THEOSOPHY
THEOSOPHY
Philosophical Encyclopedic Dictionary. 2010 .
THEOSOPHY
(from the Greek ϑεός - god and σοφία - wisdom, knowledge) - 1) In the broad sense of the word - mystical. knowledge of God. In the Areopagitics, T. is used as a synonym for theology. Later, T., in contrast to theology, based on revelation and dogmas, began to call the teachings about the deity, emanating from the subjective mystical. experience and striving to present this experience in the form of a coherent system. Some researchers attributed Gnosticism, Neoplatonism, Kabbalah, etc. to T. More common, however, is the assignment of this term to a number of mystical. teachings of the 17th-18th centuries, standing outside the direct church. Christ. traditions - Boehme, Paracelsus, Saint-Martin, Swedenborg, Etinger and others. Schelling used the term "T." to denote the synthesis of the mystical. knowledge of God and diet. philosophy; after him, in the same sense, they spoke of "T." in relation to own. systems Baader and Rosmini. For Vl. Solovyova "free T." signifies the highest of all knowledge in general. Ed.
2) Religious-mystical. the teaching of H. P. Blavatsky (1831-91; op. "The Secret Doctrine" - "The secret doctrine", v. 1-2, L., 1888) and her followers. It was formed under the influence of Indus. philosophy (the doctrine of karma, the reincarnation of the human soul and cosmic. evolution as a manifestation of the spiritual absolute), occultism and Eastern. esoteric doctrines. Rejecting "historical forms of religion," T. seeks to unite various religions through the disclosure of the identity of the innermost meaning of all religions. symbols and create on this basis a "universal religion" that is not associated with K.-L. certain dogma. Unification of heterogeneous relig.-mythological. representations in T. is accompanied by a detailed schematization of cosmogonic. and anthropogonic. processes (multi-stage seven-term “plans”, or levels, of the universe and “periods”, “circles”, etc. of its evolution, for example, the doctrine of seven races successively replacing each other during one “world period”, etc.) P.). According to T., each consists of three bodies: physical, astral and mental; "developed" occultist can control his body, ie. send it to any point in time and space. The ultimate theosophist is to bring out the mental (that is, the spiritual) in oneself and achieve "superconsciousness". The attainment of this occult "knowledge" and the supernatural. abilities is carried out due to the presence of esoteric. the traditions of a few "initiates" or "masters" who inspire the spiritual evolution of man.
E. Golovin. Moscow.
The Theosophical Society was founded in 1875 in New York by H. P. Blavatsky and Amer. Colonel G. Olcott with the aim of "forming the core of a worldwide brotherhood", "to promote the comparative study of religion and philosophy", "to explore the unexplored laws of nature and the hidden forces of man." Activities about-va soon spread to many. countries of Europe and America; in 1879 its center was moved to India (on the outskirts of Madras). After Olcott's death (1907), A. Besant, a former socialist and active activist in English, became the president of the society. freethinking movements. In 1912, Besant declared Krishnamurti the new "savior" of mankind (later Krishnamurti departed from T.), after which a split occurred and anthroposophy emerged from T., headed by R. Steiner. In present The Society has 150,000 members (including 33,000 in India). As a form of non-religious mysticism, T. testifies to the crisis of traditions. religious systems, to-rye she tries to replace herself.
Lit.: Leadbeater Ch., Brief essay T., trans. from English, Kaluga, 1911; "Vestnik T.", 1908–18; Shakhnovich M.I., Sovr. mysticism in the light of science, M.–L., 1965; Guenon R., Le theosophisme. Histoire d "une pseudoreligion. P., 1921; Vishlmair G., Christentum, Theosophie und Anthroposophie, W., 1950.
M. Shakhnovich. Leningrad.
Philosophical Encyclopedia. In 5 volumes - M .: Soviet Encyclopedia. Edited by F. V. Konstantinov. 1960-1970 .
