What does demiurge mean?
Definitions for demiurge
ˈdɛm iˌɜrdʒdemi·urge
This dictionary definitions page includes all the possible meanings, example usage and translations of the word demiurge.
Princeton's WordNet
demiurgenoun
a subordinate deity, in some philosophies the creator of the universe
Wiktionary
demiurgenoun
Something (as an institution, idea, or individual) conceived as an autonomous creative force or decisive power.
that too was a gain in spiritual balance, provided the machine was not conceived as a demiurge that ruled all other human needs Lewis Mumford
Demiurgenoun
The subordinate being that fashions the perceptible world in the light of eternal ideas.
Demiurgenoun
A prideful, inferior being that creates the material world; frequently identified with the creator God of the Hebrew Bible.
Etymology: From Δημιουργός.
Wikipedia
Demiurge
In the Platonic, Neopythagorean, Middle Platonic, and Neoplatonic schools of philosophy, the demiurge () is an artisan-like figure responsible for fashioning and maintaining the physical universe. The Gnostics adopted the term demiurge. Although a fashioner, the demiurge is not necessarily the same as the Creator figure in the monotheistic sense, because the demiurge itself and the material from which the demiurge fashions the universe are both considered consequences of something else. Depending on the system, they may be considered either uncreated and eternal or the product of some other entity. The word demiurge is an English word derived from demiurgus, a Latinised form of the Greek δημιουργός or dēmiurgós. It was originally a common noun meaning "craftsman" or "artisan", but gradually came to mean "producer", and eventually "creator". The philosophical usage and the proper noun derive from Plato's Timaeus, written c. 360 BC, where the demiurge is presented as the creator of the universe. The demiurge is also described as a creator in the Platonic (c. 310–90 BC) and Middle Platonic (c. 90 BC–AD 300) philosophical traditions. In the various branches of the Neoplatonic school (third century onwards), the demiurge is the fashioner of the real, perceptible world after the model of the Ideas, but (in most Neoplatonic systems) is still not itself "the One". In the arch-dualist ideology of the various Gnostic systems, the material universe is evil, while the non-material world is good. According to some strains of Gnosticism, the demiurge is malevolent, as it is linked to the material world. In others, including the teaching of Valentinus, the demiurge is simply ignorant or misguided.
ChatGPT
demiurge
A demiurge is a philosophical concept often used in Platonic and Gnostic philosophies to refer to a powerful deity, craftsman or being responsible for the creation of the universe and everything in it. This being is not necessarily seen as the supreme divine power, but rather as an artisan-like figure working on materials to shape the physical world. The concept varies greatly in different philosophical and religious contexts.
Webster Dictionary
Demiurgenoun
the chief magistrate in some of the Greek states
Demiurgenoun
god, as the Maker of the world
Demiurgenoun
according to the Gnostics, an agent or one employed by the Supreme Being to create the material universe and man
Etymology: [Gr. dhmioyrgo`s a worker for the people, a workman, especially the maker of the world, the Creator; dh`mios belonging to the people (fr. dh^mos the people) + 'e`rgon a work.]
Wikidata
Demiurge
The demiurge is a concept from the Platonic, Neopythagorean, Middle Platonic, and Neoplatonic schools of philosophy for an artisan-like figure responsible for the fashioning and maintenance of the physical universe. The term was subsequently adopted by the Gnostics. Although a fashioner, the demiurge is not necessarily thought of as being the same as the creator figure in the familiar monotheistic sense, because both the demiurge itself plus the material from which the demiurge fashions the universe are considered either uncreated and eternal, or the product of some other being, depending on the system. In Gnosticism the Demiurge, creator of the material world, was not God but the Archon. The word "demiurge" is an English word from a Latinized form of the Greek δημιουργός, dēmiourgos, literally "public worker", and which was originally a common noun meaning "craftsman" or "artisan", but gradually it came to mean "producer" and eventually "creator". The philosophical usage and the proper noun derive from Plato's Timaeus, written c. 360 BC, in which the demiurge is presented as the creator of the universe. This is accordingly the definition of the demiurge in the Platonic and Middle Platonic philosophical traditions. In the various branches of the Neoplatonic school, the demiurge is the fashioner of the real, perceptible world after the model of the Ideas, but is still not itself "the One". In the arch-dualist ideology of the various Gnostic systems, the material universe is evil, while the non-material world is good. Accordingly, the demiurge is malevolent, as linked to the material world.
Chambers 20th Century Dictionary
Demiurge
dem′i-urj, n. the maker of the world: among the Gnostics, the creator of the world and of man, subordinate to God the supreme—also Demiur′gus.—adj. Demiur′gic. [Gr. dēmiourgos—dēmos, the people, and ergon, a work.]
Matched Categories
Usage in printed sourcesFrom:
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Numerology
Chaldean Numerology
The numerical value of demiurge in Chaldean Numerology is: 3
Pythagorean Numerology
The numerical value of demiurge in Pythagorean Numerology is: 1
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References
Translations for demiurge
From our Multilingual Translation Dictionary
- خالق الكون الماديArabic
- demiurgeDanish
- DemiurgGerman
- ΔημιουργόςGreek
- demiurgoEsperanto
- demiurgoSpanish
- demiurgePersian
- demiurgiFinnish
- démiurgeFrench
- demiurgeHindi
- demiurgoszHungarian
- pencipta duniaIndonesian
- demiurgoItalian
- デミルージュJapanese
- demiurgiLatin
- demiurgDutch
- demiurgNorwegian
- demiurgPolish
- demiurgoPortuguese
- demiurgRomanian
- демиургRussian
- demiurgenSwedish
- 德美Chinese
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"demiurge." Definitions.net. STANDS4 LLC, 2025. Web. 14 Feb. 2025. <https://www.definitions.net/definition/demiurge>.
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