A person who is hostile or indifferent to culture and the arts, or who has no appreciation for intellectual or aesthetic values. Used to describe someone with purely materialistic attitudes.
Originally from the ancient Philistines, enemies of the Israelites in Biblical times. The modern sense developed in German universities in the 17th century, where 'Philister' referred to townspeople opposed to students. The cultural meaning spread through German romanticism.
It's ironic that we use 'Philistine' as an insult about cultural ignorance, since the historical Philistines were actually quite sophisticated - they were skilled metalworkers who likely taught ironworking to their neighbors! The modern usage says more about academic snobbery than ancient history.
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