Wednesday, November 11, 2015

What's in a philosopher?

I enjoyed the side comments at philosophers last night in the GOP Presidential debate. Not entirely sure what Rubio was trying to say, but it does make me wonder if anti-philosophy is going to be a thing. There was that movie God's not Dead last year. :-)

Of course philosophers are notorious for not believing in God. They're notorious for being snarky and smug. Philosophy courses are the ones most notorious for being anti-faith at state schools.

Then again, it would be the fallacy of composition to suggest that all philosophy professors are godless just because some are. And it would be the fallacy of diversion to say that philosophy itself is anti-faith just because many people associated with it are anti-faith.

As I've said before, philosophy is ultimately the meta-subject to end all meta-subjects when it comes to truth claims. Dave Ward gave a paper last Monday arguing that theology is the heart of all knowledge, but he carefully indicated that he was talking about a way of being when he argued this, not a way of knowing. So I also have tried to make it clear that it is as a way of knowing that philosophy stands alongside all other knowing as the ultimate meta-discipline. When Dasein gets translated into knowing, philosophy lieth at the door.

Philosophy stands alongside science and asks what science is doing.
Philosophy stands alongside art and asks what art is doing.
Philosophy stands alongside psychology, history, religion, and asks what it is doing.
Philosophy can stand alongside theology and ask what it is doing, if it is allowed.
Philosophy stands alongside what we do, what we think, and who we are.

We are all philosophers, whether we admit it or not. Now, a shameless plug. :-)

1 comment:

Angie Van De Merwe said...

A Christian worldview limits much of the Journey, IMO

Ontology being understood as one's existence, not God's existence.
And since the individual exists, he will seek to determine his values (Axiology) or priorities in his particular life.
Teleology (end goals) are what an individual chooses to do.
Epistemology (knowledge)is a question of authority, which the individual himself as a moral agent determines for himself.

A Christian worldview has predetermined or prescribed answers to these questions.
Ontology; Creation
Epistemology; Scripture or Tradition
Axiology; God's values
Teleology; God's Kingdom

Theology is the use of philosophy to speak about God, giving an answer. A Theologian knows the answers, while a Philosopher asks questions and continues to seek Wisdom. That is the distinction for me....an OPEN view toward LIFE, or a PREDETERMINED view toward life! An OPEN view allows for contingencies and variables because life is not controllable. But, a PREDETERMINED view is SELF-SACRIFICIAL dependent on Leadership (God) "vision". Predetermination disregards individual "journey", contingency, complexity, and distinction because of "God".
In group think, systems, or collective understanding, predetermination is always a given.