DOCSLIB.ORG

Pascal and the Therapy of Faith

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Pascal and the Therapy of Faith PASCAL AND THE THERAPY OF FAITH Christopher William Robbins Doctor of Philosophy University of York Philosophy July 2015 2 3 ABSTRACT This study of Pascal’s Pensées focuses on a central aspect of Pascal’s project: the application of philosophical therapy to humanist agnostics to instil and sustain Christian belief in them. I identify four therapeutic phases: Pascal says we fear suffering after death, so it is in our interest to investigate the Christian message. However his account of the afterlife does not satisfactorily show in what way persons can live on after death and will not infallibly engage our interest in avoiding Hell or enjoying Heaven. Pascal contends that earthly life is futile and that the Christian doctrine of the Fall is the best explanation of the human predicament, an explanation which points us towards dependence on God for the meaning of life. Yet even if we accept Pascal’s pessimistic estimate of human life, he does not successfully show that Christianity provides the best explanation of it. Pascal argues that there is no purely human morality because the philosophers’ successive attempts to show how to achieve peace of mind in the moral life have failed to find an objective basis for a truly altruistic ethic: only Christianity can do this. But this risks conflict between Christian and other ideals. We seek the tranquillity of faith yet Pascal rejects philosophical proofs of God’s existence: God is hidden; thoughtful aspirants to faith must rely on only suggestive evidence for the truth of Christianity. Habituation can reinforce one’s determination to become a Christian but – because faith is God’s gift – we can never be sure we have it: ultimately there is no peace of mind to be had. The Epilogue compares Pascal’s conception of religious belief with that of the Wittgensteinians: while Pascal embraces descriptive religious assertions, the Wittgensteinians discard them to protect Christianity from positivist attack. 4 5 CONTENTS ABSTRACT 3 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 9 DECLARATION 10 FOREWORD 11 CHRONOLOGY OF THE WRITINGS OF PASCAL 13 INTRODUCTION: PASCAL’S LIFE AND FINAL PROJECT 17 1. Life 18 2. Pascal and Jansenism 19 3. The Project 24 4. Method: the phases of the therapy 32 CHAPTER I: THE INTELLECTUAL CONTEXT OF THE PENSÉES 39 5. Augustinian Catholicism 39 6. Christian humanism: the Jesuits 45 7. Montaigne: Christian scepticism 46 8. Montaigne’s influence on humanist moralists 49 8.1 The Stoics 50 8.2 Pyrrhonian Ethics 52 8.3 Honnêtes Hommes: secular moralists 53 8.4 Honnêtes Hommes: rationalists 56 8.5 Epicureans 57 9. Descartes 60 9.1 Faith and Reason 60 9.2 Pascal as a semi-Cartesian 64 CHAPTER II: IS IT IRRATIONAL TO IGNORE CHRISTIANITY? 69 10. Persuading humanist agnostics to investigate religion 69 10.1 Preliminaries 69 6 10.2 The Argument’s Assumptions 71 11. Is there a risk we shall survive bodily death? 72 12. The permanence of the post mortem state 80 13. Is our rational self-interest at stake in the afterlife? 80 14. The risks of annihilation and suffering 83 15. Would the prospect of Eternal Happiness motivate the pursuit of virtue? 84 16. Should the prospect of the afterlife change my life now? 92 CHAPTER III: THE FALLIBILITY, FUTILITY AND ABSURDITY OF HUMAN LIFE 17. The problems of our predicament: unhappiness and evasion 96 18. Error 97 19. Restlessness: seeking a remedy in Diversion 101 20. Futility and Fragility 105 21. Absurdity 110 22. The Mechanics of Error and Futile Activity 111 22.1 Desire and Belief 111 22.2 The Hedonic Treadmill 112 22.3 Selectivity of Attention 115 22.4 Self-Deception 115 22.5 Avoidance of the Present 118 22.6 Fixation of Belief 119 23. Only Christian doctrine explains our ethical incapacity 121 23.1 Pascal’s theological explanation 122 23.2 The incoherence of the doctrine of the Fall 124 24. The Demand for the Meaning of Life 126 CHAPTER IV: DO WE NEED CHRISTIAN MORALITY TO ACHIEVE TRANQUILLITY? 25. The failure of secular moralists to achieve eudaimonia and to cure egoism 129 26. The failure of secular moralists to find an objective basis for morality 137 27. The Christian God’s Moral Commands: defeating egoism 140 7 28. The ‘Three Orders’: the fragmentation of the Christian’s system of value 145 29. Revaluation, submission and peace of mind 151 CHAPTER V: EVIDENCE AND PROOF: HOW CAN WE BE CERTAIN WE HAVE FAITH? 