THEOSOPHY
THEOSOPHY (from Greek θεός - god and σοφία - wisdom, knowledge) - 1) in the broad sense of the word - mystical knowledge of God. Pseudo-Dionysius the Areopagite is synonymous with theology. Later, theosophy, in contrast to theology based on revelation and dogmas, began to be called teachings about the deity, proceeding from subjective mystical experience and striving to present this experience in the form of a coherent system. Some researchers attributed Gnosticism, Neoplatonism, Kabbalah, etc. to theosophy. More common, however, is the assignment of this term to a number of mystical teachings of the 16th-18th centuries, standing outside the direct church Christian tradition - J. Boehme, Paracelsus, L. K. Saint-Martin, E. Swedenborg, F. Etinger and others. Schelling used the term "theosophy" to denote the synthesis of mystical knowledge of God and rational philosophy; close to this is the concept of “free theosophy” in Vl. Solovyov; 2) the religious and mystical teaching of H. P. Blavatsky (1831-91; op. "The Secret Doctrine" - The Secret Doctrine, v. 1-2, 1888, Russian translation vol. 1-3. L., 1991) and her followers. It was formed under the influence of the religious and philosophical concepts of Brahmanism, Buddhism, Hinduism (the doctrine of karma - the reincarnation of the human soul and cosmic evolution as a manifestation of the spiritual absolute), as well as occultism and elements of gnosticism. Rejecting the "historical forms of religion", theosophy sought to unite various faiths through the disclosure of the identity of the innermost meaning of all religious symbols and create on this basis a "universal religion" not bound by a specific dogma. According to Theosophy, the ultimate goal of man - the achievement of occult "knowledge" and supernatural abilities - is carried out due to the presence of an esoteric tradition of "initiates" or "masters" who inspire the spiritual evolution of man. The Theosophical Society was founded in 1875 in New York by Blavatsky and American Colonel G. Olcott. The activities of the society soon spread to many countries in Europe and America; in 1879 its center was moved to India (since 1882 - on the outskirts of Madras). After the death of Olcott (1907), A. Besant became the president of the society, who announced Krishnamurgi as the new “savior” of mankind, after which a split occurred and anthroposophy headed by R. Steiner emerged from theosophy. As a form of non-denominational mysticism, Theosophy testifies to the crisis of traditional religions, which it tries to replace with itself.
Lit .: Leadbeater C. A Brief Essay on Theosophy, trans. from English. Kaluga, 1911; Shakhnovich M. I. Modern mysticism in the light of science. M.-L., 1965; Guenon R. Le theosophisme. Histoire d "une pseudoreligion. P., 1921; Bichimair G. Christentum, Theosophie und Antroposophie. W, 1950.
New Philosophical Encyclopedia: In 4 vols. M.: Thought. Edited by V. S. Stepin. 2001 .
Synonyms:
See what "THEOSOPHIA" is in other dictionaries:
Theosophy ... Spelling Dictionary
- (Greek, from Theos God, and sophos the wise). 1) a science that has a claim to teach to communicate directly with God; ghost vision. 2) the general name of all mystical teachings. Dictionary of foreign words included in the Russian language. Chudinov A.N., 1910 ... Dictionary of foreign words of the Russian language
Anthroposophy Dictionary of Russian synonyms. theosophy n., number of synonyms: 1 anthroposophy (1) ASIS Synonym Dictionary. V.N. Trishin ... Synonym dictionary
theosophy- and, well. theosophie f. , cf. lat. theosphia. Religious philosophical and mystical doctrine of the comprehension of the deity through revelation and the possibility of direct communication with the other world. ALS 1. She went into this... what is it called? .. in… … Historical Dictionary of Gallicisms of the Russian Language
theosophy- (wrong theosophy). Pronounced [theosophy] ... Dictionary of pronunciation and stress difficulties in modern Russian
- (from the Greek theos God and sophia wisdom), 1) in a broad sense, any mystical teaching that claims to reveal special divine secrets. 2) The mystical doctrine of H.P. Blavatsky and her followers, the connection of the mysticism of Buddhism and others ... ... Modern Encyclopedia
- (from the Greek theos God and sophia wisdom) ..1) in a broad sense, any mystical teaching that claims to reveal special divine secrets2)] The mystical doctrine of H. P. Blavatsky and her followers is a combination of the mysticism of Buddhism and other Eastern ... ... Big Encyclopedic Dictionary
- (Greek theos God and sorhia wisdom, knowledge) (1) the doctrine of the knowledge of God (as opposed to theology based on the idea of revelation and the dogmas of the church), based on non-confessional esoteric experience. T. includes gnosticism, hermeticism, ... ... The latest philosophical dictionary
THEOSOPHY, theosophy, pl. no, female (from Greek theos god and sophia wisdom). Religious-philosophical mystical doctrine, which claims that in the mystical experience of communication with the so-called. the other world reveals the inner meaning of all religions. Explanatory ... ... Explanatory Dictionary of Ushakov
The article provides information about such a movement as theosophy. In philosophy, this concept is used both in the narrow and in the broad sense. We will talk about this, and also dwell in detail on the features of the doctrine founded by Blavatsky. It is with him that the concept of interest to us is most often associated.
