Translate this page:
Please select your language to translate the article


You can just close the window to don't translate
Library
Your profile

Back to contents

Psychology and Psychotechnics
Reference:

Aristova, E. P. Soul, Body and Material in Writings by Aurelius Ambrosius

Abstract: The author of the article would like to appeal to the sources of Christian interpretation of relations between soul and body and analyze a number of works written by Ambrosius (Saint Ambrose), a famous religious figure of the IVth century BC. According to the author, his works reflect the turn from the ancient philosophy to the Christian world view. Christian denial of the body is usually associated with the Platonic tradition. Nevertheless, a Christian and an ancient philosopher have different views on the world and the place of body and soul in this world. Even though relations between soul and body may look alike, they are explained by different reasons. Ambrosius who used anonymous quotations of Plato and Plotin acquired the image of a ‘Christian neoplatonist’. The author notes that this image creates many doubts so she suggests to view his works not from the point of view of a philologist who only studies general vocabulary but from the point of view of a philosopher whose main goal is to pay attention to peculiarities of Ambrosius’ Christian views and his contradiction to the previous intellectual tradition even if the same terms are used in both. As a result of comparing works written by Ambrosius and Plotin, the researcher finds out quite a number of contradictions that are to be taken into consideration when studying the dependence of Christian Patristics on Neo-Platonism. Ambrosius views the opposition between body and material not as a condition but as a consequence of Adam’s spiritual failure. He views the spiritual failure not as a part of the natural cosmic process but as a catastrophe of the nature. From the point of view of Ambrosius, human soul is not just emanation of transcendental Creator.


Keywords:

body, material, soul, spiritual failure, corporeity, Fathers of the Church, Aurelius Ambrosius, creationism, Neo-Platonism, Plotin.


This article can be downloaded freely in PDF format for reading. Download article


References
1. S. Ambrosii opera/ ed. C. Schenkl. Vienna, 1896. 11. Corpus scriptorium ecclesiasticorum latinorum Vol. XXXII. Pars
2. S. Ambrosii opera / ed. C. Schenkl. Vienna, 1897. 12. Corpus scriptorium ecclesiasticorum latinorum Vol. XXXII. Pars 4. S. Ambrosii opera / ed. C. Schenkl. Vienna, 1902. 13.Courcelle, P. Recherches sur Saint Ambroise. “Vies” anciennes, culture, iconographie / P. Courcelle. Paris : Études Augustiniennes, 1973. 373 p. 14.Hadot, P. Platon et Plotin dans les trios sermons de Saint Ambroise de Milan / P. Hadot // Revue des etudes latines. 1957. ¹ 34. P. 202. 15.Hadot, P. Marius Victorinus. Recherches sur sa vie et ses oeuvres / P. Hadot. Paris: Études Augustiniennes, 1971. 422 p. 16.Madec, G. L’homme intérieur selon St. Ambroise de Milan / G. Madec // Ambroise de Milan XVIe Centenaire de son election épiscopal, Études Augustiniennes. 2005. P. 283. 17.Madec, G. Saint Ambroise et la philosophie / G. Madec. Paris: Études Augustiniennes, 1974. 450 p. 18. Maes B. La loi naturelle selon Ambroise de Milan / B. Maes. Roma: Presses de l’Université Grégorienne, 1967. 219 p. 19.Patrologiae cursus completus. Series Latina T. 16 / ed. J. P. Migne. Paris, 1845. 20.Stevenson J. Creeds, counsils and controversies. Documents illustrating the history of the church AD 337-461 / J. Stevenson; ed. J. Stevenson, W. H. C. Frend. Cambridge: Cambridge University press, 1989. 410 p.
3. V.V. Starovoitov Byl li drevnii grek lichnost'yu? // Psikhologiya i Psikhotekhnika. - 2011. - 2. - C. 8 - 13.
4. V.V. Mal'tseva Filosofiya telesnosti v svete kontseptsii kul'tury vremeni // Filosofiya i kul'tura. - 2012. - 11. - C. 39 - 43.