling external pleasures.

Plato

In PhaedoPlatodefends the concept of catharsis or purification of body and soul as an essential element to achieve individual perfection. In addition, it establishes that the individual must live philosophically or lead a rational and balanced life that feeds and pays attention to body and soul: eat, sleep or love in a controlled way and without falling into vice.

Seneca and Marcus Aurelius

In Rome we also have two philosophers who stand out for their defense of asceticism. On the one hand, Seneca defends the idea of ​​living with little through self-control in order to have independence, not to be subjected to power and so that nobody forces you to do what you don't want. Secondly, Marcus Aurelius talks about the need to make a mind exercise to be able to face the complex and hard situations of life.

Asceticism in philosophy has schools linked to this thought. Here we leave you the main ones.

ANDcynical school

The cynical school it was founded by Antisthenes (disciple of Socrates), who defended an ascetic, simple way of life, away from luxury and the material. Furthermore, under these precepts he founded in a gymnasium in Athens the Cynosargo school (agile or fast dog), where most of its members belonged to the most popular classes.

His most important disciple and maximum representative of this current was Diogenes of Sinope, according to which the happiness It consisted of the suppression of needs, leading an austere life (of deprivation) and in accordance with nature.

Stoic school

The stoicism was founded by Zeno of Citium (336-264 BC) C.) in Athens and his name comes from the place where Zeno taught his philosophy to his disciples, the stoa or porch located north of the agora of Athens.

In his doctrine, above all, the idea of ​​the control of passions and achievement of happiness apart from pleasure and desire. For both sensations or mental states disturb balance and virtue. Thus, the self control of appetites and the renunciation of material goods would be the key to achieving balance, happiness and freedom, which is defined as apathy.

Although asceticism was originally linked to Greek philosophy, over time it became a essential part of religions What:

• The Islam: The sufism seeks to lead a life close to To and pure.
• Buddhism: Promotes meditation and lead a way of life far from luxury to walk a spiritual path that takes you to Nirvana.
• Christianity: The Christian ascetic aims to consecrate himself to prayer to access the spiritual world and leads a life away from society, in which he dispenses with material goods, food in large quantities and is celibate. Within Christian asceticism stand out San Simón Estilita, Pablo de Tebas and San Antonio Abad.

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Antiseri and Reale.History of Philosophy. Vol. 1. Ed. Herder. 2010