Dogma is a thought, idea, position, concept, statement, considered true and unchangeable. During the twentieth century, the definition of dogma (dogma, dogmatism) changed, but not much. At the beginning of the century, the concept of “dogma” was designated as “the basic, unchangeable position of any teaching”, in the middle - “dogma is a position accepted without taking into account the specific conditions of its application, recognized as unchanged, despite changing life circumstances”, in the second half - “ dogma is an unchangeable position accepted blindly, on faith.”
The definition of dogma explains the expression "dogmatic thinking"
- Dogmatic thinking - thinking in frozen, unchanging formulas based on dogmas - Dogmatic thinking - thinking based on provisions considered irrefutable - Dogmatic thinking - schematic thinking, divorced from reality
Dogmatic thinking is one-sided rational thinking that dogmatically accepts only one side of the dialectical contradiction (Hegel)
Examples of dogmas
- Rich people are bad people, poor people are good people
- The people are always right
- Plumbers are drunkards, traffic cops are bribe takers
- Mental labor is not labor, labor is only physical
- Officials do nothing
- Wearing glasses - educated
- "Orange Revolution
- Euromaidan - Ukrainians' speech for democracy
- Communism is the future of humanity
- Market economy is the path to prosperity
- “Blacks” - they came in large numbers
- Jews are rich
- Asians are cunning
- Russians are simple-minded
- Natural products - healthy and safe
- Cancer - from an unhealthy lifestyle
- Liberalism, tolerance are evil
What is dogma
The word "dogma" comes from the Greek. dogma - opinion, decision, teaching. Over time, the meaning of the term changed shades. For example, in ancient literature it meant any state decrees or regulations that have the property of undeniable truth, and in ancient Greek philosophy, dogmatists began to be called philosophers who, in contrast to skeptics, asserted a positive view of the knowability of the world. In the field of science, the term dogma usually denotes an unchanging formula applied without taking into account specific historical conditions, and the derivative concept of “dogmatic thinking” has become hostile to scientific knowledge. An example of this way of thinking is the attitude of the church towards heliocentrism during the times of Copernicus and Galileo. Now this term has a predominantly religious meaning and means some theoretical provisions of the doctrine that are recognized as an immutable truth and are not subject to criticism or doubt. A set of dogmas is characteristic of all established religions of the world, be it Christianity, Judaism, Islam or Hinduism.
In Christianity, the first official formulation of dogma was given in 325 at the Council of Nicaea and constituted the “Creed”. In 381, at the Council of Constantinople, the Nicene symbol was supplemented by a number of new dogmas, these included provisions on the unity and trinity of the deity, the Fall and atonement, the resurrection of Christ, the Last Judgment, etc. Gradually, in the course of the intra-church ideological and political struggle, new dogmas were adopted. At the 4th Ecumenical Council, the idea of two natures of Christ - human and divine - was recognized as an immutable truth. In the fight against iconoclasm, the 7th Ecumenical Council (781) adopted the dogma “creed on the veneration of icons.” Then a split occurred and the Orthodox Church did not establish any more constants, while the Catholic Church repeatedly added to the number of Christian dogmas, sometimes by the sole decision of the Pope. Among the new dogmas are the infallibility of the Pope; Catholicism also recognizes the existence of purgatory, the immaculate conception of the Virgin Mary, and some others.
In Protestantism there is no firmly established system of immutable truths. Initially, the dogma of Protestantism was distinguished by the fact that it did not take into account the “sacred tradition”, relying only on the Bible. But since the Bible lends itself to various and often contradictory interpretations, Protestantism created a huge theological literature, the task of which was to introduce some kind of uniformity in the interpretation of the “truths of faith.” Orthodox Protestantism tends to regard the basic tenets of Luther's catechism as dogma.
In Islam, the main dogmas are “the unity of God-Allah, who “neither begot nor was begotten, and there is no one equal to him” and “the prophetic mission of Muhammad, who, by inspiration from above, communicated to the human race the divine revelation recorded in the Koran.”
In Hinduism, the main dogmas can be considered the recognition of the holiness of the Vedas, the inequality of people and the transmigration of souls.
