Manichaeism is the idea based on a religious doctrine which claims to exist the dualism between two opposing principles, normally the good and the bad.
Manichaeism is considered a religious philosophy, founded in Persia by Maniu Machineus, in the third century, being widely disseminated throughout the Roman Empire.
For Manichaeism, the world is divided between good, represented by the “Kingdom of Light”, and evil, symbolized by the “Kingdom of Shadows”, that is, an eternal fight between God and Devil.
For the Manicheans, all material nature is essentially perverse and evil, while goodness is intrinsically present in the spirit and in the spiritual world.
Manichaeism, as a religion, was also formed from syncretism, as Machineus would have mixed characteristics of various doctrines such as Hinduism, Buddhism, Judaism, Christianity and Zoroastrianism (ancient Persian religion) to develop the concept of Manichaeism.
Learn more about meaning of Zoroastrianism.
Due to the dualistic definition that characterizes Manichaeism, by extension this term is also used to adjective
any perspective of the world in which there is a division between opposite and incompatible aspectss.Many people consider the Manichean model too simplistic, as it limits itself to dividing everything in just two opposites: "good and evil", "right and wrong", "cause and effect", "this or that" and etc.
For example, believing that a good person will always be good while a bad person will always be bad is a demonstration of Manichean thinking.
Political Manichaeism
Political Manichaeism is very present in “competitions” between parties and politicians during elections, for example.
It consists in the opposition between the thoughts of political rivals, who seek to “demonize” the opponent's image and “sanctify” their own arguments, even if they occasionally fall into contradictions.
Manichaeism and Christianity
The ideas disseminated by Manichaeism were considered a Christian heresy for Christianity.
One of the main defenders and opponents of Manicheism was Saint Augustine of Hippo, who dedicated himself almost ten years to research and the production of works focused on the Manichean doctrine.
However, after converting permanently to Christianity, he became one of the main opponents of this religious philosophy.
However, some researchers and theologians believe that some of the premises of Manichaeism were carried over into Western Christian thought by Augustine of Hippo.
