maat ()

(Language: Ancient Egyptian)

Short Description: measure, harmony, canon, justice and truth, shared by the gods and humans alike

Long Description: the ancient Egyptian term for measure, harmony, canon, justice and truth, shared by the gods and humans alike; maat is the essence of the sacred laws that keeps a human community and the entire cosmic order; it establishes the link between above and below; ‘letting maat ascend’ is a language offering during the hieratic rites and interpretation of the cosmic process in terms of their mystic and salvational meaning; for Plato, who admired the Egyptian patterns, the well-ordered cosmos, truth, and justice are among the main objects of philosophical discourse.

Sources: The Golden Chain: An Anthology of Platonic and Pythagorean Philosophy, by Dr. Algis Uždavinys