Definition

1. Adjective:

   • Relating to Manichaeism: Pertaining to the ancient religious system founded by the prophet Mani, which taught a dualistic cosmology of good versus evil, light versus darkness.
   • Dualistic: Characterized by or involving a stark, absolute opposition between two principles, such as good and evil, often in a philosophical or moral context.

2. Noun:

   • An adherent of Manichaeism: A follower of the Manichaean religion.

Usage Examples

• Adjective:

  • The historian studied Manichaean texts discovered in the desert.
  • His worldview is overly Manichaean, seeing every issue as a simple battle between pure good and pure evil.

• Noun:

  • Augustine of Hippo was a Manichaean before converting to Christianity.

Advanced Usage

• Manichaean dualism: The specific cosmological and ethical doctrine of two opposing forces.

  • The film explores a theme of Manichaean dualism, with the hero representing light and the villain representing absolute darkness.

• Manichaean worldview/perspective: A way of thinking that divides concepts into two mutually exclusive, opposed categories.

  • Political discourse often devolves into a Manichaean perspective, where the other side is seen not just as wrong, but as inherently evil.

Variants and Related Words

• Manichaeism (n): The religion or doctrine itself.

  • Manichaeism spread widely across the ancient world from Persia to China.

• Manichean: An alternative, common spelling of "Manichaean."

Synonyms

• Adjective (Dualistic sense): Dualistic, dichotomous, black-and-white.
• Noun (Follower): Believer, adherent, follower.

Related Phrases

• A Manichaean struggle/conflict: A conflict perceived as a fundamental battle between absolute good and absolute evil.
  • The novel portrays the war as a Manichaean struggle for the soul of the nation.

Adjective

1. of or relating to Manichaeism
2. of or relating to the philosophical doctrine of dualism
   • a Manichaean conflict between good and evil

Noun

1. an adherent of Manichaeism