Manichaean
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
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.
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
- of or relating to Manichaeism
- of or relating to the philosophical doctrine of dualism
- a Manichaean conflict between good and evil
Noun
- an adherent of Manichaeism