Flattery – the abuse of language and the poison of mutual relationships. Medieval perspective
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.61827/fp2025a1Keywords:
flattery, lie, deception, falsehood, cunning, volatility, spiritual poisonAbstract
Flattery (from Latin: adulatio), especially in the Middle Ages, was the subject of multiple and insightful analyses, which, despite certain differences in its understanding, unanimously perceived it as a serious moral transgression, destroying interpersonal relationships. Under the influence of these ideas, Dante in The Divine Comedy modified the traditional doctrine of the seven cardinal vices, including flattery among them and proposing severe punishments for sinners who used it. Unfortunately, we live in times when flattery does not meet with an adequate moral assessment, and thus poisons interpersonal relationships, degrading education, politics, and culture. It is therefore worth reaching out to medieval thinkers to realize that this is a truly significant issue from a social point of view.
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