Obscurantism

Obscurity (from the Latin obscuritas " darkness, obscurity " ) refers to a blackout in a transferred sense of a lack of clarity. The corresponding adjective is obscure in English since the 17th century with the meaning " dark, unknown, suspicious, [ of ] dubious origin " is used.

In the field of information security obscurity describes under the heading " Security through obscurity " (English " security through obscurity " ) attempt to achieve security through obscurity.

Obscurantism

In connection with the investigation of the term was coined obscurantism that appeared on the early 16th century so-called Letters of Obscure Men, Latin Epistolae obscurorum virorum goes back. He describes no fixed ideology. Obscurantism and the name of his followers, were obscurantist, but established as a reproach. Those who saw themselves as representatives of the Enlightenment committed mindset, used the word as a rhetorical purpose weapon. The others whose positions them as "anti- Enlightenment ", " metaphysical" or "religious" were, were to be one of obscurantism with the accusation, trailers, occupied.

Heinrich Heine estimated early 19th century the word and ordered numerous contemporaries, especially the followers of a backward-looking romanticism, to obscurantism. The protagonists in the satirical poem The new Alexander ( III) he can say about himself that he is " an enlightened obscurantist, and neither horse nor mare! "

Friedrich Nietzsche writes in the text obscurantist (1879 ) over obscurantism and Immanuel Kant:

" The essence of the black art of obscurantism is not that he wants to obscure the heads, but that he blacken the image of the world, our imagination will darken from existence. [ ... ] Subtle metaphysicians who prepare the skepticism and urging by their excessive acumen to distrust the acumen are good tools of a finer obscurantism. - Is it possible that even Kant can be used with this intention? yes that he has by his own infamous statement, something like this, at least temporarily, wanted: the belief path make the fact that he had the knowledge of his place? - What is it not, of course succeeded him any more than his successors on the wolf and fox passages of this most refined and dangerous obscurantism, [ ... ] "

Meyers encyclopedia in the edition of 1888 explains the obscurantist finally to " Finsterlingen ":

" Obscurantism (Latin ), contrary to the Enlightenment (qv) to hold both the inclination toward the spiritual twilight as the system, all enlightenment of others. The followers of O. hot obscurantist ( Finsterlinge ). "

The term obscurantism found in particular as a term in texts that are directly related to the Enlightenment or the related ideas in context. In general, the German language, he was - unlike the adjective obscure - in the meantime already as uncommon. In current dictionaries and encyclopedias, however, the term obscurantism is still present, " to keep them in ignorance, to prevent their independent thinking and make them believe in the supernatural. " As an endeavor other people intentionally