"Theosophy" is a word that comes from two Greek words, translated meaning "God" and "wisdom". If we add them up, we get "divine wisdom." That's what this word means. What is Theosophy and what does it study? Read the article and you will know the answer to this question.
The first theosophists
"Theosophy" is a term that has been in use since the 2nd century AD. e. It was used by the Neoplatonists, which included Ammonius Saccas and his students. They created a philosophical system, the main purpose of which was the reconciliation of all religions. Theosophists wanted to establish a general system and universal principle of ethics, which is based on eternal truths. The term "theosophy" in the "Areopagitics" appears in the term "theology". However, these two trends have since diverged.
Contrasting theology
Some time later, theology and theosophy began to be opposed. The first of them was based on the dogmas of the church and the idea of revelation. Theosophy, on the other hand, began to be called the knowledge of God through mystical experience, that is, communication with him in a state of ecstasy. In other words, it was the doctrine of the deity, based on subjective experience, but trying to present the results in the form of a coherent system, which pure mystics did not strive for.
Theosophy in the broad and narrow sense
In a broad sense, Theosophy is a movement that includes Neoplatonism, Gnosticism, Hermeticism, Kabbalah, Rosicrucianism. However, the narrow sense of the word is most often used. In this case, theosophy is a movement to which mystical theories of the 16th-18th centuries belong, which, as a rule, were outside one or another denomination and, in general, the church Christian tradition. These are, in particular, the theories of Jacob Boehme, L.K. de Saint-Martin, Paracelsus (the portrait is presented above), F. Etinger, E. Swedenborg and others. Many thinkers (for example, a follower of theosophy Paracelsus) believed that this movement includes not only the experience of contemplating the Divine. It also includes the performance of miracles (thaumaturgy) and the knowledge of the secrets of external nature.
Theosophy of Blavatsky
The term "theosophy" in philosophy is in an even narrower sense a doctrine, the fragments and foundations of which are set forth in the work of Helena Petrovna Blavatsky. Followers of Theosophy are convinced that it combines the basis and essence of all world religions. H. P. Blavatsky based this movement on the following motto: "there is no religion higher than Truth." It was borrowed by Elena Petrovna from the Maharaja of Benares. Theosophy (quotations from the book of Blavatsky testify to this) is based on the fact that people who are not initiated into certain esoteric teachings cannot cognize the movement that interests us is considered the quintessence of esoteric teachings.
Helena Blavatsky
Helena Petrovna Blavatsky (years of life - 1831-1891) is the founder of theosophy. She comes from a noble family with German roots. Elena Andreevna Fadeeva, mother of Elena Petrovna, was a writer. Fadeeva's husband was an officer in command of a battery of horse artillery. Elena Petrovna got married at the age of 17. Her husband was Nicholas Blavatsky, an elderly general. However, she broke up with him after 3 months. Blavatsky was not officially divorced, for a long time she pretended to be a widow. However, her husband even survived. Elena Petrovna traveled throughout her life in the West and East, never stopping anywhere.
Blavatsky founded the Theosophical Society in New York in 1875. Its foundation is the work of Elena Petrovna "The Secret Doctrine". It presents the foundations of cosmogenesis (creation of the world), a brief history of religions, anthropogenesis (the history of mankind), etc.
Aims of Blavatsky's Theosophical Society
Blavatsky stated that the aims of the Theosophical Society she created were as follows:
1) the study of world religions in order to compare them and create a universal ethics;
2) research and development of hidden supernatural (divine) forces in man;
3) brotherhood without distinction of religion, colour, race or social status.
The Theosophical Society today has representation in many countries of the world (in several dozen states). Its headquarters is located in Adyar (India). Practical Theosophy, however, is spread by a number of independent societies. We will talk about them in detail a little later.
