Chaos (cosmogony)

The chaos [ ka ː ɔs ] (from Greek χάος CHAOS ) is a state of complete disorder or confusion and thus the antonym of the cosmos, the Greek term for the (world) order or the universe.

Conceptual history

Etymologically, the word with the Greek verb depends χαίνω ( " gape, yawn " ) together, so originally meant as " a gaping space ", " gaping void ", " divide". The word is χαίνω as well as yawning on a suspected German word root of the Indo-European proto-language * can hike back out. Chaos is also called a deep mountain gorge on the Peloponnese, comparable to the Great Gorge Ginnungagap Norse mythology.

In the Theogony of the Greek poet Hesiod (about 700 BC) the chaos of the original state of the world is: "Verily, first created the mess and later the earth ..." ( verse 116). The chaos has in this cosmogonic myth similarity with nothingness and emptiness. Children or descendants of the chaos in Hesiod are Gaia ( the Earth Goddess ), Nyx ( the goddess of the darkness of night), Erebus (the god of darkness in the Underworld ), Tartarus ( the underworld, place and person at the same time ) and Eros ( the god of love). All five gods were created at the same time from the chaos.

In the first creation story of the Bible ( Genesis 1:1-5 ), the words " without form and void " as another term for chaos to be interpreted. In the Hebrew Bible it is at this point תֹהוּ וָבֹהוּ that has been introduced later as " chaos " in the German language.

Since the 17th century chaos called in everyday language disorder, the confusion, the confusion (about a messy room).

" Slob "

The term is used pejoratively slob and polemical usually. In everyday life, so that usually means a very messy and disorganized people. Furthermore, does the word " slob " (but also " rioters " ) as a political rallying cry to denote violent social groups, particularly in the context of street battles and riots. Thus, in many mass media, the term is used among other things for hooligans.

Above all, anarchists, punks and Autonomous be in the political debate pejoratively as " chaotic ", alternatively referred to as " violent or violent anarchists ". The term is also used for neo-Nazis and right-wing skinheads. The punk scene itself refers positively to the concept and organized since the 80s several times so-called " chaos days ".

Other meanings

  • Mathematics and physics: a state of non-linear, dynamic systems, see Chaos Research
  • Use doctrine: the chaos phase when using documents due to a lack of leadership structure or location of a missing image
  • Management theory: minor influences can an unstable equilibrium in massive imbalance encounter ( butterfly effect ), see Edward N. Lorenz
  • In Discordianism is chaos, symbolized by Eris, as symbolized by the Antagonistin Aneris order, of central importance.

Pictures of Chaos (cosmogony)

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