157 30. Pascal’s doctrine of the Hidden God 158 31. Observing ‘simple’ believers: the nature of their faith 165 32. ‘Deliberative’ believers and Pascal’s ‘proofs’ 169 33. The experience of faith: is it easier for another person to tell if I have faith than it is for me? 183 34. Habituation: is it enough to produce salvific faith? 189 EPILOGUE: PASCAL AND THE WITTGENSTEINIANS 197 35. The Wittgensteinians as ‘heirs’ of Pascal’s approach to religion 197 35.1. Reasoning and Commitment 198 35.2. Praxis 199 35.3. Can an ‘outsider’ understand Christian faith? 202 36. The challenge from Montaigne’s rationalist sceptic 207 37. The deists and their proofs 215 38. The proto-empiricist’s challenge: evidence 217 39. The proto-empiricist’s challenge: metaphysics 223 40. The revisionist historian’s challenge 225 41. The challenge of humanist ethics 233 42. Conclusion 238 APPENDICES I: Interpreting the Pensées 243 II: The Irony of Pascal’s Wager 253 III: Major Pascal studies since c. 1950 261 BIBLIOGRAPHY 271 8 9 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I gladly express my thanks to Professors Catherine Wilson and Tom Stoneham for their careful and invariably helpful suggestions for the improvement of this thesis. I take full responsibility for any remaining errors and for any intentional or unintentional humour. 10 DECLARATION I certify that this thesis is all my own work, with no collaborator, and that none of the material it contains has been submitted for any other academic award. During the writing of this thesis I have published a short review of which the details are as follows: Robbins, Christopher: ‘Book Review: G. Hunter: Pascal the Philosopher: An Introduction’, British Journal for the History of Philosophy, 22.1 (2014), pp 181-3. 11 FOREWORD Details of all publications cited more than once in the text are given in the Bibliography which also shows the abbreviations used in the text for them. I refer in the text to the Pensées using first the numbering of Lafuma as it appears in the Œuvres Complètes (Éditions du Seuil, 1963) and secondly that of Sellier as it appears in the Livre de Poche edition of Gérard Ferreyrolles. These two numberings are used in the English translations made by Krailsheimer (Penguin) and Ariew (Hackett) respectively. Hence ‘(86:120)’ refers the reader to pensée no. 86 in the Lafuma/Krailsheimer versions and to the same pensée, as no. 120, in the Sellier- Ferreyrolles /Ariew versions. The most recent edition of Pascal’s Œuvres Complètes is by Michel Le Guern (Pléiade, 2 vols.: 1998 & 2000); there is no English translation of the Pensées following his numbering so I do not use it. I frequently refer to other works by Pascal (and specific pages of the Pensées) as they appear in the Le Guern edition: thus ‘(OCG II 478)’ refers to page 478 of Volume 2 of the Le Guern edition of the Œuvres Complètes. 12 13 CHRONOLOGY OF PASCAL’S WRITINGS MENTIONED IN THIS STUDY1 1623 Born in Clermont to Étienne Pascal and Antoinette Begon (dies 1626) 1647 Récit des deux conférences condemning the rational theology of a harmless and probably mildly mad priest, Saint-Ange, who had claimed he could provide rational proofs for many Christian doctrines, for example the Trinity Expériences nouvelles touchant le vide which argues that the traditional doctrine of the horror vacui cannot explain the behaviour of liquids in vertical tubes and other vessels. Correspondence with a Jesuit scholar, Père Noël, defending the hypothesis of the void. 1648 Letter to his sister Gilberte about his talk with Antoine de Rebours, a Jansenist priest and a member of Mersenne’s circle. He says that he believes he can show that Christian belief does not contradict common sense. But he gets no encouragement from Rebours. Letter to Le Pailleur commenting on the controversy with Noël. Récit de la grande expérience de l’équilibre des liqueurs, report of the Puy-de-Dôme experiment suggesting that the weight of the air varies according to altitude. 1651 Préface sur le traité du vide Letter to Florin & Gilberte Périer on the death of Étienne Pascal 1651 [or later] Traité de la pesanteur de la masse de l’air 1 Dating of works not issued in Pascal’s lifetime is conjectural. I have drawn on the suggestions of OCM, OCG and Mesnard 1976 in compiling this chronology. 14 1652 Letter to Queen Christina of Sweden presenting his arithmetical machine 1653-4 Early Pensées reflecting conversations with several honnêtes hommes, friends of the Duc de Roannez. 