Three "truths"
Theosophical teaching is based on "dogmas", three "fundamental truths". The first of them: the immutable, infinite, eternal and omnipresent Principle is the root cause and source of the universe. We know nothing of the Principle except its existence and the fact that it created the world. The second "truth" says that the universe is eternal and is cyclical in its development. And the last, third - there is a universal soul, which is identical to the soul of every person. Blavatsky believes that this is the "higher self" of each of us.
According to the first "truth", a person can comprehend the Absolute through manifestations of it that are impersonal in nature. They are expressed in laws that govern the life of the entire universe. The next, second "truth" teaches that in its development the soul evolves to more and more perfect forms. This process takes place in cycles. The universe also develops cyclically in eternity. There is no beginning or end in this process. According to the third "truth", "divinity" is inherent in man, since his soul is identical with the universal supreme soul. Note that this doctrine of Theosophy is similar to that presented in the teachings of Advanta Vedanta. The idea of the deification of man follows from this provision. Each of us is God. Blavatsky believed that the essence of man and God are identical.
Evolution of the Soul in Theosophy
As one of the main laws of the universe, the theosophical direction recognizes the law of karma, as well as the law of reincarnation (reincarnation). The evolution of the soul (monad), according to this teaching, proceeds as follows. The Monad lives first in the mineral kingdom. She turns to stone. Then follows the kingdom of plants, animals, man and angels. On each planet, the evolution of the monad can only take place in one kingdom. In order to continue development, after a while she changes the planet.
These are the foundations of Theosophy. We invite you to get acquainted with the organizations that exist within the framework of this movement.
Types of Theosophical Organizations
So, at the end of the 19th century, an occult movement appeared, called Theosophy (in the narrow sense of the word). It did not enjoy great popularity during the life of H. P. Blavatsky, mainly due to the fact that the reputation of Helena Petrovna was doubtful. Scandals constantly broke out around her name. Besides, the claims that Blavatsky made were unprovable.
However, soon after the death of Elena Petrovna, which occurred in 1891, a passion for the East began, so this teaching turned out to be in demand. The movement we are interested in split into several branches. In the world today there are 4 types of organizations that belong to Theosophy.
Chief among them is the International Theosophical Society (ITO). Its headquarters is located in India (Adyar). It is considered the very first, which was created by Blavatsky. This society has representations in many states of the world.
The second is the Theosophical Society, headquartered in the USA (Pasadena). It is also international. This society is descended from the American section, which was headed by William Judge. Soon after the death of Helena Petrovna Blavatsky, it became separate. Its branches are found in many countries of the world, but they are not so popular.
The third type of organization is the National Theosophical Societies. These are, as a rule, branches of the MTO that have lost contact with it. It can also be structures built locally by enthusiasts.
The fourth type is organizations that are founded as an alternative to TO. These are, for example, various anthroposophical and Roerich societies, the United Lodge of Theosophists (its emblem is presented below), etc.
History of the Blavatsky Theosophy Movement in Russia
The first theosophical society in Russia was founded in 1908, but individual followers of this movement and their groups existed even before that. Blavatsky's teaching did not become widespread in the years leading up to the Revolution. The Soviet government in 1918 completely stopped its activities. The society reopened only in 1991. RTO (Russian Theosophical Society) was registered as a public organization. Several times it tried to join the ITO, but a mandatory condition for membership was the renunciation of its representatives from the agni yoga of the Roerichs. This requirement was accepted by the RTO. Nevertheless, the entry into the MTO did not happen. The Russian Theosophists were denied recognition by the international circles of Blavatsky's movement. Therefore, today they act together with the Roerichs. Their representatives support each other and spread their teachings in our country.
Russian society in the early 90s of the last century developed a vigorous activity. It held seminars and lectures, theosophical readings, as well as art exhibitions, and on the basis of the RTO in 1992, even the publishing house "Sphere" was created, which was engaged in the publication of works on theosophy. There was a split in the RTO in 1994. He significantly weakened the Society and significantly disrupted its unity, already shaky. These, as well as financial problems, led to changes that took place in him. The official unification of the Roerich and Theosophical Societies took place in 1997.
Today there is a tendency to rehabilitate Blavatsky's Theosophy in the eyes of most people. They are trying to turn it from a pseudo-religious, marginal teaching into some kind of respectable movement based on science. In this respect the criticism of Theosophy is appropriate. This direction, of course, cannot be connected with science.
