Koncepcje zdrowia i choroby w starożytnej kulturze klasycznej i w ujęciu biblijnym. Próba porównania

Abstract

In the ancient classical-pagan culture (Greece and Rome) existed conviction, that the illness acts from the patient somebody devoid reason (phroneisis), and unable to treat the moral decisions. Only the healthy and beautiful man (kalos) can be good (agathos). ”Kalos” was used to mark the moral virtue. “Agatos” marked the virtue of the physical health. In ancient Greece becomes visible gradual leaving from the magicreligious idea of disease and the health. Medical schools sought in the nature the reasons of the pathological states of the organism. Depending on the idea of “arche”, the state of health or disease dependes or from the system of atoms, or from the state of equilibrium between different qualities, or from the local disturbances in the organism, or from the influence of externa factors on the state of “humours” in the organism (secreta or vital powers). In ancient Rom the idea of the health and the disease, along the development of the medical knowledge and with more and more strong receipts of the greek’s culture, followed the retreat from the magic interpretation. One suspected the reasons of disease in natural factors and in the modus vivendi of the patient (especially in his customs). One sought also reasons of pathology in the physiological occurrences, basing on the humoral theory. The health was comprehended as the state of physiological equilibrium of the organism. The health was relative to good customs of the patient and profitable factors of the external environment. For Christianity, the sick is not somebody devoid of moral virtues, how this was seen in the ancient Greek and Roman. The sick is the man who needs cures on spiritual and physical level. The disease is not an effect of the anger of gods (from this idea was yet liberated the Greek and Roman medicine), but is relative to natural factors and bad customs of the patient. The biblical view improved this idea evidencing, that an efficient reason of every evil on earth is Satan, who can use the nature against the man. How long the man stays under the sin, so long the pathology touches him – body and soul. Whole man is ill, as the spiritual-physical unity.