1654 Correspondence with Fermat on the principles of probability. Mémorial recording a spiritual experience during which he decides to devote himself to the Christian faith and to renounce the world. 1655 Entretien de M. Pascal avec M. de Sacy sur Epictète et Montaigne 1655 [or later] Pensée entitled Infini – Rien (the ‘Wager fragment’: 418:680) De l’esprit géométrique (includes De l’art de persuader) Comparaison des chrétiens des premiers temps avec ceux d’aujourd’hui 1656 Letters to Mlle Roannez Pensées on miracles (830-912:419-451) drafted following the Miracle of the Holy Thorn. 1656[-7] Écrits sur la grâce 1656-9 Lettres Provinciales and other tracts in which he argues (a) that the believer’s salvation is exclusively the result of God’s grace, and (b) that Jesuit moralists have debased Christian morality by using casuistry to excuse the misdeeds of their powerful patrons.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Beauty As a Transcendental in the Thought of Joseph Ratzinger
    The University of Notre Dame Australia ResearchOnline@ND Theses 2015 Beauty as a transcendental in the thought of Joseph Ratzinger John Jang University of Notre Dame Australia Follow this and additional works at: https://researchonline.nd.edu.au/theses Part of the Philosophy Commons COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA Copyright Regulations 1969 WARNING The material in this communication may be subject to copyright under the Act. Any further copying or communication of this material by you may be the subject of copyright protection under the Act. Do not remove this notice. Publication Details Jang, J. (2015). Beauty as a transcendental in the thought of Joseph Ratzinger (Master of Philosophy (School of Philosophy and Theology)). University of Notre Dame Australia. https://researchonline.nd.edu.au/theses/112 This dissertation/thesis is brought to you by ResearchOnline@ND. It has been accepted for inclusion in Theses by an authorized administrator of ResearchOnline@ND. For more information, please contact [email protected]. School of Philosophy and Theology Sydney Beauty as a Transcendental in the Thought of Joseph Ratzinger Submitted by John Jang A thesis in partial fulfilment of the requirements of the degree of Master of Philosophy Supervised by Dr. Renée Köhler-Ryan July 2015 © John Jang 2015 Table of Contents Abstract v Declaration of Authorship vi Acknowledgements vii Introduction 1 Structure 3 Method 5 PART I - Metaphysical Beauty 7 1.1.1 The Integration of Philosophy and Theology 8 1.1.2 Ratzinger’s Response 11 1.2.1 Transcendental Participation 14 1.2.2 Transcendental Convertibility 18 1.2.3 Analogy of Being 25 PART II - Reason and Experience 28 2.
    [Show full text]
  • The Well-Trained Theologian
    THE WELL-TRAINED THEOLOGIAN essential texts for retrieving classical Christian theology part 1, patristic and medieval Matthew Barrett Credo 2020 Over the last several decades, evangelicalism’s lack of roots has become conspicuous. Many years ago, I experienced this firsthand as a university student and eventually as a seminary student. Books from the past were segregated to classes in church history, while classes on hermeneutics and biblical exegesis carried on as if no one had exegeted scripture prior to the Enlightenment. Sometimes systematics suffered from the same literary amnesia. When I first entered the PhD system, eager to continue my theological quest, I was given a long list of books to read just like every other student. Looking back, I now see what I could not see at the time: out of eight pages of bibliography, you could count on one hand the books that predated the modern era. I have taught at Christian colleges and seminaries on both sides of the Atlantic for a decade now and I can say, in all honesty, not much has changed. As students begin courses and prepare for seminars, as pastors are trained for the pulpit, they are not required to engage the wisdom of the ancient past firsthand or what many have labelled classical Christianity. Such chronological snobbery, as C. S. Lewis called it, is pervasive. The consequences of such a lopsided diet are now starting to unveil themselves. Recent controversy over the Trinity, for example, has manifested our ignorance of doctrines like eternal generation, a doctrine not only basic to biblical interpretation and Christian orthodoxy for almost two centuries, but a doctrine fundamental to the church’s Christian identity.
