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Ideal
(1,690 words)

[German Version]

I. Philosophy – II. Ethics

I. Philosophy

The term ideal derives from Lat. idealis, idealiter, first used by Martianus Capella (ad ideam pertinens); from the 13th century on, it was used in two senses: (1) as existing in the Platonic “idea” or “archetypally” in the divine spirit (esse exemplariter), and (2) as existing only as a model in the mind (esse in intellectu).

Systematically, the ideal lies between the poles of ideas and empirical reality. The ideal differs from the universality of ideas inasmuch as it ind…

Cite this page
Mirbach, Dagmar and Herms, Eilert, “Ideal”, in: Religion Past and Present. Consulted online on 19 March 2024 <http://dx.doi.org/10.1163/1877-5888_rpp_COM_10255>
First published online: 2011
First print edition: ISBN: 9789004146662, 2006-2013



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