The meaning of the word “philistine” is fully disclosed in the works of Hoffmann, the most prominent representative of romanticism. However, after reading the Golden Pot and other books by a German writer, the impression is created that this word is abusive. This has not always been the case. Once philistines called people noble and courageous.
Romance
A philistine is a layman, a philistine, a limited man and a little too down to earth. Opposed to him is a romantic poet. "Philistine" is a word with a negative connotation. But this was only until the 18th century. Philistines philistines inhabit the pages of Hoffmann's tales, depressing musicians and poets with their vulgarity, stupidity and absolute indifference to the blue flower (that is, a dream, daydreaming).
A philistine is a person who feels, thinks in a philistine way. The heroes of the famous German writer are in a desperate struggle with the townsfolk. Those with contempt speak of poets. In the understanding of philistines, romance is crazy, nonsense. Petty bourgeoisie, characterized by a poor imagination and dislike of art, as a phenomenon unnecessary and impractical, appear in the works of Hoffmann as antagonists.
Philistine is a biblical word. Initially, students used it in a negative sense. By the way, they were in the books of the same Hoffmann and were romantics, dreamers, poets, visionaries.
According to Belinsky, the public is a certain group of educated people. The crowd is a collection of philistines. The most accurate Russian analogue of this word is “layman”. Belinsky also said: “As long as there is no courteous word for them in our speech, we will call them (people of philistine views) philistines.” However, today it is rarely used, and only educated people know its meaning.
Philistine
This is a biblical concept. So called the giant-strongman Goliath. The German philologist Friedrich Kaluge devoted a whole scientific work to the concept, the significance of which we consider in this article. So, the "philistine" was formed from the "Philistine." This concept once had an exceptionally positive connotation. The meaning of the word "philistine": a tall, powerful man. Once upon a time, many centuries ago, the so-called warriors who carried a night watch.
Other values
Philistines were also called brave musketeers. At the same time, there is a version that it was thanks to one of them that the word acquired a negative connotation. One soldier once in a drunken stupor shot a student. Since then, the musketeer-philistine has become a symbol of limitation, stupidity, self-confidence, combined with physical strength.
The Brockhaus Encyclopedia says that in southern Germany, the old and wise people were once called so. In a positive sense, Pushkin used this word in the work "Eugene Onegin." He called Vladimir Lensky "a Philistine of Göttingen." True, only in the first version of the novel. In the work that has survived to this day, the word "philistine" is missing.