The meaning of the word "passionate." Gumilev's passionary theory

The meaning of the word "passionate" is unknown to a wide range of people. However, it often flashes in television programs and some media when it comes to famous personalities or the history of states. Therefore, it is not surprising that a curious person wants to understand what the word “passionate” means. This will help the information presented in this review.

General definition

Considering the meaning of the word “passionary”, it should be noted that this term refers to one of the characteristics of both the human person and the state. Today we will pay the greatest attention to the consideration of personality.

Passionate man as if gnaws from within an irrepressible thirst for activity. It is aimed at fulfilling a goal that it is usually difficult for him not only to control, but also to explain to himself.

It is associated with the ability of such people to receive from the external environment more energy than what he needs to survive - as an individual and a species unit.

Excessive energy by a passionate personality is subconsciously directed to the formation of an internal state of superstress and concentration on some idea.

Death doesn't scare

To understand what “passionary” means, you need to learn that the ideas in question are always aimed at changing the world around us. Although the desire for action is not always conscious, the goals are often illusory.

But for people obsessed with them, they seem more important than their very lives. For the sake of their goals, they are ready to sacrifice it. Sacrifice is the highest manifestation of drive. Such a lack of fear of one's own death for the sake of achieving a goal can be called an anti-instinct.

Origin of the term

The author of the theory of passionarity

The idea that there is a biochemical energy of a living creature that affects the human psyche was expressed by the philosopher and naturalist Vladimir Vernadsky. However, the term “passionarity” itself was introduced into science by the Soviet and Russian scientists Lev Gumilyov in the middle of the last century.

He is one of the key in his writings and was borrowed from Dolores Ibarruri, who was one of the brightest leaders and speakers in the Communist Party of Spain in the 20th century. She was called Passionary, which means "passionate."

An important property of passionate people is their infectiousness. Speaking to the audience, they are able to ignite their will to win, ideas, thoughts. Like, for example, military leaders who stand before the battle. According to Gumilyov’s passionary theory, the worldview, lifestyle, development direction of the groups in which they belong depends on the number of such people.

Personality of passionary

Passionate personalities are of the productive type. These are discoverers, inventors, creators. They contribute to the accumulation of energy and its transformation, rationalization of life. These people are risky, active and entrepreneurial.

Moreover, their level of ability is not necessarily high. And passionarity can be directed both to feats and crimes, both to creativity, and to destruction, both for good and for evil. That's just the indifference here is completely excluded.

Here are illustrative examples of passionaries:

Christopher Columbus
  • Columbus
  • Newton.
  • Joan of Arc.
  • Alexander the Great.
  • Mikhail Lomonosov.
  • Peter I.
  • Hitler
  • Napoleon.
Napoleon Bonaparte

Gumilev scale

For a better understanding of the meaning of the word “passionary” it is advisable to consider the scale presented by Gumilyov. On it, he placed three types of people. Passionaries were at one end, and subpassions were at the other.

The second is people who are unable to receive sufficient energy from the environment. They, in contrast to the passionaries, cannot restrain their instincts, even if they harm them themselves and society. Usually they differ in the conduct of a parasitic and asocial lifestyle. These are opportunists, tramps, criminals, drunkards.

In the middle, between two extremes, are harmonic personalities (harmonics). They have a self-preservation instinct and passionarity balanced.

Reasons for the appearance

Gumilev and Akhmatova

In conclusion, studying the issue of the meaning of the word “passionate”, let's talk about the reasons for the appearance of such people. According to the views of Lev Gumilyov, the level of passionarity of a person is set from birth.

In his opinion, the appearance in a single range of a large number of passionaries is due to the activation of cosmic radiation. Many of his colleagues criticized this position, reproaching the scientist's assumptions with excessive mysticism.

According to Gumilyov’s theory , individuals and entire nations can be passionary . Moreover, the way in which and in which direction social groups are developing, in his opinion, is directly dependent on the number of passionaries that are part of them. And, therefore, from the general level of passionarity that characterizes this ethnic group.

The main work of Lev Nikolayevich Gumilyov is “The Passionary Theory of Ethnogenesis”. In it, he explained the forms of interaction of peoples with each other, their achievements, decline and death by the change of phases of ethnogenesis. The latter refers to the process of forming an ethnic community based on various components.


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