Manichaean

[andrewwai]

How do you intrepret the USA press using the word 'Manichaean' in describing President Bush's campaign stretegy- 'turning every argument into a Manichaean clash of conflicting world views'? Tks, you are doing a

[ursula62]

A Manichaean is a believer in the doctrines of Manes, a Persian of the third century A. D., who taught a dualism in which Light is regarded as the source of Good, and Darkness as the source of Evil.

 

I suspect they mean that Bush's campaign is based on extremes.

[cruthinboy]

Yes, Good v Evil.

[Peter Pedant]

Ni hao Andrew - god I am not surprised that you wondered about this one.

The manichaean had the duality of good and evil but their were equal - abit like yin and yang I suppose.

The orthodox christian view is that evil is not equal to Good (and God), and I am pretty sure there is a heresy which hypes up Evil to be equal to Good in the Christian faith - and history says all those heretics are dead now.

And look at the context: Bush was elected by the fundamentalist Christians in USA and here there is a quote that says he casts his political views in a discredited Christian heretical view point.

Subtle huh?