    [Show full text]
  • Jones, David Albert, the Soul of the Embryo
    J The Soul of the Embryo: An enquiry into the status of the human embryo in the Christian tradition DAVID ALBERT JONES • , continuum A LONDON • NEW YORK Continuum The Tower Building 15 East 26th Street 11 York Road New York London, SE1 7NX NY 10010 www.continuumbooks.com C) David Jones 2004 Contents All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or any information storage or retrieval system, without prior permission in writing from the publishers. British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data Abbreviations A catalogue record for this book is available from The British Library. Foreword ISBN 0 8264 6296 0 Introduction 1 Moulded in the Earth The embryo in the Hebrew Scriptures: creation, Typeset by BookEns Ltd, Royston, Herts. providence, calling Printed and hound in Great Britain by Antony Rowe Ltd, Chippenham, Wilts. 2 Curdled Like Cheese Ancient embryology: Hippocrates and Aristotle 3 Discarded Children • Exposure, infanticide and abortion in ancient Greece and Rome 4 Grieving in Ramah Jewish attitudes to infanticide and abortion 5 Medicinal Penalties Early Christianity and abortion: Celtic/Anglo-Saxon penances, Greek/Latin canons 6 Soul Talk Soul as the principle of life, body and soul, the I would like to thank Fr Michael Hayes, Head of the School of Theology, spiritual soul Philosophy and History at St Mary's College for supporting an ethos of research 7 Whence the Soul? and scholarship within the School; Robin Baird-Smith of Continuum books for The Church Fathers on the origin of the soul: his great patience; and the Linacre Centre for Healthcare Ethics for the use of pre-existence, traducianism, creationism their excellent library.
    [Show full text]
  • Is It Rational to Have Faith? Looking for New Evidence, Good’S Theorem, and Risk Aversion
    Lara Buchak, November 2009 DRAFT DO NOT CITE Is it rational to have faith? Looking for new evidence, Good’s Theorem, and Risk Aversion 0. Introduction Although statements involving ascriptions of faith are quite common, faith and rationality are often thought to conflict; at best, they are thought to have nothing to say to each other. In this paper, I analyze the concept of faith: in particular, I give an account that unifies statements of faith in mundane matters and statements of religious faith. My account focuses on spelling out the sense in which faith requires going beyond the evidence, and I argue that faith requires stopping ones search for further evidence. I then turn to the question of whether it is rational to have faith, taking into account both epistemic rationality and practical rationality. I argue that faith need not conflict with epistemic rationality at all; however, whether faith can be practically rational hinges on which attitudes towards risk it is rationally permissible to adopt when making decisions: more specifically, it hinges on how one should respond to the risk of misleading evidence. I have argued elsewhere that practical rationality permits a wider range of attitudes towards risk than is commonly supposed, and if this is right, then it is also rationally permissible to have faith; indeed, depending on the attitude towards risk that one decides to adopt, it is sometimes rationally required.1 1. Faith Statements I begin by sketching some characteristics that faith statements have in common. By faith statements, I simply mean statements involving the term faith.
