Throughout this semester, the class has been exposed to numerous texts which reference how people interact with the world around them. Many of the texts asserted that an ascetic lifestyle is the best way to live life, since it allows for fewer distractions to interfere with the search for happiness and meaning. Being applied by various people through different means, it has proven to be a fruitful lifestyle since it reveals truth to those who search for it. The role of isolation, asceticism, and solitary nature in humanity’s search for truth is to provide refuge from the distractions of temporal goods.
Before delving into the opinions of the works discussed in class, the definition of truth should be established. According to St. Augustine, …show more content…
They removed themselves from society and lived away from people to gain a deeper connection with their inner self and in turn with God. In the pamphlet received in class concerning the Desert Fathers, the following excerpt supports the beliefs which the Desert Fathers lived by: “Keep silence and do not compare yourself with others” (“The Sayings of the Desert Fathers” 42). This quote also accurately depicts how they regulated themselves: “Keep your attention on yourself” (“The Sayings of the Desert Fathers” 2). Not comparing themselves to others, the Desert Fathers removed themselves from temporal issues. They focus on themselves and lived life in a manner that God would approve. The lived in solidarity in order to gain understanding and to be unaffected by the corrupting influences of temporal, earthly matters. Focusing on the divine, they gained insight into how life should be conducted. The ultimate goal of a solitary life is to “achieve a tranquility of spirit, a balance that would be free from mental disturbance, and lead to a life of prayer that would focus on God, and through God’s grace bring about the sight of God” (Murphy 1-2). Likewise, the Rule of Saint Benedict and The Desert Father have similar views concerning the way in which truth is
Before delving into the opinions of the works discussed in class, the definition of truth should be established. According to St. Augustine, …show more content…
They removed themselves from society and lived away from people to gain a deeper connection with their inner self and in turn with God. In the pamphlet received in class concerning the Desert Fathers, the following excerpt supports the beliefs which the Desert Fathers lived by: “Keep silence and do not compare yourself with others” (“The Sayings of the Desert Fathers” 42). This quote also accurately depicts how they regulated themselves: “Keep your attention on yourself” (“The Sayings of the Desert Fathers” 2). Not comparing themselves to others, the Desert Fathers removed themselves from temporal issues. They focus on themselves and lived life in a manner that God would approve. The lived in solidarity in order to gain understanding and to be unaffected by the corrupting influences of temporal, earthly matters. Focusing on the divine, they gained insight into how life should be conducted. The ultimate goal of a solitary life is to “achieve a tranquility of spirit, a balance that would be free from mental disturbance, and lead to a life of prayer that would focus on God, and through God’s grace bring about the sight of God” (Murphy 1-2). Likewise, the Rule of Saint Benedict and The Desert Father have similar views concerning the way in which truth is