ANCIENT PHILOSOPHERS ABOUT PEACEFULNESS AND HARMONY // BSU bulletin. Philosophy. - 2020. №2. . - С. 54-60.

ANCIENT PHILOSOPHERS ABOUT PEACEFULNESS AND HARMONY

DOI: 10.18101/1994-0866-2020-2-54-60 UDK: 1:17(09)

Social philosophy and ethics have studied tolerance and harmony for centuries. In the early stages of philosophizing, the sophists have only ideas or glimpses of ideas regarding these phenomena. The views on these concepts were formulated in the “golden rule” of morality, in the writings of ancient thinkers in connection with their judgments about the fundamental principles and values of their teachings: humanity, nobleness, justice, friend- liness, etc. Since there was no a term “tolerance” in ancient times, we use the word "peace- fulness" to denote the corresponding phenomenon, because its manifestations attracted the attention of most thinkers of ancientry. Confucius focused on the manifestations of peacefulness, and having discussed also the relations of harmony. Marcus Aurelius, on the contrary, preferred to focus on the phenomenon of harmony. Plato also thought a lot about harmony in society. Aristotle discussed friendship as a part of the semantic field of harmony. Most of these ideas are relevant today.

tolerance; peacefulness; harmony; the “golden rule” of morality; Confucianism; ancient Greek philosophy; benevolence; nobileness; justice; friendliness.