    [Show full text]
  • PHIL3172: MEDIEVAL WESTERN PHILOSOPHERS 2013-2014 Venue: ELB 203 (利黃瑤璧樓 203) Time: Wednesdays 9:30 - 12:15 - Teacher: Louis Ha
    PHIL3172: MEDIEVAL WESTERN PHILOSOPHERS 2013-2014 Venue: ELB 203 (利黃瑤璧樓 203) Time: Wednesdays 9:30 - 12:15 - Teacher: Louis Ha. email Middle Ages in the West lasted for more than a millennium after the downfall of the Western Roman Empire in the 5th Century. During this period people lived under certain unity and uniformity commanded by the strong influence of Christianity and the common acceptance of the importance of faith in one’s daily life. This course aims at presenting the thoughts of those centuries developed in serenity and piety together with the breakthroughs made by individual philosophers such as Boethius, Anselm of Canterbury, Peter Abelard, Thomas Aquinas and Duns Scotus. Modern people, though live in a technologically advanced era, are quite often facing almost the same challenges of their Medieval fellow human-beings. The course intends to provide students with instances for a more general comprehension of human reality through the study on the problems of faith and understanding. Internal website 8 January, 2014 *INTRODUCTION The medieval Europe: the time, the place and the people The two themes and five philosophers chosen for the course Class dynamics - a) oral report by students, b) lecture by teacher, c) discussion in small groups, d) points of reflections (at least two) Assessment: attendance 10%; book report 20%(2000 words, before/on 12 Oct.); presentation 30%; term paper 40%(5000 words, before/on 23 Nov.) * The spirit of mediæval philosophy / by Étienne Gilson. * 中世紀哲學精神/ Etienne Gilson 著 ; 沈淸松譯. * [Chapters 18,19,20] 15 January, 2014 *CONSOLATIO PHILOSOPHIAE, Book V by Boethius (480-524) Boethius 22 January, 2014 *DE DIVISIONE NATURAE, Book II.
    [Show full text]
  • Humanism and Christianity: Shared Values?
    Shipton et al.: Humanism and Christianity: Shared Values? WARREN SHIPTON, YOUSSRY GUIRGUIS, AND NOLA TUDU Humanism and Christianity: Shared Values? Introduction The word humanism is derived from the Latin humanitas that originally meant the study of human nature. The idea was to elevate humanity with a focus on human dignity and potential through education (Ritchie and Spencer 2014:15, 16). The meaning attributed to the word humanism, in its broadest sense, allowed Christians and non-believers initially to oc- cupy common territory (64-78). In the early-middle Christian era, some thinkers sought to acquaint themselves with the achievements, literature, and thought of past civilizations, particularly Greek, with a view to rec- onciling theology with the philosophy of the classical philosophers (New World Encyclopedia n.d.; Odom 1977:126-128, 183-186). Outside Christian circles, elements supportive of the pre-eminence of human thought and abilities have long been seen among philosophers; however, not all forms of humanism were atheistic, as seen in Confucian thought (Gupta 2000:8- 12). There also are those who have been called “religious” or “spiritual” humanists (Eller 2010:10). The Medieval civilization that followed the collapse of the Roman Em- pire (AD 476) was marked by the rule of kings with nobles supporting the king in return for privileges. The majority of the population existed in serfdom; the Church reigned supreme. A change came in the 14th century helped by the fact that famine and disease created disaster. The abuses in the Church and the pessimism prevalent in society created a climate for change in Europe.
    [Show full text]
  • Rels305-001 Christian Traditions
    RELS 305-M75 Summer (SU20) Christianity Instructor: Bella Mukonyora <[email protected]> Recommended study time per day: At least 4 Hours between 5/18 until 6/19, 2020. Course Description: This course gives continuous and comprehensive coverage of major theological conversations from the last 2,000 years of different western social histories. The sources of knowledge are texts especially selected to advance learning by highlighting the differing views about sources of knowledge, methods of arriving at knowledge, and questions about God and the person of Christ are used to advance theology in early, medieval and modern periods. Prerequisites: none REQUIREMENTS: Two textbooks:- 1) Christian History: An Introduction by Alister E. McGrath, 2013 published by Wile Blackwell. This is a wonderful introduction to the history of the Christian faith in the Near East, followed by the medieval and modern west. 2) The Christian Theology Reader also by McGrath Alister. Fifth Edition, 2017 and published by Wiley Blackwell. • Please follow the detailed reading instructions provided for each Module, keep using the writing guidelines to improve the quality of your written work, and note the requirement to post entries on the Discussion Board. • Discussion Board entries give students an opportunity to exchange ideas from their findings that are based on reading which they consider fresh and worth sharing as new insights on the changing social histories of Christianity past and present. • The detailed writing guidelines are at the end of the syllabus and attached to the syllabus on Blackboard. • The best answers come from students who make sure they know something about the historical period, social setting and the literature from which the excerpts are taken by McGrath.
