From the Paper
"The cliche that art's beauty is in the eyes of the beholder is clearly demonstrated in the opposite views held by St. Bernard of Clairvaux, the most eloquent among the enemies of Romanesque art versus Suger, the abbot of St. Denis, who favored increasing ornamentation in the construction and maintenance of the churches. These two men clearly demonstrate the differences and incompatibilities between the ascetics and the clergy who favored greater luxuriousness.
Given the time frame in which St. Bernard and Abbot Suger lived and worshiped, there are powerful arguments to be made for both sides. On the side of the ascetic view, when St. Bernard quotes a pagan as asking "what doeth this gold in the sanctuary?" - he is clearly signifying that worship of God and.."

From the Paper
"This research paper evaluates the importance of Sufism in the religion, society and politics of Islamic western Asia during the 12th through the 17th centuries. Sufism represented the tradition of Islamic asceticism and mysticism, the spiritual and intellectual foundations of which first developed in the 7th century and were firmly laid in the later years of the Abbasid caliphate (750-1258). During the period of political disunity which followed the disintegration of the great Arab empire, the Sufi brotherhoods played a significant role in the Islamicization of that empire and its conquerors and successors. Through its teachings and practices, Sufism became an important catalyst for the extension of Islam at all levels, especially in the conversion of infidels and the establishment of Muslim culture at..."

Abstract
The paper opens by contrasting Nietzsche's view that strength bestows morality with Gandhi's view that self-denial and forbearance are the foundations of morality. The author examines texts written by Gandhi and Nietzsche to reveal further differences between them. These differences include: truth, absolute truth and ascetic ideals. The author concludes that the reality may lie somewhere between the two.

From the Paper
"The issue of the ascetic ideal is addressed by both in these two works, though--as might be expected--in vastly different ways. Nietzsche addresses this very human phenomenon, which can be seen as a natural outgrowth of the so-called "slave morality" that Nietzsche asserts so dominates modern man's life, much more explicitly than does Gandhi, addressing the last of the three essays in Of the Genealogy of Morals specifically to determining the meaning of ascetic ideals. He uses Richard Wagner as an entrance to this topic; specifically, Nietzsche is intrigued by the composers late-life chastity, and muses on its possible causes and/or meanings. After an involved discussion first of the non-existence of some of the oppositions we take for granted, such as that between chastity and sensuality, he goes on to say that even if such opposition did exist that choosing only one side of things (especially chastity) would be boring--it is the opposition that makes life interesting (Nietzsche, sec. 2).
"For Nietzsche, then, ascetic ideals is essentially meaningless: "in the case of an artist, ... [they mean] absolutely nothing!...Or they means so many things, that they amount to nothing at all!" (Nietzsche, sec. 5). His major problem with the logic of the ascetic ideal seems to be that it rejects everything outside the body as unimportant, but then places a major emphasis on refraining from these unimportant things. Nietzsche sees ascetic ideals as a way for the power structure to continue to control people and to have the people think that it is good without even realizing that they are being controlled. Furthermore, he suggests that ascetic ideals are also nihilistic (Nietzsche, sec. 26). Though his rhetoric is often as emotional as it is logical--and sometimes more so--Nietzsche finds a way to dismantle any concept of ascetics as moral."

Tags:morality, passive resistance, ascetics truth

Abstract
This paper explains that Nietzsche's work, "The Genealogy of Morals", questions and evaluates the value of moral judgments according to a genealogical method, which in turn investigates the origins and meanings of various moral concepts. The paper further explains that "The Genealogy of Morals" discusses ascetic ideals or asceticism, a force that dominates modern thinking and life, and that Nietzsche views this as the expression of a weak and sick will that is unable to cope with its own struggle against itself.

From the Paper
"The ascetic priest, Nietzsche writes, is the person who modifies the direction of resentment. While every suffering person instinctively look for the cause or agent of his suffering. The ascetic priest seeks living persons on whom he can unload his feelings in order to obtain relief from his mountains of resentment, revenge and similar torments. It his instinct to strike back as a merely reactive and protective measure or reflex .He needs them for emotional release and he must pretend utterly in order to produce it. He passes his guilt and vileness to others, assaults their past and present, look for what is dark and painful in these in indicating what needs to be healed. Finding cause, he blames it on others and thus keeps them forever bound to their guilt and to their need for his control (Nietzsche)."

Tags:asceticism, abnegating, priest

Abstract
The paper discusses how Shamanism is a term that, although often misunderstood or misinterpreted, is generally accepted by anthropologists as designating a social practice that has existed in human societies for millennia. The word "shaman" has its roots in the language of the Tungus-Turkic tribes populating what is today Siberia and Mongolia. It is important to note that "shaman" has no connection with the English word "man" and is thus gender neutral, with the plural of "shaman" being "shamans." However, the paper notes that the word has been connected linguistically with the Chinese "sha men", which has its roots in the Sanskrit "sramaa" meaning Buddhist ascetic.

Tags:shaman, healing, tribal

Abstract
This paper explains that Max Weber's "The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism", just 150 pages, has been his most influential words. The author points out that, in this breakthrough study, Weber analyzed the relationship between the spirit of abstinence and self-denial that was at the core of ascetic Protestantism and emergent spirit of industrial capitalism. The paper relates that Weber argued that the modern capitalistic spirit was drawn in large part from the intellectual and cultural background of religious creeds, particularly Calvinism. The author underscores that Weber thought that Calvinism produced a mindset suited for involvement and success in business ventures.

