The term "philistine" has been wielded in literature as a multifaceted critique of a narrow, unsophisticated outlook on art, culture, and even national character. In works like The Communist Manifesto, it denotes the typical petty bourgeois citizen—a symbol of mediocrity and orthodox values [1][2]. Oscar Wilde further refines this stereotype, employing the term to connote an individual who judges worth merely by tangible production or practicality, rather than by a deeper appreciation of art and romance [3][4][5][6]. Bernard Shaw uses it both as a reprimand for a lack of imaginative spirit and as a broader comment on societal conformity [7][8]. Meanwhile, other writers such as Proust, Wagner, and Fitzgerald integrate the concept into broader cultural and social critiques, highlighting the divergence between genuine artistic sensitivity and popular, conventional tastes [9][10][11]. This evolving literary usage underscores the enduring capacity of the word "philistine" to encapsulate the clash between uninspired conventionality and the allure of creative, avant-garde thinking [12][13][14].