    [Show full text]
  • Scotus Ord 1 D.1 Prologue
    !1 This translation of the Prologue of the Ordinatio (aka Opus Oxoniense) of Blessed John Duns Scotus is complete. It is based on volume one of the critical edition of the text by the Scotus Commission in Rome and published by Frati Quaracchi. Scotus’ Latin is tight and not seldom elliptical, exploiting to the full the grammatical resources of the language to make his meaning clear (especially the backward references of his pronouns). In English this ellipsis must, for the sake of intelligibility, often be translated with a fuller repetition of words and phrases than Scotus himself gives. The possibility of mistake thus arises if the wrong word or phrase is chosen for repetition. The only check to remove error is to ensure that the resulting English makes the sense intended by Scotus. Whether this sense has always been captured in the translation that follows must be judged by the reader. So comments and notice of errors are most welcome. Peter L.P. Simpson [email protected] December, 2012 !2 THE ORDINATIO OF BLESSED JOHN DUNS SCOTUS Prologue First Part On the Necessity of Revealed Doctrine Single Question: Whether it was necessary for man in this present state that some doctrine be supernaturally inspired. Num. 1 I. Controversy between Philosophers and Theologians Num. 5 A. Opinion of the Philosophers Num. 5 B. Rejection of the Opinion of the Philosophers Num. 12 II. Solution of the Question Num. 57 III. On the Three Principal Reasons against Num. 66 the Philosophers IV. To the Arguments of the Philosophers Num. 72 V.
    [Show full text]
  • John Duns Scotus's Metaphysics of Goodness
    University of South Florida Scholar Commons Graduate Theses and Dissertations Graduate School 11-16-2015 John Duns Scotus’s Metaphysics of Goodness: Adventures in 13th-Century Metaethics Jeffrey W. Steele University of South Florida, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: http://scholarcommons.usf.edu/etd Part of the Medieval History Commons, Philosophy Commons, and the Religious Thought, Theology and Philosophy of Religion Commons Scholar Commons Citation Steele, Jeffrey W., "John Duns Scotus’s Metaphysics of Goodness: Adventures in 13th-Century Metaethics" (2015). Graduate Theses and Dissertations. http://scholarcommons.usf.edu/etd/6029 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate School at Scholar Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in Graduate Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of Scholar Commons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. John Duns Scotus’s Metaphysics of Goodness: Adventures in 13 th -Century Metaethics by Jeffrey Steele A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy Department of Philosophy College of Arts and Sciences University of South Florida Major Professor: Thomas Williams, Ph.D. Roger Ariew, Ph.D. Colin Heydt, Ph.D. Joanne Waugh, Ph.D Date of Approval: November 12, 2015 Keywords: Medieval Philosophy, Transcendentals, Being, Aquinas Copyright © 2015, Jeffrey Steele DEDICATION To the wife of my youth, who with patience and long-suffering endured much so that I might gain a little knowledge. And to God, fons de bonitatis . She encouraged me; he sustained me. Both have blessed me. “O taste and see that the LORD is good; How blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him!!” --Psalm 34:8 “You are the boundless good, communicating your rays of goodness so generously, and as the most lovable being of all, every single being in its own way returns to you as its ultimate end.” –John Duns Scotus, De Primo Principio Soli Deo Gloria .
    [Show full text]
  • 1 Science, Religion, and a Revived Religious Humanism
    1 Science, Religion, and a Revived Religious Humanism For over 150 years there has been a vital, and often contentious, dialogue between science and religion. In recent years, new energy and fresh public interest have been injected into this conversation. This largely has come about due to the new insights into religion and ethics achieved by collaboration between evolutionary psychology and cognitive and social neuroscience. What are the likely social consequences of this new interest in the relation of science and religion? There are at least three possible answers. One might be the new atheism exemplified by the writings of Richard Dawkins, Daniel Dennett, Sam Harris, and Christopher Hitchens.1 In this approach, the alleged defective thinking of the world religions is exposed, and a worldview and way of life based strictly on science are offered as replacement. A second option might be the return of a hegemonic dominance of religion over science. A third might be the emergence of a revitalized religious humanism of the kind that has happened on several occasions in the past in most of the great world religions. This last option is the one I will advocate. What would this religious humanism be like? The major world religions would remain visible and viable as religious movements. But the 13 contributions of science would help these religions refine their interests in improving the health, education, wealth, and overall well-being of their adherents and the general population. In addition, the sciences would help them refine their grasp of the empirical world, about which they, like humans in general, are constantly making judgments, predictions, and characterizations.