An example of dogmatic thinking
“Of course, in its current situation, Crimea evokes warm sympathy. They blew up two power lines and stopped the supply of current, although they are now repairing these power lines with triple the energy, and by the time this number is signed, there will certainly be electricity in Crimea. Through heroic efforts, Crimeans managed to connect hospitals to autonomous power sources, and in general the situation is returning to normal.”
(Dmitry Bykov: “The true meaning of the verb “hide””, “Interlocutor”, November 25, 2015) (The author’s dogmatism is in the belief that since Ukraine (in his opinion) has taken the path of democracy, it means it cannot bring evil to others. Meanwhile “ the situation returned to normal” not “by the time this number was signed,” but exactly six months later, after electricity began flowing to Crimea from Kuban)
The meaning of the word dogma
more precisely DOGMA-95
a film manifesto of a group of Western authors (the founders are the Danes T. Vinterberg, L. von Trier - at the moment both are working in completely opposite aesthetics), which for some time determined an alternative to the generally accepted creative practice in cinema.
D. is an attempt to confront European cinema of the 1990s with the omnipotence of technology, a dirty gauntlet thrown at individualism that knows no limits. D.'s paradox is that, while hungry for restrictions, she sees the sought-after ideal in forms that are openly disheveled, sloppy, and, at first glance, unappetizing. The “Vow of Chastity” of the ten rules provides, in particular, the denial of makeup, decorations, artificial lighting, special tricks, illusions in general, superimposed music, as well as the participation of movie stars (however, all the rules are constantly and little by little violated). The color and wide format remain intact. “Dogmatists” use a hand-held digital camera, synchronized sound recording, and, like the Soviet Boychuk artists of the 1920s, practice anonymity - although the identity of each of the authors is made public as the film is released; but each of D.'s films receives a serial number. Hence the definition of military action as “a collective, very disciplinary action, in which there is something militaristic” (Trier). Also, “the essence of D. is perfectionism, the pursuit of perfection... doing your job better if there are clear rules hanging over you” (Lone Scherfig, D. participant, author of “Italian for Beginners”, 2001).
None of these points are purely dogmatic, the closest predecessors being Italian neorealism and the French New Wave. Many of the discoveries of Trier and company today have been replicated or creatively rethought by authors who are generally alien to the principles of D. The usual technique of D.’s films is a borderline situation, refracted in a cell of assorted renegades (emigrants, the mentally retarded, simply losers in life), which makes one recall the novels Dostoevsky. A frequent motif is imitation-mutation (“The Last Song of Mifune” by K. G. Jacobsen, 1999 - a Scandinavian version of “life with a fool”), a clownish denunciation of “on the verge of a nervous breakdown”, a hysterical act with almost no consequences, “striptease” human nature" ("The King Lives" by K. Lehring, 2000). D.'s heroes, like their creators, strive to create a split in the prim bourgeois society, where, in the words of one of the heroes of Vinterberg's "Triumph", the floors in the house are washed every day for 50 years - which does not insure its inhabitants from humiliating incest. The mood of D.'s films is chamber, almost intimate, because the scene of action is most often a family fortress, into which a celebration of chaos breaks out.
Post-Soviet cinema was and remains dogmatic - in the traditional sense of the word; the country of “holy simplicity” remains alien to the life-giving process of simplification. It is not surprising that the only director who worked in the USSR, whose works in many ways foreshadow D.’s ideas, Otar Ioseliani, now fits perfectly into the context of Western cinema. Without realizing it, the successors of D.'s work - also due to censorship and limited funds - are Iranian filmmakers (The Color of Cherries by A. Kiarostami).
And although D. is inspired by such different directors as P. Morrissey, M. Figgis, H. Korin, and D. films have practically become an article of Danish export, Western cinema is still moving along the path of increasing artificiality and technical equipment - from the European "Amelie" "to the American "Matrix". D. was a short intermission, a respite before the subsequent increase in speed. However, in the words of Lehring's character in the film, "as long as there is shit, there is hope."
O. Sidor-Gibelinda
SEE: Arthouse, Necrorealism, Parallel Cinema.