Who can become a theosophist, according to Blavatsky
Blavatsky believed that every person could be a member of her organization, regardless of his political, religious or other preferences. She said it was not difficult to become a Theosophist. To do this, it is enough to have average mental abilities and have a penchant for mysticism. In addition, the follower of Theosophy should lead a pure life, not be selfish, find joy in helping his neighbor, sacrifice his own pleasures for the sake of others. One should love Wisdom, Goodness and Truth for their own sake, and not because of the benefits that they provide.
So, we have briefly talked about what constitutes ancient and modern theosophy. You also got acquainted with a brief history of this movement and with its main organizations and representatives. Theosophy is the way to the comprehension of God. Follow him or choose another path - everyone decides for himself.
The communication of people (esotericists or not) is not tied to the topos. To the chronos, yes.
The Internet, as an artificial space, distorts real communication very much.
The benefit has an undeniable trump card (and by the way the reason for its existence, as for me) is freedom and irresponsibility (impunity).
And the transition to personality or aggression. nothing more than a defense of a non-existent weakness.
God made man powerful (able to be able),
the latter, losing one way or another "primacy" begins to fight for its "absence".
Truth is like public transport: everyone uses and no one appreciates
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You didn’t fight a damn thing either in religions or in the chatter around religion (the so-called “theosophy”)! Only, having made a smart face, invented a slippery terminology (In "theosophy") and twist it around your finger ... And arrogantly say "There is no religion higher than truth." But in fact, you continue to do your dirty work - MASS DECEPTION OF THE POPULATION OF THE EARTH!
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I agree 100% with Origen and Ganga, this is not only interesting, but 100% true
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Dear?
SPIRITUALITY of people's life process is THREE triune processes:
the first one, let it be your divine, or is it just the spirituality of people in terms of the RULES of life of the earthly society of the universal and MIND............
the second process is atheistic or is it just scientific knowledge of people about the RULES of people's lives both in the material, and in the social, and in the spiritual world and on the earth, and in society and in the universe ................
the third process of people's spirituality is SATANIC or the work of negative energy and people, and society, and the universe, etc............
Well, or so it is the work of three triune principles in people's lives - good, indifference, evil ..............
well, etc. according to the scheme..............
and you're cute just BREAKING.......
and I give Russian philosophy in modern scientific language..................
This methodology is outlined in my new book - Fundamentals of the Methodology of the Russian School of Economics. / V.M. Chefonov - Irkutsk: BSUEP Publishing House, 2011. - 247p.
ISBN 978-5-7253-2330-6
Please let me know if you are interested in the topic.
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Interesting article
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Completely for
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The Human Being consists of 4 Psychic Essences of varying degrees of rationality, independent and at the same time all of them are one whole...
1. Monad (will, activity, wisdom).
2. Spiritual Triad (spiritual will, intuition, higher mind).
3. Spiritual Soul (3 permanent atoms: mental, astral, physical).
4. Earthly Personality (mental body, astral body, physical-etheric body).
Only the Personality dies on the physical plane of being. All other Psychic Essences are relatively immortal (relative to human thinking)...
For comparison: the Spiritual Soul is about 1 million times smarter than the Personality, and so on up..
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It is quite interesting to learn everything new and new, especially what is connected with some kind of mystical. I thought about the motto for a long time .. there is no religion higher than truth ..... why this one? Theosophy can give the truth knowing all religions? Blavatsky was interested in her life and all this ..
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Why are all people so different?... Yes, because when semi-animal people evolved into the 4th kingdom of nature in the HUMAN KINGDOM - this process of evolutionary transition lasted millions of years and was uneven: some groups became people earlier than others... That's why Today we are all so different! And this difference necessarily affects the personal perception of the world and God... Man incarnates on earth 777 times. The first 700 incarnations, and this is 85% of the population of the earth, these people are still spiritually below average. The second - 70 incarnations - is the entire world intelligentsia. And the last 7 incarnations are all the geniuses of mankind, Saints and Initiates of various spiritual degrees...
It is the number of incarnations that determines the spiritual personal evolutionary status of a person. The physical cells of the brain are able to perceive information-energy only within a specific incarnation.
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Therefore, H.P. Blavatsky warned during her lifetime: the greatest harm to world theosophy will be brought by THEOSOPHES THEMSELVES - who have not yet got rid of personal pride ... in the future, to creatively rework the whole theory into a concrete practical spiritual practice - into selfless service to people. You can sit for days in meditation, you can stuff your head to the top with various esoteric theories - all this is nothing, in comparison with spiritual disinterested work among the people around you - practice !!!