From the Paper
"Weber observed that capitalism imposed the "calling" on the modern worker, while Protestantism induced it form the medieval worshiper. Asceticism helped to create the "tremendous cosmos of the modern economic order." Today, this mechanistic capitalist order dictates the lives that people live. Their attachment to material goods has become "an iron cage." Goods control the individual. At the same time, the spirit of religious asceticism has been lost. It "has escaped from the cage." Whether this was a final escape or not Weber cold not say."

Tags:breakthrough, calvinism, capitalism, labor, imagery

Abstract
Analysis of the theme of the ascetic priest in Nietzsche's "Twilight of the Idols" and "The Anti-Christ", two works of criticism against the Judeo-Christian moral system. The paper also examines his views on science and the "will to truth."

Abstract
In "The Awakening", Kate Chopin discusses the legitimacy of hope that human beings' sense of compassion can be extended to Edna Pontellier?s ascetic search for liberation and self-realization. The paper discusses how Edna ? a wife, a mother, but primarily a woman ? goes through a series of transformations in which the images of the sea play a crucial role. The paper shows how the sea?s potent promises of the infinite and its music of eternity capture Edna?s soul at Grand Isle, leading the way to future struggles between her inner truth and the aggression of her surroundings, ultimately culminating in Edna?s triumphant fall at the settling of the accounts.

From the Paper
"The word "swell" indicates the expansion as a result of Edna's internal pressure to remain seemingly unchanged on the surface, while her entire world falls apart as a result of changing consciousness. Vastness of the sea is the only thing left ?unbroken,? offering unthreatened constancy and support for Edna. So reliable was the appearance of the sea that it allows her to free herself for the first time, and swim fearlessly into the night. It is obvious that the sea has gotten a firm hold of her at this point, and is dragging her further into contemplation of her own existence. The ?billows,? as smooth wavelets are identified with serpents, indicating temptation of Biblical proportions, setting the scene in a modern time Eden, and alluding to the forces of treacherous, subtle sin. The important difference from the original sin is that the "serpents" are white, carrying the message of purity and spirituality, thus preparing Edna to face not death, but new life."

Tags:felix, culpa

Abstract
Nietzsche's philosophy is as misunderstood as it is prestigious. This paper traces Nietzsche's steps carefully, to find where his conception of both the apocolyptic "last man" and the glorious "overman" spring from. This is accomplished through an analytic investigation of Nietzsche's reaction to Utilitarianism, touching on the ascetic ideal, transcendence, ressentiment, slave and master moralities, bad conscience and Nietzsche's "value-judgement" epistemology.

From the Paper
"It is no secret that Nietzsche's primary goal in his philosophy was to allow for a revaluation of all values. This was not a task Nietzsche took lightly, and even a quick skim through his works reveal the depth of Nietzsche's critique of alternate moral systems, with their binary oppositions of good and evil. One such system was Utilitarianism. Utilitarianism had its strongest support within Britain, and Nietzsche's criticism came from three main perspectives. 1) That Utilitarianism was equivalent to a negation of life and as such, 2) that Utilitarianism provided a poor "instruction manual" to interpreting human history. Finally, Nietzsche amalgamates these two perspectives into 3) an argument that Utilitarianism is a subversion of mankind in general, and as such it, and theories of its type, is leading to a Dystopian state of affairs for the end of history or Nietzsche's "last man". Following from this examination of Utilitarianism, we will direct our attention to Nietzsche's more general critique of antithetical moral values. What is unusual about this critique is the constant focus Nietzsche holds for cultural relevance; Nietzsche's Beyond Good and Evil is subtitled "Prelude to a Philosophy of the Future". The critique of antithetical values, ascetic ideals and slave moralities is not a conceptual hill to climb; it is the very issue that will decide the future of mankind. This fascinating and innovative interpretation poses a challenge to "modern sensibility"; as Nietzsche suggests an alternative moral paradigm and attitude towards existence that must be explored. Therefore, to conclude the essay, I will discuss Nietzsche's response to Utilitarianism (and Platonic/Christian thought) in the context of Nietzsche's positive morality, "Beyond Good and Evil"."

Tags:philosophy, self, psychology, value, judge, man

Abstract
This paper examines how "The Aeneid" by Virgil and "The Life of St. Daniel the Stylite" are both works concerning heroes of their respective times. It looks at how Aeneas, emerging from the time of Rome, is portrayed as the ideal of the Roman epic hero, whereas St. Daniel shows his tenacity as a Christian ascetic. It also explores how both these heroes exemplify the ideals incorporated in each paradigm and, as such, fill an essential need in their respective cultures.

From the Paper
"The purpose of Aeneas' journey then is to found a new city, which is Rome. When meeting Dido, the queen of Carthage, he remains with her for a period. They become lovers, and Aeneas is temporarily distracted from his purpose by the pleasures of the flesh. However, upon a reminder of the gods, he does not hesitate to resume his quest. When his purpose is fulfilled, Aeneas has permanently lost what he has sacrificed, because Dido committed suicide. Thus, while some spiritual guidance is embedded in his journey, Aeneas' story concerns the physical realm. He gives up the physical to pursue a greater, but still physical, goal."

Tags:aeneas, dido, carthage, rome, christianity