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{{Short description|Ancient Greek concept of spiritedness}} |
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'''''Thumos''''' (also commonly spelled "thymos") ({{lang-el|θυμός}}) is a Greek word expressing the concept of "[[spiritedness]]" (as in "spirited stallion" or "spirited debate"). The word indicates a physical association with breath or blood. The word is also used to express the human desire for recognition. |
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{{italics title}} |
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'''''Thumos''''', also spelled '''''Thymos''''' ({{langx|grc|θυμός}}), is the [[Ancient Greece|Ancient Greek]] concept of {{Gloss|spiritedness}} (as in "a spirited stallion" or "spirited debate").<ref>{{cite book |last1=Jorgenseon |first1=Chad |title=The Embodied Soul in Plato's Later Thought |date=2018 |publisher=Cambridge University Press |pages=6-38 |ISBN= |
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9781316795651 |doi=10.1017/9781316795651.003 |url=https://doi.org/10.1017/9781316795651.003 }}</ref> The word indicates a physical association with breath or blood and is also used to express the human desire for recognition. It is not a [[Somatics|somatic]] feeling, as nausea and dizziness are. |
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==History== |
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Today in Greece thymos means simply "anger". |
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===Homer=== |
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In [[Homer]]'s works, ''thumos'' was used to denote emotions, desire, or an internal urge. ''Thumos'' was a permanent possession of living man, to which his thinking and feeling belonged. When a Homeric hero is under emotional stress he may externalize his ''thumos'', conversing with it or scolding it [http://xtf.lib.virginia.edu/xtf/view?docId=DicHist/uvaGenText/tei/DicHist4.xml;chunk.id=dv4-01]. |
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In [[Homer]]'s works, ''thumos'' was used to denote emotions, desire, or an internal urge. ''Thumos'' was a permanent possession of living man, to which his thinking and feeling belonged. When a Homeric hero is under emotional stress, he may externalize his ''thumos'' and converse with or scold it.<ref name=dictionary>Long, A. A. Psychological Ideas in Antiquity. In: ''Dictionary of the History of Ideas''. 1973-74 [2003]. [http://xtf.lib.virginia.edu/xtf/view?docId=DicHist/uvaGenText/tei/DicHist4.xml;chunk.id=dv4-01 link].</ref> [[Achilles]], in the ''[[Iliad]]'', cares for his own honour; he keeps gods and deities in his heart; "...the thunderous lord of [[Hera]] might grant you the winning of glory, you must not set your mind on fighting the [[Troy|Trojans]], whose delight is in battle, without me. So you will diminish my honour (thumos)."<ref>{{cite book |last1=Homer |title=The Iliad (Wordsworth Classics) |date=2003 |publisher=Wordsworth Classics |location=Ware, Hertfordshire: England |isbn=978-1853262425 |edition= New }}</ref> |
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=== Democritus === |
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| ⚫ | [[Plato]]'s ''[[Phaedrus (dialogue)|Phaedrus]]'' and his later work ''[[The Republic (Plato)|The Republic]]'' discuss ''thumos'' as one of the three constituent parts of the human [[Psyche (psychology)|psyche]]. In the ''Phaedrus'', Plato depicts ''logos'' as a charioteer driving the two horses ''eros'' and ''thumos'' ( |
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[[Democritus]] used "[[Euthymia (philosophy)|euthymia]]" (i.e. "good thumos") to refer to a condition in which the soul lives calmly and steadily, being disturbed by no fear, superstition, or other [[Passions (philosophy)|passions]]. For Democritus euthymia was one of the root aspects of the goal of human life. |
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=== Plato === |
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== Megalothymia and isothymia == |
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| ⚫ | [[Plato]]'s ''[[Phaedrus (dialogue)|Phaedrus]]'' and his later work ''[[The Republic (Plato)|The Republic]]'' discuss ''thumos'' as one of the three constituent parts of the human [[Psyche (psychology)|psyche]]. In the ''Phaedrus'', Plato depicts ''logos'' as a charioteer driving the two horses ''[[Eros (concept)|eros]]'' and ''thumos'' (erotic love and spiritedness are to be guided by logos). In the ''Republic'' (Book IV) soul becomes divided into (See [[Plato's theory of soul#The tripartite soul|Plato's tripartite theory of soul]]):<ref name=dictionary/> |
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Megalothymia refers to the need to be recognized as superior to others, while isothymia is the need to be recognized as merely equal to others. |
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* ''[[nous]]'' ("[[intellect]]", "[[reason]]"), which is or should be the controlling part which subjugates the appetites with the help of ''thumos''. |
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* ''thumos'' ("[[Passion (emotion)|passion]]"), the emotional element in virtue of which we [[Feeling|feel]] joy, amusement, etc. (''the Republic'' IV, 439e); |
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* ''epithumia'' ("[[Appetition|appetite]]", "[[affection]]"), to which are ascribed bodily [[desire]]s; |
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Plato suggested we have three parts of our soul, which in combination makes us better in our destined vocation, and is a hidden basis for developing our [[innate ideas]]. Thumos may draw from this to strengthen man with our reasoning, this tripartite division is as follows: |