Theoretically savvy Personalities are of little use to the Teachers of the Spiritual Hierarchy - Teachers do not deal with personalities at all.
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There is practically no single theosophical Society on the scale of Russia today. The main fault is that all communication of today's theosophists both in real life and on the Internet follows the path of communication of Personalities, and not of Spiritual Souls. And Personalities are filled with personal ambitions and pride. In practice, today's theosophists only boast of bookish theoretical personal knowledge to each other, and only ... Of course, we are talking only about exotericism; because no one will ever expose personal esoteric knowledge to the public - it is forbidden by an occult oath. Those who know this will understand... It is also strictly forbidden to speak out in public about personal esoteric energy practices. So it remains only to boast in front of each other: who is smarter and more well-read. True esotericists "communicate" on the subjective side of Life, in another dimension.
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All right! And a personality is a persona, in contrast to the Conscious Active Creative Individuality (I Am). Among the esotericists of the Earth, there are only a few of them! I don’t consider myself one of them either, but I came across such a thing - when you point out to a person - a modern esotericist to a clear gap in his teaching or illusory nature, all followers immediately become personal and don’t even bother to answer, just like a flock attack and sink to a lower level plinths in their insults! I lived in seclusion for a long time, although I wrote books, but I went online and was horrified. Answers to remarks of two kinds - either insults, or - like you are not given to understand, or in one manner - I wish you love and peace, etc. There is no one to talk to on the Internet! Even in esotericism - everything is purely in Russian! It seems to me that there are not enough conferences and open speeches, so illusory delusional teachings like Goch and Grabovoi are multiplying, but there is no evidence.
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Dear Ganga, if you don't mind, we could talk to you.
I leave my e-mail for you [email protected]
With sincerity and respect to you.
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Dear Ganga, good night! How can I read your book or books!? If I may. [email protected]
Article from the encyclopedia "Tree": site
Theosophy(from θεος - God and σοφια - wisdom), knowledge of God through mystical perception, through direct communication with the deity in a state of ecstasy. Theosophists include Neoplatonists and Gnostics; from new philosophers: Yak. Behm, Paracelsus, Saint-Martin, Swedenborg, and others. The new form of Buddhism, cultivated by the Theosophical Society founded by Blavatsky, is incorrectly named Theosophy.
The word was originally synonymous with "theology". In this sense, it is found in writings attributed to Dionysius the Areopagite and currently attributed to the end and beginning of centuries. Christian era.
In later word usage, Theosophy differs from theology in that the latter represents a system of knowledge about the deity based on Revelation and dogmas, and theosophical knowledge of God relies on the direct data of mystical perception; but the Theosophists differ from the mystics in that they generally endeavor to give their individual mystical revelations the form of a complete and coherent system.
Some theosophists are unconditionally hostile to rational knowledge and philosophy, while others seek to combine mystical and rational knowledge into a single whole.
In the writings of Theosophists, we often find a bizarre combination of extreme fantasy content with external symmetry and harmony, giving subjective constructions the appearance of a coherent, scientifically developed system.
The strength of religious inspiration, sometimes the poetic splendor of fantasy, rich figurative language, constitute the forte of the most remarkable theosophical works; but symbolism, an abundance of analogies, comparisons, metaphors instead of strict logical evidence deprive this kind of work of serious scientific significance. In any case, they represent precious psychological material for studying the characteristics of the so-called. "mystical imagination".
Some refer to the Theosophists as Neoplatonists and Gnostics, but more often this term is applied to the mystical writers of the new time: Jacob Boehme, Valentin Weigel, Paracelsus, Saint Martin, Swedenborg.
The unbridled fantasy in some Theosophists reaches an extreme degree; in Saint Martin, the author of the poem "Le crocodile ou la guerre du bien et du mal arrivée sous le régne de Louis XV", T. appears as Madame Jof (Foi - Faith), beating the tricks of Satan (the crocodile). Such visionary theosophists contrast themselves sharply with "philosophers", as is evident from the epitaph to Saint-Martin, quoted in Op. Baader:
Oh trop cruelle mort, tu viens nous enlever
Saint-Martin! ce savant dans la theosophie;
Il combatit Terreur et sut se preserver
De ces systemès vains de la philosophie.