    [Show full text]
  • Literature Review
    New Insights and Directions for Religious Epistemology http://www.newinsights.ox.ac.uk Literature Review Analytic epistemology experienced a monumental resurgence in the latter part of the twentieth century. A short paper by Edmund Gettier launched a frenzied era of original research into the nature of some of our central epistemic concepts, e.g., knowledge, justification, rationality, belief, defeat, and evidence. The excitement of Gettier’s challenge to the view that knowledge is justified true belief drew interest from a wide range of very talented philosophers. Formidable figures such as Fred Dretske, John Pollack, Robert Nozick, Roderick Chisholm, Alvin Goldman, Marshall Swain, David Armstrong, Alvin Plantinga, William Alston, Richard Swinburne, and Gilbert Harman, to name just a few, published widely on the foregoing epistemic concepts. This outpouring of original research meant that new theoretical tools and insights became available for application in philosophy of religion. Religious epistemology, taking advantage of this resurgence in mainstream epistemology, experienced a new era of original research. William Alston, Nicholas Wolterstorff, Alvin Plantinga, and Richard Swinburne all played a particularly central role in this resurgence. Alston, in his popular book Perceiving God, argued that religious beliefs held by way of religious experience are just as justified as our regular or quotidian perceptual beliefs. In his masterpiece Warranted Christian Belief, Plantinga, inspired by (i) the notion of a basic belief in the epistemic theory of foundationalism, (ii) his proper functioning account of warrant, and (iii) John Calvin’s theology, defended the position that Christian beliefs are warranted if true. The broad outlines of his position came to be labeled “Reformed Epistemology.” Wolterstorff, in his Reason within the Bounds of Religion, provided an elegant and sophisticated account of the role religious belief play in an agent’s overall epistemic “web” of beliefs.
    [Show full text]
  • Curriculum Vitae of Alvin Plantinga
    CURRICULUM VITAE OF ALVIN PLANTINGA A. Education Calvin College A.B. 1954 University of Michigan M.A. 1955 Yale University Ph.D. 1958 B. Academic Honors and Awards Fellowships Fellow, Center for Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences, 1968-69 Guggenheim Fellow, June 1 - December 31, 1971, April 4 - August 31, 1972 Fellow, American Academy of Arts & Sciences, 1975 - Fellow, Calvin Center for Christian Scholarship, 1979-1980 Visiting Fellow, Balliol College, Oxford 1975-76 National Endowment for the Humanities Fellowships, 1975-76, 1987, 1995-6 Fellowship, American Council of Learned Societies, 1980-81 Fellow, Frisian Academy, 1999 Gifford Lecturer, 1987, 2005 Honorary Degrees Glasgow University, l982 Calvin College (Distinguished Alumni Award), 1986 North Park College, 1994 Free University of Amsterdam, 1995 Brigham Young University, 1996 University of the West in Timisoara (Timisoara, Romania), 1998 Valparaiso University, 1999 2 Offices Vice-President, American Philosophical Association, Central Division, 1980-81 President, American Philosophical Association, Central Division, 1981-82 President, Society of Christian Philosophers, l983-86 Summer Institutes and Seminars Staff Member, Council for Philosophical Studies Summer Institute in Metaphysics, 1968 Staff member and director, Council for Philosophical Studies Summer Institute in Philosophy of Religion, 1973 Director, National Endowment for the Humanities Summer Seminar, 1974, 1975, 1978 Staff member and co-director (with William P. Alston) NEH Summer Institute in Philosophy of Religion (Bellingham, Washington) 1986 Instructor, Pew Younger Scholars Seminar, 1995, 1999 Co-director summer seminar on nature in belief, Calvin College, July, 2004 Other E. Harris Harbison Award for Distinguished Teaching (Danforth Foundation), 1968 Member, Council for Philosophical Studies, 1968-74 William Evans Visiting Fellow University of Otago (New Zealand) 1991 Mentor, Collegium, Fairfield University 1993 The James A.
    [Show full text]