Dogma in religion
The title of the article answers the question of what dogma is, however, it probably should be repeated. According to the dictionary, dogma is a position of belief that cannot be proven, but is still not subject to doubt. If anyone was afraid that complex theological casuistry would be used to prove this definition, then the fears are premature. The main dogma of Christianity is that God exists, and he rules the world. Or, for example, Christ had a dual nature. On the one hand, he was God, and on the other, he was a man. This religious dogma allows various figures to conduct interesting debates about whether Christ suffered on the cross. Another immutable dogma of Christianity is that the founder of the doctrine was resurrected. The most famous of the aphorisms that put religious paradoxes into a capacious formula belongs to Tertullian, and it sounds like this: “And the Son of God died: this is indisputable, because it is absurd. And, buried, he rose again: this is certain, for it is impossible.”
Surprisingly, atheists usually use a paraphrase of the saying to expose the inconsistency of the religious worldview, and it sounds like this: “I believe, because it is absurd.” Meanwhile, there is nothing disarming in this, this is the essence of religion. This is the religious answer to the question: “What is dogma?”
Lev Shestov and the experience of “adogmatic thinking”
The domestic existentialist philosopher, quite tired of philosophical dogmatism, decided to write a book that was adogmatic. The appropriate form was chosen: thoughts were written down without any system and only then classified into sections. L. Shestov writes in “The Apotheosis of Groundlessness” (that is the name of the book) about literature, philosophy, science, but the material is invariably refracted through the author’s individual worldview. Needless to say, the Russian thinker did not achieve a consistent apotheosis? It all ended predictably - with a “leap of faith” (A. Camus), in other words, an appeal to God as the alpha and omega of existence.
The last phrase couldn’t come at a better time in discussing the question of what dogma is, for any spiritual search ends either in the discovery of God or in the dogmatization of thinking. A person cannot breathe without general and final conclusions.
Dogma (Kuznetsov)
DOGMA (Greek Δογμα - opinion, decision) is a term of ancient philosophy and Roman law, borrowed by Christian authors from the Septuagint, in which it retained its primary meaning - a commanding decree, state law, military order. The historian Xenophon (V-IV centuries BC) used it in this very meaning. Cicero (1st century BC) called D. generally accepted philosophical and political doctrines. Following him, Origen (3rd century) called D. the teachings of Socrates, Plato and the Stoics. In the biblical books of Esther, Maccabees and the prophet Daniel, D. denotes royal decrees and laws binding on all subjects. Other meanings of this term appear in the New Testament. If in the Gospel of Luke D. is called Caesar's command for a census, then in the epistles of the apostle. Paul to the Ephesians and Colossians - the Mosaic Decalogue. In Acts, D. for the first time began to designate church definitions that have indisputable authority. In the era of early patristics (II-V centuries), dogmas were called: a) divine truths (δογμα Θεἶia), given in revelations, which were opposed to individual opinions, assumptions (δοξα 'm); b) theoretical doctrinal truths in contrast to practical rules of Christian life; c) clear church formulations, definitions of faith (...), with which faith sought to protect itself from false interpretations; d) truths taken on faith by Christians to classify themselves as full members of the church. D. should be distinguished from kerygma. The content of D. is true, eternal and unchangeable. The forms of presentation of this content are D. and kerygma - as linguistic formulations that change over time, adapting to a new linguistic and other situation. In the late antique period, κηῥυγμα was an announcement or publicly announced order. In the New Testament era, kerygma began to mean Christian preaching and came closer to the concept of D. Kerygma at first had an intra-church character and was addressed only to Christians. This function later passed to D. In the Protestant theological system of Rudolf Bultmann (1884-1976), the kerygma is understood as the essence of Christian doctrine, freed in the process of demythologization from layers of fantasy and superstition. In modern language, D. in the broad sense of the word can be called any unproven position that is unconditionally accepted on the basis of faith or an uncritical attitude towards any authority.
Dictionary of philosophical terms. Scientific edition of Professor V.G. Kuznetsova. M., INFRA-M, 2007, p. 143-144.
