1. Chapter 3 The line of uncertainty in modern philosophy Viktor Frankl: Gas chambers consequence of philosophy

2. The Medieval Background Three philosopher-theologians, whose names all begin with an “A.” Debate was relationship between faith and reason.

3. “I believe in order to understand.” ugustine

4. nselm "I do not seek to understand in order to believe, but to believe in order to understand."

5. quinas Faith Reason Revelation Nature God exists Trinity

6. The downward spin in early modern philosophy

7. Sir Francis Bacon (1561-1626) Believed in the inductive scientific method of finding the truth. “By far the best proof is experience.” “I have taken all knowledge to be my province.”

8. René Descartes (1596-1650) RATIONALISM 1. “I think, therefore I am.” “Cogito, ergo sum” 2. Second conclusion: God exists, because the idea of God cannot come from me. 3. Third conclusion: The world exists, because God would not deceive me.

9. John Locke (1632-1704) EMPIRICISM My mind is a “tabula rasa.” Truth

10. David Hume (1711-1776) Skeptical empiricist No guarantee that the sun will rise tomorrow. What appears to be snow may taste like salt. “The contrary of any matter of fact is still possible...” Only perceptions exist. Questions if things exist. Patterns may not continue.

12. Certainty 1. Sir Francis Bacon 2. Descartes Doubt 4. Hume 3. Locke The line of uncertainty; Modern philosophy, Downward Spin

13. The valley of despair

14. Marquis de Sade (1740-1814) “By Nature created, created with very keen tastes, with very strong passions; placed on this earth for the sole purpose of yielding to them and satisfying them…” Libertinism Sexual cruelty

15. “… if those absurdities which you have been taught are true; if, as you have been told, there is a hell wherein shall be punished the perpetrators of vice, then, no doubt, we shall burn there. But, as Blangis might have put it, a hell inhabited by those of our stripe is, all its tortures notwithstanding, infinitely preferable to a heaven occupied by the monotonous creatures whom we find held up to us as examples of virtue.”

16. Friedrich Nietzsche (1844-1900) Nihilism God is dead. The “Ubermensch” (Super-man) imposes his will.

17. “Where is God?” he cried. “I’ll tell you. We have killed him— you and I. We are all his murderers. But how did we do this? How were we able to drink up the sea? Who gave us the sponge to wipe away the entire horizon? What were we doing when we unchained this earth from its sun? Where is it moving to now? Where are we moving to? Away from all suns? Are we not continually falling? And backwards, sidewards, forwards, in all directions? Is there still an up and a down? Aren’t we straying as though through an infinite nothing? Isn’t empty space breathing at us? Hasn’t it got colder? Isn’t night and more night coming again and again? Don’t lanterns have to be lit in the morning? Do we still hear nothing of the noise of the gravediggers who are burying God? Do we still smell nothing of the divine decomposition? Gods, too, decompose. God is dead! God remains dead! And we have killed him!

18. The Struggle

19. A thing only exists as it is perceived. Immanuel Kant (1724-1804)

21. All is one (Spirit, Geist). All is in constant progress. The dialectic. Contradictions merge into a synthesis. Friedrich Hegel (1770-1831) Law of non contradiction?

22. Existentialism Freedom in moment. A leap of faith. Faith is a passion. Sören Kierkegaard (1813-55) Hegel: Like pocket map of Europe to travel in Denmark.

23. Jean Paul Sartre Life seems absurd. Man must determine his own meaning.

24. Certainty 1. Sir Francis Bacon 2. Descartes Doubt 4. Hume 3. Locke Despair (1) 5. Marquis de Sade 9. Nietzsche The line of uncertainty; Modern philosophy (Complete) Struggle (1) 6. Kant 7. Hegel 8. Kierkegaard Despair (2) 10. Sartre Struggle (2)

25. Skepticism and ethics

26. Liberal theology and Liberation theology Liberal theology abandons faith in Scripture, emphasizes ethics. Liberation theology is a particular brand of liberal theology. They combine liberal theology with Marxism, fight injustice.

27. José Míguez Bonino (1924- ) Truth is in history, not in concepts. Why is Latin America poor? … Because of injustice. How to solve the problem? …Through an “uneasy alliance” with the Marxist revolutionary movement.

28. Postmodernism Reaction against modernism Eclectic, incoherent Pluralist, relativist Cruz: Change opinion like changing shirt.

29. Don’t you know the devil is in me and God she is too my Yin hits my Yang But what the heck ya gonna do I choose a rocky ass path but that’s how I like it life’s a bowl of punch go ahead and spike it.” 311, “Plain”

30. Name the modern philosophers and schools of thought, and give a brief description of the key concepts of each. 2. Descartes Rationalism. Discard whatever you can doubt. “I think, therefore I am.” 3. Locke Empiricism. Knowledge is by observation. The mind is a “tabula rasa.” 4. Hume Skepticism 1. Sir Francis BaconInductive method 5. Marquis de SadeLibertinism. Sadism.

31. 7. Hegel Dialectic. Idealism. No real contradictions. The “Geist” is all, and is in process. 8. KierkegaardExistentialism. Leap of faith. Freedom. 9. Nietzsche God is dead. Life has no meaning. Super-man ethics. 6. Kant You can’t observe an object without passing it through your own mental filter. Divides realms of noumena and phenomena. 10. Sartre Life seems absurd. Man must determine his own meaning.

32. 13. Postmodernism Reaction against modernism. Lost faith in science and reason. Eclectic. Relativist. 12. Liberation Theology (José Míguez Bonino) Combines liberal theology with Marxism. Truth in history, not concepts 11. Liberal Theology Abandons faith in Scriptures and in absolutes. Emphasizes ethics.

33. Certainty 1. Sir Francis Bacon 2. Descartes Doubt 4. Hume 3. Locke Despair (1) 5. Marquis de Sade 9. Nietzsche The line of uncertainty; Modern philosophy (Complete) Struggle (1) 6. Kant 7. Hegel 8. Kierkegaard Skepticism and ethics 11. Liberal Theology 13. Postmodernism Despair (2) 10. Sartre Struggle (2) 12. Liberation Theology (Bonino)

34. Review Questions 1.Explain the difference between the positions of Augustine, Anselm, and Aquinas regarding the relationship between faith and reason. 2. Explain the following debates in modern philosophy: Rationalism versus empiricism Freedom versus determinism

35. 3. Briefly describe the key thoughts of each: Sir Francis Bacon René Descartes John Locke David Hume Marquis de Sade Friedrich Nietzsche Immanuel Kant Friedrich Hegel Sören Kierkegaard Jean Paul Sartre José Míguez Bonino

36. 4. Briefly describe the essence of the following schools of thought: Liberal theology Liberation theology Postmodernism 5. Locate each philosopher from question 3 in their proper place on the “line of uncertainty.” Add Liberal theology, Liberation theology, and Postmodernism also.

37. Questions for reflection 1. What do you think of the relationship between faith and reason? What should their relationship be? 2. If you were not a Christian, which philosophy studied in this chapter would you possibly espouse? Why? 3. In what ways have you seen postmodernism expressed in your context? Give examples.