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# Reason (thoughts, reflections, questioning) |
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# Spiritedness (ego, glory, honor) and |
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# Desires (natural e.g. food, drink, sex vs unnatural e.g. money, power). |
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== |
== Contemporary views == |
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=== ''Thymos'' and democracy: megalothymia and isothymia=== |
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In his book '' |
"Megalothymia" refers to the need to be recognized as superior to others, while "isothymia" is the need to be recognized as merely equal to others. Both terms are [[neoclassical compounds]], coined by [[Francis Fukuyama]]. In his book ''[[The End of History and the Last Man]]'', Fukuyama mentions "thymos" in relation to [[liberal democracy]] and recognition. He relates Socrates' ideas about ''Thymos'' and desire to how people want to be recognized within their government. Problems emerge when other people do not recognize another's ''Thymos'', and therefore do not provide the justice that it requires. In order for people to exist in harmony, Fukuyama argues, ''isothymia'' rather than ''megalothymia'' must be used to satisfy the human need for recognition. Any system that creates political inequality is necessarily feeding the ''megalothymia'' of some members while denying it to others. Fukuyama explains how ''Thymos'' relates to history with the example of anti-communism in relation to the Soviet Union, Eastern Europe, and China. He states, "We cannot understand the totality of the revolutionary phenomenon unless we appreciate the working of thymotic anger and the demand for recognition that accompanied communism's economic crisis."<ref>Fukuyama, Francis. ''The End of History and the Last Man''. Francis Fukuyama 2006: New York, NY.</ref> |
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=== In medicine === |
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[[Hyperthymia]], [[dysthymia]], [[cyclothymia]], and [[euthymia (medicine)]] are mental/behavioral conditions in modern psychology. |
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* In [[Miguel de Cervantes]]'s [[Don Quixote]] the knight has been described as driven by a spirited thymos or anger when his sense of self-worth is denigrated. He only recovers balance, a sense of justice, when he comes to abide among the Saracens. <ref> [[Frederick A. de Armas]], ''Don Quixote among the Saracens: A Clash of Civilizations and Literary Genres''. University of Toronto Press, 2011, pp. 162 ff. </ref> |
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* ''Thumos'' is the name of an American progressive doom/post-metal band whose music is based on the works of Plato [https://www.metal-archives.com/bands/Thumos/3540487991]. |
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== See also == |
== See also == |
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*''[[Amour-propre]]'' |
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* ''[[Manliness (book)|Manliness]]'', a book by [[Harvey Mansfield]] (he discusses "thumos" in his 2007 [[Jefferson Lecture]] as well [http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/05/08/AR2007050802282.html]) |
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* [[Motivation]] |
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* [[Passion (emotion)|Passion]] |
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* [[Urge (disambiguation)|Urge]] |
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* [[Will (philosophy)|Will]]: the conscious mental act that produces physical results. |
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* [[Will to power]] |
* [[Will to power]] |
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== References == |
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*Christopher A. Faraone, "''Thumos'' as Masculine Ideal and Social Pathology in Ancient Greek Magical Spells," in ''Ancient Anger: Perspectives from Homer to Galen'', edited by Susanna Braund and Glenn W. Most (Cambridge University Press, 2003), [http://books.google.com/books?id=BjiyQotMb0YC&pg=RA1-PA144&dq=%22spells+for+restraining+anger%22+intitle:Ancient+intitle:Anger&lr=&as_brr=0 limited preview]. |
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*[http://cigars-chocolateale.blogspot.com/2006/01/book-review-i.html A review of Fukuyama's book, including his use of the concept of thymos in his argument.] |
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*[http://faculty.arts.ubc.ca/tiberg/Poli390-Week6-BR/Anna-Fukuyama.htm An essay about The End of History that describes megalothymia and isothymia.] |
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[[Category: |
[[Category:Concepts in ancient Greek philosophy of mind]] |
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[[Category:Platonism]] |
[[Category:Platonism]] |
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[[Category:Mental states]] |
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[[Category:Words and phrases with no direct English translation]] |
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Latest revision as of 16:52, 28 November 2024
Thumos, also spelled Thymos (Ancient Greek: θυμός), is the Ancient Greek concept of 'spiritedness' (as in "a spirited stallion" or "spirited debate").[1] The word indicates a physical association with breath or blood and is also used to express the human desire for recognition. It is not a somatic feeling, as nausea and dizziness are.
