Theses A and B below represent the traditional complementary pair, Optimism and Pessimism, as they apply to human action. Note that, as in all dilogical relationships, the upper two terms, Optimism and Pessimism, are not true antitheses. Their real antitheses are fatalism and humanism, respectively.
Optimism and Pessimism | |
|---|---|
|
A: Optimism: God has given us freedom of action,
and God has given us a mandate to use our powers to act in
the world. We are free to change the world, to make it a
better place, and to reduce suffering and evil. There is
real hope. |
B: Pessimism: We have limited power and we are
not in total control. We cannot trust ourselves alone, but
need to pray for God's help, as we are dependent on God for
success. Humility and gratitude, rest and contemplation are
appropriate. |
|
-B: Humanism: we are not dependent on God; we can
act alone and succeed; Protean man worships the power of
techniques; Apollonian man worships the power of human
wisdom. |
-A: Fatalism: We have no control over what
happens; all things happen by the will of God; suffering is
normative and merely to be accepted with passive
resignation; despair. |