The symbolism of the “eye”: from myth to literature

Abstract

Every person uses five senses in the process of understanding the world. This stage is valid for all living things. Initial familiarization with the environment is activated when the “eye” begins to function. Thoughts about the existence of the universe are formed. Human tries to understand the world as a single whole. From this point of view, the function of “eye” is like a window to the world. Visual perception of what is felt helps determine how we relate to events and concepts. The main goal of the text of the article is to separate the “eye” from the real level and involve it in the research. The first step in this process begins with uncovering the medical etymology of the word. As a result, the part perceived as a physiological remnant takes on a new meaning as a result of the replacement of historical periods. The transformation of “eye” into a symbol is related to metaphorical transfer. Different beliefs approach the “eye” as a divine force. The reason for the formation of the thought is related to the Egyptian Sun God. It is believed that the light of the Sun is the same as the light of the “eye”. In Sufi beliefs, the “eye” is narrated as the mirror of the heart. The examples from the works of Ghazali, Movlana and Yunus Emre justify our opinion. In the mythical thinking of man, through the “Cyclopic” images, the understanding of the “eye” in the negative plane is brought to mind. In the East and in the West, the word was addressed and recognized as one of the main symbols of Freemasonry. The difference between the descriptive power of classical and modern thought is explained on the basis of the change in the scope of use of “eye”. The symbolic meaning capacity of the word is within the limits of human imagination. Finally, attention is paid to how primitive thinking has changed with the demands of the modern world. For this purpose, the work of the artist René Magritte is addressed.