I didn't have my normal Thursday night philosophy class, but I'll use the gap to fill in a topic we usually disucss in our first live session. See series at bottom.
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1. Philosophy can have a fairly bad reputation in some contexts among Christians. A few years ago, there was even a movie called God's Not Dead where the antagonist was a philosophy professor who was strongly hostile to Christian faith. Although the character was quite flat, there is probably some truth hiding in the presentation. [1]
Philosophy classes aren't always known for being friendly to faith. After all, if philosophy is about asking questions, then it's going to have a natural tendency to expose blind spots in the way you think. As such, it can have a tendency to facilitate changes in perspective. Since the very existence of Christian colleges often centered on providing an environment that protects the traditions of a sponsoring church, you can see the potential for tension here!
Accordingly, philosophy is sometimes taught as more of a worldview class. Rather than raise questions, philosophy becomes about giving the right answers. It becomes a preparation for thought war. It leans heavily into apologetics or the defense of the faith. "Here's why the skeptic is wrong."
2. I would argue that, whichever approach you take, philosophy at least can be approached Christianly. I am quite fond of the motto, "faith seeking understanding." [2] The idea is that we start our pursuit of truth with faith. We "believe in order to understand" [3]
Decades ago, I had a philosophy student come to my office, stimulated by some of the things we were talking about in philosophy. He said, "I'm going to throw out everything I believe and start from scratch." I urged him not to do it. For one, it's not practical. But it also risks throwing the baby out with the bath water. And there are all sorts of cliffs to fall off of in the process. Few of us are geniuses and, even if you are, geniuses can easily lack perspective.
No, it's best to stand on the shoulders of thousands of years of thinking. You won't live long enough to reconstruct all that! If you want to climb down a little or change some shoulders, it's best to do that on a journey that is more careful in its questioning. There's too much to know, too many different options. "Start with the faith you have." Or as the father of the possessed son put it, "I believe. Help my unbelief" (Mark 9:24).
3. Just in case, Colossians 2:8 wasn't talking about what we're talking about. "Look that there will not be someone taking you hostage by philosophy and empty deception." In fact, even translating this verse with the word philosophy is misleading. As you continue to read, it is clear that it is a religious option that Colossians has in view, not a philosophical one. It involves the observance of certain festivals and abstaining from certain foods (2:16). It involves worshiping with angels (2:18). In short, it refers to a Jewish sect, not a philosophy as we think of one.
4. So, what kind of approach to philosophy might assure us that it is done Christianly? Here we get into some questions that we will explore in more detail soon enough. Good thinking is largly structured with two key elements -- assumptions and logic.
Logic has rules that have been thoroughly explored for over two thousand years. There are no exceptions to them working! This is an important fact to point out. In the history of the world, the rules of logic are as certain as math. They have never failed -- not even once. This may seem like a crazy claim, but it is true. I personally have to think that God has built the rules of logic into the structure of the universe.
Then why is there so much disagreement? Let's assume that two people who disagree are both using logic. Why would they then disagree?
First, they may not have structured their logic quite right. For logic to work, each assumption or "premise" needs to connect to the next and to the conclusion in a tight, crisp way.
Even more likely, they may differ in their assumptions and premises. We might connect these premises also back to more fundamental "presuppositions." Presuppositions are your fundamental assumptions. They are the assumptions that stand behind the premises that logic works with.
So I would argue that it is in the domain of assumptions that philosophy either is or is not Christian. For example, if our logic assumes the claims of the Nicene Creed and core biblical claims, then you could argue that philosophical argument stands squarely without the domains of Christian faith.
There is also, however, an approach that sees faith and reason sufficiently in harmony that it focuses on the heart of faith in pursuit of truth. The heart of this philosopher "wants" Christian faith to be true, "expects" Christian faith to be vindicated. All options are on the table in full expectation that good reason and evidence will point in the direction of faith -- or at least allow for faith. It is not afraid of asking questions, convinced that the answers will cohere with faith or leave space for faith.
5. Accordingly, what are some ways in which philosophy might not cohere with Christian faith. Here are some ways:
- When a person asks questions with a heart that wants to undermine faith. The goal is not truth or faith but is antifaith.
- When a person rejects out of hand the presuppositions or assumptions of faith. If faith is not even an option, then it will difficult to arrive at faith conclusions. It is possible -- if you end up with non sequiturs in your other reasonings.
- When you are not equipped to think philosophically. Not everyone is wired to do philosophy in a "meta" kind of way. Some who fear that they will only be easily misled may opt for blind faith on their part. This is a coherent choice too.
[1] In literature, a flat character is one that is fairly stereotypical and predictable rather than dynamic the way most human beings are. Most real world villains are complex, as are most real world heroes.
[2] The saying goes back to Anselm (ca 1033-1109), building on an idea that was also expressed by Augustine (354-430).
[3] Also from Anselm in his Proslogion.
1.1 What is philosophy?
1.2 Is philosophy Christian? (this post)
1.3 Unexamined assumptions
1.4 Socrates and the Unexamined Life
2.1 The Structure of Thinking?
2.2 Three Tests for Truth
3.1 Faith and Reason
7.1 Beyond Binary Thinking
7.2 Plato's Allegory of the Cave
7.3 Reason vs. Experience
7.4 Kant Breaks the Tie.
7.5 The Bible as Object of Knowledge
7.6 Wittgenstein and Language
7.7 Kuhn and Paradigms
7.8 Foucault and Power
7.9 A Pragmatic Epistemology
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