[O death, unreasonably cruel! you take away
We have Saint-Martin, wise in Theosophy;
He fought delusion and knew how to shield himself
From the vain systems of philosophy.]
Here theosophical knowledge is opposed to philosophical, rational. This seems to be how Baader understands Theosophy, calling it the expanded, corrected and Christianized mysticism of the Kabbalah. The publisher of Baader's writings, Baron Fr. Osten-Sacken (1860), contrasts Theosophy with philosophy as something higher that has not found a place for itself in the history of Hegel's philosophy.
However, the writings of even such theosophists have had an influence on the history of philosophical thought in the proper sense of the word. Thus, for example, Boehme prompted Hegel with his writings to study the problem of "origin of evil"; Swedenborg prompted Kant to philosophically examine the question of the possibility "spiritual vision". Schelling was the first to emphasize in the concept of Theosophy the equality of the mystical and rational elements in the knowledge of God; he unsympathetically speaks of "theosophism" as a kind of mysticism that excludes the possibility of scientific knowledge, in contrast to Theosophy, which is a synthesis of mystical knowledge of God with philosophical rational knowledge.
After Schelling, the term "Theosophy" as applied to their own system was used by Baader, Rozmini ("Teosofia"), Trentovsky ("Teosofia wszyskich ludow"). Schelling's understanding of theosophy was also adopted by Vladimir Solovyov, who understands by it "whole knowledge" the highest synthesis of rational and empirical knowledge with the mystical. Philosophical theosophy, in contrast to "traditional", Solovyov calls free. Free theosophy must be the product of critical thought, experience and mystical revelation.
Due to the fact that many theosophists (for example, Paracelsus) allowed, along with mystical perception, the disclosure of the secrets of external nature and the performance of miracles, i.e. thaumaturgy, the word "Theosophy" acquired this last meaning from the founders of the so-called. The Theosophical Society that arose in, founded by Madame Blavatsky, should be called neo-Buddhist or thaumaturgical, but by no means theosophical. This misnomer is a constant source of confusion for those who wish to get acquainted with Theosophy.
Used materials
- Christianity: Encyclopedic Dictionary: in 3 volumes: Great Russian Encyclopedia, 1995
See article Vl. Solovyov "Blavatskaya" in "Critical and biographical. dictionary "Vengerov, vol. 3, p. 316
a religious doctrine that studies union with a deity. Theosophy is a mystical teaching that preaches asceticism and the gradual ascent of the human spirit to Divine illumination (illuminism). The most famous Theosophists: Boehme, Weigel, Swedenborg, Saint-Martin, Baader. in Germany in the 19th century. Hermann Immanuel Fichte (son of the great Johann Gottlieb Fichte) founded the school of "speculative theosophy", whose task was to identify with God through philosophical reflection.
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THEOSOPHY
Greek theos - God and sorhia - wisdom, knowledge) - (1) - the doctrine of the knowledge of God (as opposed to theology, based on the idea of revelation and the dogmas of the church), based on non-confessional esoteric experience. Gnosticism, Hermeticism, the Rosicrucian worldview, and others belong to T. In the Middle Ages, this term correlated with the mystical teachings of Boehme, Paracelsus, L.K. Saint-Martin, Count Saint-Germain and others. Schelling used the term "T." to denote the synthesis of mystical knowledge of God and rational philosophy. Close to this is the concept of "free T." V. Solovyov. Fundamental and comprehensive presentation T. received in the writings of Blavatsky. Exploring the historical forms of religion, T. seeks to unite various religions through the identity of the esoteric meaning of all religious symbols. The ontology of T. is based on the doctrine of the "Unknowable", the ineffable Absolute, the Impersonal Principle, thanks to which everything began to be. The highest triad is made up of the Genderless Unmanifested Logos, Potential Wisdom and the Universal Thought Base. The descent into the world of divine energies takes place through the sphere of the Manifested Logos, the spiritual, psychic, astral and material planes. Man, according to T., is a reflection of the manifested God (the microcosm is similar to the Macrocosm), and his true real "I" is eternal and one with the "I" of the universe (cf. Purusha in Hinduism, Adam-Kadmon in Kabbalah, etc.). The evolution of man is accomplished through numerous incarnations, in which he gains experience, knowledge and self-sacrificing life, serving people becomes an active participant in the divine transformation and construction on Earth and in the Universe. The entire philosophical