Definition

1. Adjective:

   • Relating to Manichaeism: Pertaining to the dualistic religious system founded by the prophet Mani, which posits a fundamental conflict between the spiritual world of light and the material world of darkness.
   • Dualistic: Characterized by a stark, absolute division into opposing principles, such as good versus evil or light versus dark, often implying a simplistic or uncompromising view.

2. Noun:

   • An adherent of Manichaeism: A follower of the ancient religion of Manichaeism.
   • A person with a dualistic worldview: Someone who perceives the world in terms of absolute, opposing forces, often in a moral context.

Usage Examples

• Adjective:

  • The philosopher criticized the manichean division of human nature into purely good or purely evil.
  • Her political rhetoric was starkly manichean, framing every issue as a battle between absolute right and absolute wrong.

• Noun:

  • As a devout Manichean, he believed his soul was a fragment of light trapped in the darkness of the material body.
  • The debate was dominated by manicheans who refused to see any middle ground.

Advanced Usage

• "manichean worldview/dualism": A perspective that sees reality as a cosmic struggle between two independent, opposing forces.

  • The film's plot is built on a classic manichean dualism, with the hero representing pure good and the villain pure evil.

• Used critically: Often used in modern discourse to criticize an overly simplistic, black-and-white approach to complex issues.

  • We must avoid a manichean analysis of the conflict, which ignores the nuanced historical and social factors.

Variants and Related Words

• Manichaeism (n): The ancient Gnostic religion founded by Mani, teaching a dualistic cosmology.

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

• Manichaean (adj/n): An alternative spelling of "Manichean."

• Dualistic (adj): The general quality of involving two opposed or contrasting principles.

Synonyms

• Adjective: Dualistic, black-and-white, dichotomous, polarized.
• Noun: Dualist.

Related Phrases and Idioms

• "a Manichean struggle": A conflict perceived as a fundamental battle between absolute good and absolute evil.
  • The Cold War was often portrayed in the media as a Manichean struggle between democracy and communism.

Adjective

1. of or relating to Manichaeism

Noun

1. an adherent of Manichaeism