Anthropomorphism

The term anthropomorphism (Greek ἄνθρωπος anthropos, human ' and μορφή morphe, form, shape ' ) refers to the awarding of human characteristics to animals, gods, natural disasters and the like ( humanization ). The human characteristics may show up here in both the shape as well as in behavior.

The rhetorical figure of personification or anthropomorphism ie Prosopopoiia.

Anthropomorphic Concepts of God

A strong expression of anthropomorphism is found in the Christian, Hindu, Germanic, Greek, Celtic, Shinto Japanese, Egyptian and Roman religions and mythologies, in which the gods bear very human traits, although they also possess the ability to part ( in particular situations ) adopt a zoomorphic shape. In the Old Testament God human characteristics and emotions are attributed.

The ancient poet Xenophanes remarked in a famous poem that people create their gods according to their own image:

" Blunt noses and black; so are Äthiopias gods,

Blue-eyed and blonde but: so see their gods the Thracians, But the cattle and horses and lions, they had hands, Hands like people to draw, to paint, to form an image work, Then the horses the gods equal Rossen bovine same cattle would Painting, and their shapes, the shapes of the divine body,

However, anthropomorphism was no universal religious phenomenon in the ancient world. For example, there was in the early Roman religion, in contrast to the Greek gods not in human form. Here is the abstract concept of the numen of the workings of the perceived as aloof deities was coined.

Positions in Islam

In the medieval Islamic theology likeness of God was with the people a much debated question. The two contrasting extreme positions were designated by the Arabic terms taschbīh ( " assimilation, anthropomorphism " ) and ta ʿ TIL ( " emptying the idea of ​​God from any writable with human conceptual content "). The positively valued intermediate position was tanzīh ( " transcendentalism " ) called. Extremely anthropomorphic positions were reputed to Koranexegeten Muqatil ibn Sulaimān and the eastern Iranian theological flow of Karrāmīya, a notorious representatives of ta ʿ ibn Safwan was TIL Dschahm.

Anthropomorphic interpretations of God were based on such statements in the Koran, in which parts of the body of God ( face, eyes, hand) is mentioned, as well as the statement in Genesis 1:27 that Adam is created " after his (ie God ) shape ," which was mediated by the Muslims the Hadith. The Qur'anic argument that spoke against any anthropomorphism, was the statement in Sura 42:11: "There is nothing that would give him ( namely, God ) are the same " ( laisa ka- Mithli - hī Sai ʾ ). With reference to it interpreted representatives transzendentalistischer positions, such as the Mu ʿ taziliten, the Quranic statements about the body parts of God as metaphors. The Ashab al - Hadith, which included the early Hanbali, put the formula bi- lā kaif ( " without how " ) against, ie they demanded that one should accept the statements about body parts in the Quran and Hadith unquestioningly.

Anthropomorphic animal characters

Anthropomorphism is also a common stylistic device in the literature. It is especially popular in children's books, where most animals are depicted anthropomorphic, by assuming human behavior.

Real or fictional animals that act like humans, have a long tradition in art and literature. They are often used to represent stereotypical characters, so that the viewer or reader can easily capture and reflect their character. Examples include Aesop's Fables, Alan Dean Foster's Spellsinger ( Spellsinger dt ) and George Orwell's Animal Farm.

Many of the most popular characters in children's television are anthropomorphic animals: Mickey Mouse, Kermit the Frog, Bugs Bunny and Donald Duck, to name just a few. Also anthropomorphic animals are the main characters of Brian Jacques' Redwall series. Except cartoons also makes use of a small number of anthropomorphism sitcoms (eg The Dinos ).

In the comic, anthropomorphic characters appear often in the range of the light and primarily aimed at children entertainment. The style used is, however, just as in adults comics like Fritz the Cat ( 1965) and also at serious issues, such as in Art Spiegelman's Maus - The story of a survivor (1992).

In recent years, to the animal anthropomorphism a subculture often called Furry grown. Its members (English furries ) associate called with anthropomorphized animals, " furries ", " anthros " or " morphs ". The counterpart in Japanese art are the Kemono.

Various animal metaphors as an insult (pig, cow, monkey ... ) or as a nickname (mouse, bear, rabbit ... ) are used.

Anthropomorphic machines

Many people write today inanimate objects (such as vehicles or machinery) human characteristics to, where it is mainly for traditional reasons ( as in the naming ceremony ), unconsciously or jokingly happens. Well-known examples are to give the car a name, or to talk to a machine to keep them running. This practice was also taken up in fiction and spun out. Examples include the Volkswagen Beetle Herbie in several films (from 1968 ) or the sports car KITT in the television series Knight Rider ( 1982-1986 ) as well as the various machines that are found in the children's television series Bob the Builder.

While these fictional vehicles not outwardly, but from what her behavior are humanoid, certain aspects of the human physiognomy in the automotive design actually play a role. The sight of car frontal structures in the brain is similar to the processing of human faces, which is why the design of car headlights or grille are designed specifically so that different models with certain human facial expressions, emotions or character traits are associated.

The special case of the anthropomorphic machine is the humanoid robot.