REFLECTION OF THE AREOPAGITE CONCEPT OF GOOD AND EVIL IN ROMANTICISM AND EARLIER LITERATURE

Abstract

This article examines the reflection of the Areopagitic conception of good and evil in Georgian Romanticism and earlier literature. The study focuses on the philosophical doctrine of Pseudo-Dionysius the Areopagite, according to which good represents absolute perfection and the primordial essence, whereas evil is not an independent substance but rather the result of deviation from and privation of good.

The article analyzes the evolution of this philosophical concept in Georgian literature, beginning with early Christian hagiographic works (The Martyrdom of Shushanik, The Martyrdom of Abo), where evil is represented as an external hostile force. In the 11th century, following Ephrem the Lesser  translation of Areopagitic texts into Georgian, Pseudo-Dionysius doctrine exerted considerable influence on Georgian literary thought. This influence is particularly evident in David the Builder Penitential Hymns and especially in Shota Rustaveli The Knight in the Panther Skin, where the relationship between good and evil assumes an ontological character.

The study also examines the continuity of Areopagitic ideas in Georgian Romanticism, particularly in the works of Nikoloz Baratashvili, Grigol Orbeliani and David Guramishvili. Although Romantic poets may not have been directly familiar with Areopagitic philosophy, their creative works reflect an inertial continuation of this philosophical doctrine, which had been established in Georgian literature during the Renaissance period. For the Romantics, good was associated with national and personal freedom, while deviation from it generated evil forces. This study underscores the significance of Areopagitic doctrine in the formation of Georgian literary tradition and worldview.

 

Keywords: Areopagitic theology; Pseudo-Dionysius the Areopagite; good and evil; Georgian Romanticism; Neoplatonism; Georgian literature.