This is a really interesting thought. I have heard it said that Reason leads us to the light of truth, but perhaps this is like fumbling through a room in the darkness looking for a light switch. Beginning at the font of Truth and letting reason flow from that is surely more direct--and its somewhat confronting to encounter. To abbreviate such an argument, it might sound like “God loves us therefore the sky is blue”--which doesnt follow the modern rules of engagement. But theres no reason you HAVE to if you can draw your logic out from Truth. I hope I am understanding you correctly but please point me to the right path if Ive gone astray.
Very interesting article. This seems to tie in with a problem I often wrestle with - the need to rationalise and quantify everything. Schools and universities teach us to think in this way, and it means I now feel an impulse to question every instinct, making it difficult to connect with anything transcendent.
What a profound article! Certainly there is much here to think about. It’s been said that we’re all either Platonic or Aristotelian in our thought orientation. For years I wanted to “self-identity” as Aristotelian (lol) but as I’ve come to know my own poetic and symbolic sensibilities I’ve concluded that I’m inescapably Platonic. That said, I don’t think we should pit the one against the other. I’ve been immersed in reading Aristotle these last few months (after spending more than a year with Plato) and I find him quite reasonable and profoundly good willed. And don’t forget that Plato’s God is entirely impersonal, something akin to the Good itself, while in Aristotle we find a God who is more personal in the classical sense of a god. I think it’s a mistake not to embrace and attempt to reconcile both together.
Our Problem is Philosophy Not Theology
This is a really interesting thought. I have heard it said that Reason leads us to the light of truth, but perhaps this is like fumbling through a room in the darkness looking for a light switch. Beginning at the font of Truth and letting reason flow from that is surely more direct--and its somewhat confronting to encounter. To abbreviate such an argument, it might sound like “God loves us therefore the sky is blue”--which doesnt follow the modern rules of engagement. But theres no reason you HAVE to if you can draw your logic out from Truth. I hope I am understanding you correctly but please point me to the right path if Ive gone astray.
I will think on this, thank you for this article!
Very interesting article. This seems to tie in with a problem I often wrestle with - the need to rationalise and quantify everything. Schools and universities teach us to think in this way, and it means I now feel an impulse to question every instinct, making it difficult to connect with anything transcendent.
What a profound article! Certainly there is much here to think about. It’s been said that we’re all either Platonic or Aristotelian in our thought orientation. For years I wanted to “self-identity” as Aristotelian (lol) but as I’ve come to know my own poetic and symbolic sensibilities I’ve concluded that I’m inescapably Platonic. That said, I don’t think we should pit the one against the other. I’ve been immersed in reading Aristotle these last few months (after spending more than a year with Plato) and I find him quite reasonable and profoundly good willed. And don’t forget that Plato’s God is entirely impersonal, something akin to the Good itself, while in Aristotle we find a God who is more personal in the classical sense of a god. I think it’s a mistake not to embrace and attempt to reconcile both together.
Thanks for the great article!