Meekness

Meekness is a character trait. It was considered a virtue of some rulers: How was Frederick II of Saxony (1412-1464) called "the meek ​​", as the Count Palatine Ludwig IV ( 1424-1449 ). The bishop and Christian mystic St. Francis de Sales (1567-1622) is regarded as a saint of gentleness, who learned to curb his tendency to anger outbursts.

For adjective meek ​​are opposing concepts irascible (obsolete), hot-tempered and irascible.

Etymology

The term is compound of the adjective gentle, in different Lautungen and overrides already Middle High German with the meaning pleasant, mild, prefixed with humility. The latter goes back to the Middle High German muot which assumes the importance of mind, temperament in the compilation of the two terms. So meekness means a mild, indulgent human nature.

Philosophical contexts

In philosophical and religious discussions gentleness is treated as a virtue.

The philosopher Otto Friedrich Bollnow gentleness has described as follows:

In ancient times, gentleness perceived as a typical characteristic of the philosophers. For example, Socrates in Plato's Phaedo ( 116c5 ) is called meek ​​. In Aristotle ( in Nicomachean Ethics, (IV 11) The gentleness together with their deficiency and excess ), the gentleness ( praotes ) discusses ethical aspects and determined as midway between a too low ( insensitivity ) and a large excitability ( anger ).

In Latin is called meekness as Mansuetudo (literally: tameness, even in animals ), it is regarded as closely related with the virtue of clementia ( clemency, forbearance ). Thomas Aquinas differentiates between forbearance and gentleness, both of which he as against the vice of anger ( ira ) - understood as the urge to excessive retaliation - understands directed virtues, but differ in their immediate object: During forbearance the consequences of anger mitigates by moderates the desire for revenge, to gentleness aimed directly against the angry Gemütsaufwallung themselves and fought the anger already in the making. For this reason, the indulgence is in the traditional doctrine of virtue associated with most of the cardinal virtue of moderation ( temperance ), while gentleness in the cardinal virtue of fortitude ( fortitudo ) is locates.

Gentleness in Judaism and Christianity

Psalm 25.9 ELB of the Tanakh ( and according to the Old Testament) is: He leads the humble in justice and teaches the humble his way.

In Christianity, the meekness is in Matthew's Gospel is an element of (self- ) characterization of Jesus (eg, 11.29 and 21.5 ELB ELB ). In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus said: Blessed are the meek ​​( in Greek original μακάριοι οἱ πραεῖς makarioi hoi praeis ), for they will inherit the earth. (Mt 5,5 ELB ). Πραεῖς praeis is the plural of the adjective πραΰς pra'us ( ' gentle ' ), which includes: mild, mild ( comforting ) words, mild ( healing ) plants, in animals: tame. In the Epistle to the Galatians ( 5:23 NIV ) meekness is cited as part of the fruit of the Holy Spirit.

Representation in the visual arts

The personification of gentleness is found in the art, especially since the 15th century. In classical iconology their corresponding a girl with lamb, as in Cesare Ripa Iconologia ( 1593).