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Esotericism is knowledge that is specialised or advanced in nature available only to a narrow circle of "enlightened", "initiated" or highly educated people. Esoteric is a word used to describe this kind of specialised knowledge. Some interpretations of esotericism are very broad and include even unconventional and non-scientific belief systems. In contrast exoteric knowledge, is knowledge that is well-known or public.
Etymology Esoteric is an adjective originating in Hellenic Greece; it comes from the Greek esôterikos, from esôtero, the comparative form of esô: "within". Esoteric refers to anything that is inner. Its antonym is exoteric, from the Greek eksôterikos, from eksôtero, the comparative form of eksô: "outside". Plato, in his dialogue Alcibíades (circa 390 BC), uses the expression ta esô meaning «the inner things», and in his dialogue Theaetetus (circa 360 BC) he uses ta eksô meaning «the outside things». The probable first appearance of the Greek adjective esôterikos is in Lucian of Samosata's "The Auction of Lives", § 26 (also called "The Auction of the Philosophical Schools"), written around AD 166. * The term esoteric first appeared in English in the 1701 History of Philosophy by Thomas Stanley, in his description of the "Auditors of Pythagoras." The Pythagoreans were divided into "exoteric," which were under review, and "esoteric," which had performed well enough to be admitted into the "inner" circle. "Esotericism" in current usage In Western, English-speaking societies today, the term "esotericism" has come to informally mean any knowledge that is difficult to understand or remember, such as theoretical physics, or that pertains to the minutiae of a particular discipline, such as "esoteric" baseball statistics. The term "esoteric" does not necessarily refer to "esotericism" per se in the sense of "inner" knowledge, disciplines, or practices. Some present-day teachings choose to term themselves as forms of "esotericism" due to their focus on the "inner" aspects of experience (such as self-transformation) or the "inner" meanings of religious texts (such as Esoteric Christianity and "the Work" of G.I. Gurdjieff). A variety of past traditions could be classified as forms of "esotericism" due to their similar "inner" focus as well as their "selective" and "secretive" nature. Nuances Esotericism largely overlaps with "hidden knowledge." Some overlap exists as well between esotericism and mysticism. However, many mystical traditions do not attempt to introduce additional spiritual knowledge, but rather seek to focus the believer's attention or prayers more strongly upon the object of devotion. A mystic is thus not necessarily an esotericist. Scope "Esotericism" sometimes suggests an additional element of initiation, for example the requirement that one be tested before learning the higher truth. Note however that most "esoteric" teachings are widely available, and indeed often actively promoted. Another possibility is that such knowledge may be kept secret not by the intention of its protectors, but by its very nature—for example, if it is accessible only to those with the proper intellectual background. The religiously minded have sometimes used "esotericism" to refer to their belief-systems. For this reason a brief survey of some religious traditions follows. This is not necessarily the meaning of esotericism. Academic esotericism constitutes the modern academic disciplines - looked at in separate articles under the relevant headings. Historical sketch of religious ideas Esotericism is not a single tradition but a vast array of often unrelated figures and movements. Nevertheless, the following may be helpful. The Roman Empire gave birth not only to Christianity but also to a group of mystery religions which emphasized initiation. Some see Christianity, with its initiation ritual of baptism, as a mystery religion. After Christianity became the state religion of Rome, dissident Christian groups became persecuted as traitors to the state. Also, pagan groups came to be suppressed as well. The terms "Gnosticism" and "Gnosis" have been challenged as coherent categories, but refer to a family of ancient Jewish, Christian, and pagan religious movements which often did claim to possess secret teachings relating to the spirit world, as opposed to the ordinary world which they tended to denigrate. Another important movement from the ancient world was Hermeticism, sometimes called Hermetism to distinguish it from post-Renaissance appropriations of it. Separately, ancient Babylon provided the basis for Western astrology. During the Middle Ages such things as astrology, alchemy, and magic were not distinct from the standard subjects of the curriculum of an educated man. While some people assume esotericism to be opposed to the Bible or Christianity, as a historical matter this tension did not arise until later. Indeed, Christianity contributed its own esoteric imagery, notably the Holy Grail from Arthurian literature. While many esoteric subjects have a history reaching back thousands of years, these have generally not survived as continuous traditions. Rather, they have benefited from various antiquarian revival movements. During the Italian Renaissance, for example, translators such as Ficino and Pico della Mirandola turned their attention to the classical literature of neo-Platonism, and what was thought to be the pre-Mosaic tradition of Hermeticism. Rudolf Steiner, the founder of anthroposophy, spoke of a disagreement between esotericists at the close of the 19th century; one branch wanted to open up esoteric knowledge to the general public, while another group wished to maintain secrecy. Steiner himself stood in the lineage of those who wanted to make the esoteric an accepted part of mainstream culture. His first books, written in the 19th century, avoided any reference to esoteric themes, but he saw the 20th century as the dawn of a new age, when spirituality would be increasingly central to human development. Thus, he began to publish works such as 'Theosophy' and 'Occult Science' and to lecture on esoteric themes both to select audiences (members of the Anthroposophical Society or of his own esoteric school) and to the general public. All but the most esoteric of these lectures were already being published during his lifetime, and in the last decades even the most esoteric material has been made available by the Rudolf Steiner Archive and Press, in accordance with Steiner's wishes. Perhaps the most important twentieth-century development was a certain psychological turn, in which esoteric subjects acquired new subjective interpretations more in accord with prevailing scientific opinion. See also Notes | ||||||||
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