The meaning of the word "dogma" goes back to the ancient Greek language. Translated into Russian, it means "opinion", "decree", "decision". Initially, it referred to resolutions, orders, then - to the position of the dogma, approved by the church, which was declared as an obligatory and unchanging truth, not subject to doubt and criticism. Later it was used in other areas.
Word in dictionary
There it is considered as a book and is interpreted in two ways:
- The system of basic provisions inherent in any doctrine or scientific direction. For example, the dogma of Roman law or the dogma of materialism, religious dogma.
- A statement or statement that admits no objection.
To understand what the word "dogma" means, acquaintance with its origin will help.
Etymology
As mentioned above, it came from the ancient Greek language, where there is a noun δόγΜα. Literally- this is "teaching", "opinion". It is formed from the verb δοκέω, which has such meanings as “to believe”, “to seem”, “to think”. This verb goes back to the Proto-Indo-European form dek, which translates as "to accept".
In some European languages, the word is borrowed from the Latin noun dogma, where it came from ancient Greek. But in Russian it appeared from Greek in antiquity. Etymologists compare the studied lexeme with the Old Russian verb "dogmatisati", meaning "teach", "teach". It comes from the ancient Greek δογΜατίζω, the meaning of which is “to declare”, “to affirm”, “to teach”, “to create dogmas”.
Options for understanding the term
Let's consider how the meaning of the word "dogma" was understood by different authors in different periods.
- Cicero in ancient literature has doctrines that are well known and are perceived as undeniable truths.
- So called some of the conclusions of Socrates and the teachings of Plato, as well as the Stoics.
- Xenophon by this means an order that everyone in the army must unquestioningly obey - from the commander to the simple warrior.
- Herodian sees the term as a decree of the senate binding on the entire Roman people.
- In the Gospel of Luke, this is the command of Caesar to carry out a census in the Roman Empire.
- In the Acts of the Apostles - royal laws.
- In the letters of the Apostle Paul to the Ephesians and the Colossians, the laws of Moses, which hadDivine authority.
Finally, for the first time the word "dogma" in the Book of Acts denotes the definitions of the church, the authority of which must be indisputable for each of its members. Later, the concept of dogma was developed in their writings by the Church Fathers, and the term began to be understood as follows.
Dogmas are indisputable truth given through Divine revelation. In this sense they are called Lord's, Divine. They are contrasted with the products of human thought and personal opinions.