History
[edit]Homer
[edit]In Homer's works, thumos was used to denote emotions, desire, or an internal urge. Thumos was a permanent possession of living man, to which his thinking and feeling belonged. When a Homeric hero is under emotional stress, he may externalize his thumos and converse with or scold it.[2] Achilles, in the Iliad, cares for his own honour; he keeps gods and deities in his heart; "...the thunderous lord of Hera might grant you the winning of glory, you must not set your mind on fighting the Trojans, whose delight is in battle, without me. So you will diminish my honour (thumos)."[3]
Democritus
[edit]Democritus used "euthymia" (i.e. "good thumos") to refer to a condition in which the soul lives calmly and steadily, being disturbed by no fear, superstition, or other passions. For Democritus euthymia was one of the root aspects of the goal of human life.
Plato
[edit]Plato's Phaedrus and his later work The Republic discuss thumos as one of the three constituent parts of the human psyche. In the Phaedrus, Plato depicts logos as a charioteer driving the two horses eros and thumos (erotic love and spiritedness are to be guided by logos). In the Republic (Book IV) soul becomes divided into (See Plato's tripartite theory of soul):[2]
- nous ("intellect", "reason"), which is or should be the controlling part which subjugates the appetites with the help of thumos.
- thumos ("passion"), the emotional element in virtue of which we feel joy, amusement, etc. (the Republic IV, 439e);
- epithumia ("appetite", "affection"), to which are ascribed bodily desires;
Plato suggested we have three parts of our soul, which in combination makes us better in our destined vocation, and is a hidden basis for developing our innate ideas. Thumos may draw from this to strengthen man with our reasoning, this tripartite division is as follows:
- Reason (thoughts, reflections, questioning)
- Spiritedness (ego, glory, honor) and
- Desires (natural e.g. food, drink, sex vs unnatural e.g. money, power).
Contemporary views
[edit]Thymos and democracy: megalothymia and isothymia
[edit]"Megalothymia" refers to the need to be recognized as superior to others, while "isothymia" is the need to be recognized as merely equal to others. Both terms are neoclassical compounds, coined by Francis Fukuyama. In his book The End of History and the Last Man, Fukuyama mentions "thymos" in relation to liberal democracy and recognition. He relates Socrates' ideas about Thymos and desire to how people want to be recognized within their government. Problems emerge when other people do not recognize another's Thymos, and therefore do not provide the justice that it requires. In order for people to exist in harmony, Fukuyama argues, isothymia rather than megalothymia must be used to satisfy the human need for recognition. Any system that creates political inequality is necessarily feeding the megalothymia of some members while denying it to others. Fukuyama explains how Thymos relates to history with the example of anti-communism in relation to the Soviet Union, Eastern Europe, and China. He states, "We cannot understand the totality of the revolutionary phenomenon unless we appreciate the working of thymotic anger and the demand for recognition that accompanied communism's economic crisis."[4]
In medicine
[edit]Hyperthymia, dysthymia, cyclothymia, and euthymia (medicine) are mental/behavioral conditions in modern psychology.
Cultural references
[edit]- In Miguel de Cervantes's Don Quixote the knight has been described as driven by a spirited thymos or anger when his sense of self-worth is denigrated. He only recovers balance, a sense of justice, when he comes to abide among the Saracens. [5]
- The Phi Theta Kappa honor society took the letter theta for thumos, representing the "aspiration" that they seek in their potential members.
- Thymos is the name of an academic Journal of Boyhood Studies [1].
- Thumos is the name of an American progressive doom/post-metal band whose music is based on the works of Plato [2].
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ Jorgenseon, Chad (2018). The Embodied Soul in Plato's Later Thought. Cambridge University Press. pp. 6–38. doi:10.1017/9781316795651.003. ISBN 9781316795651.
- ^ a b Long, A. A. Psychological Ideas in Antiquity. In: Dictionary of the History of Ideas. 1973-74 [2003]. link.
- ^ Homer (2003). The Iliad (Wordsworth Classics) (New ed.). Ware, Hertfordshire: England: Wordsworth Classics. ISBN 978-1853262425.
- ^ Fukuyama, Francis. The End of History and the Last Man. Francis Fukuyama 2006: New York, NY.
- ^ Frederick A. de Armas, Don Quixote among the Saracens: A Clash of Civilizations and Literary Genres. University of Toronto Press, 2011, pp. 162 ff.