concept of T. is based on the septenary principle: 7 planes of being, 7 principles of man, 7 evolving races, etc. The epistemological doctrine of T. is based on the teachings of karma, reincarnation, the law of sacrifice and the ascent of a person to his true "I", and the prisoner in the highest Trinity "Atma-Buddhi-Manas". A person who has embarked on the path of self-improvement and comprehension of Divine Wisdom, according to T., encounters many obstacles and dangers: only a pure, fiery heart is able to withstand the onslaught of the elements and withstand the influence of lower desires, passions, thoughts. In the context of T., a law is formulated. "When the subject enters the path, some occult consequences begin to appear, and" the first of them is the revelation of everything that has been in a person in a dormant state so far: his shortcomings, habits, qualities and hidden desires, good or bad, or indifferent" (Blavatsky). A feature of the historical approach of T. is the doctrine of the seven human races. The development and formation of mankind takes place over hundreds of millions of years from the first Race - ethereal beings, through the Race of the "begotten", to the human beings of the Lemurian (Third Race) and Atlantean (Fourth Race) periods. Real humanity represents the fifth Race, evolving to a higher sixth, in which the divine abilities of clairaudience, clairvoyance, etc. will manifest. The socio-historical concept of T. is based on the idea of the "World Brotherhood of Humanity", which is the leading one in all world teachings (the Sangha of Buddhism, the Umma of Islam, the Community of Christianity, etc.). The ideas of T. served as the subject of reflection of M. Gandhi, E.I. and U.K. Roerich, V. Kandinsky and others (2) - in the narrow sense - an esoteric doctrine, the foundations and fragments of which are set forth by Blavatsky in the work "The Secret Doctrine". Ed. 2) Religious-mystical. the teaching of H. P. Blavatsky (1831-91; op. "The Secret Doctrine" - "The secret doctrine", v. 1-2, L., 1888) and her followers. It was formed under the influence of Indus. philosophy (the doctrine of karma, the reincarnation of the human soul and cosmic. evolution as a manifestation of the spiritual absolute), occultism and Eastern. esoteric doctrines. Rejecting "historical forms of religion," T. seeks to unite various religions through the disclosure of the identity of the innermost meaning of all religions. symbols and create on this basis a "universal religion" that is not associated with K.-L. certain dogma. Unification of heterogeneous relig.-mythological. representations in T. is accompanied by a detailed schematization of cosmogonic. and anthropogonic. processes (a multi-stage seven-membered hierarchy of "plans", or levels, of the universe and "periods", "circles", etc. of its evolution, for example, the doctrine of seven races successively replacing each other during one "world period", etc. .P.). According to T., each person consists of three bodies: physical, astral and mental; "developed" occultist can control his body, ie. send it to any point in time and space. The ultimate goal of the theosophist is to bring out in himself a mental (ie spiritual) body and achieve "superconsciousness". The attainment of this occult "knowledge" and the supernatural. abilities is carried out due to the presence of esoteric. the traditions of a few "initiates" or "masters" who inspire the spiritual evolution of man. E. Golovin. Moscow. The Theosophical Society was founded in 1875 in New York by H. P. Blavatsky and Amer. Colonel G. Olcott with the aim of "forming the core of a worldwide brotherhood", "to promote the comparative study of religion and philosophy", "to explore the unexplored laws of nature and the hidden forces of man." Activities about-va soon spread to many. countries of Europe and America; in 1879 its center was moved to India (on the outskirts of Madras). After Olcott's death (1907), A. Besant, a former socialist and active activist in English, became the president of the society. freethinking movements. In 1912, Besant declared Krishnamurti the new "savior" of mankind (later Krishnamurti departed from T.), after which a split occurred and anthroposophy emerged from T., headed by R. Steiner. In present The Society currently has 150,000 members (including 33,000 in India). As a form of non-religious mysticism, T. testifies to the crisis of traditions. religious systems, to-rye she tries to replace herself. Lit.: Leadbeater Ch., Brief essay T., trans. from English, Kaluga, 1911; "Vestnik T.", 1908–18; Shakhnovich M.I., Sovr. mysticism in the light of science, M.–L., 1965; Guenon R., Le thosophisme. Histoire d'une pseudo-religion. P., 1921; Вichlmair G., Christentum, Theosophie und Anthroposophie, W., 1950. M. Shakhnovich. Leningrad.
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