Philosophy, Who Needs It?

A Layman's Introduction to Philosophy

Crowder

• Publisher: Wipf and Stock
• Year: 2016
• eBook ISBN: 9781498219808
• Topic: Theology & Religion
• Subtopic: Religion

Too often skeptics charge Christians with having a blind faith. Unfortunately, believers have added fuel to the charges of skeptics by speaking of their faith illogically. But the Christian faith is not a blind faith. In fact, biblical faith is never a blind, irrational faith. Christianity rests firmly on the stone that was rejected by the builders, which has become the cornerstone--Jesus Christ (Acts 4:11). Living biblically requires thinking biblically, just as "to think biblically entails to live biblically," as Winfried Corduan notes in the Foreword.As followers of Christ, believers cannot separate biblical thinking and biblical living. These two behaviors are eternally connected not only in the person of Jesus Christ, but they stem from the eternal being of God the Father and his eternal truth. Christ mandates that his followers love God with their entire being--heart, soul, mind, and strength (Mark 12:30). How are believers to go about living out this biblical mandate? Christian faith is a warranted belief. This is why it is so essential that Christians recognize the value and importance of philosophy and its proper place in Christendom and in the Christian's walk.

Part One

Prelude to Philosophy and Its Value for the Christian

1

What is Philosophy?

An Examination into Its Nature

“‘Behold, the fear of the Lord that is wisdom,and to turn away from evil is understanding.’”

—Job 28:28

“Nothing is more highly esteemed among men than philosophy,” according to Philip Mauro.1 When beginning a study into a new or unfamiliar subject, having a basic understanding of its content is helpful. A definition is the best place to begin any discussion. Many philosophers have problems defining philosophy with a specific, straightforward definition. But as we move towards a better grasp of the word, a description reveals itself in the term’s etymology, which is the study of the history and origins of words.

History ascribes Pythagoras of Samos with introducing the terms philosophy and philosophers to the ancient Greek world.2 Pythagoras combines two Greek words, phileo and sophos, to form a single concept—philosophy. Phileo means to love, and sophos denotes wisdom. Hence, most philosophers can agree upon the love of wisdom as a conventional definition.

On some level this elementary definition suffices. But the explanation lacks a full scope of what philosophy is. From here, trying to arrive at an agreeable definition gets more muddled.

Moving Towards a More Concrete Definition for Philosophy

A consensus exists among philosophers that there is no airtight definition for philosophy beyond the traditional one, which expresses everything the subject covers. The problem of obtaining an all-encompassing definition is, in some manner, due to philosophy touching upon nearly every aspect of human life and all topics of study. A survey of ancient Greek philosophical writings reveals biology, botany, law, mathematics, physics, psychology, and rhetoric are just a few of the subjects originating from philosophical discourse. Philosophy does not have any specific material of its own, which bewilders the situation further. As a result, we cannot distinguish the term with regards to a particular area of investigation. Additional problems arise in deriving a more concrete description; for example, the content and character of philosophy changes throughout history.3 At one point in time, God was an acceptable given in philosophical thought, and today the existence of God is questioned rather than assumed. Still further, a problem rests in whether philosophy is simply the evaluation of concepts and presuppositions or if more than this exists.4

Look closer at the traditional definition for philosophy—the love of wisdom. Defining wisdom presents a challenging task since one may not know what constitutes wisdom. Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines wisdom as:

• knowledge that is gained by having many experiences in life

• the natural ability to understand things that most other people cannot understand

• knowledge of what is proper or reasonable: good sense or judgment

In other words, wisdom is the proper understanding and right application of knowledge about the nature of reality. A wise person, therefore, lives accordingly by applying what the individual learns to real-life situations. Do not simply equate wisdom to having knowledge. Having wisdom is much more than mere knowledge of facts and various other bits of information. I am confident you can think of someone who you consider to be book smart but who does not have a bit of common sense.

Remember a wise person applies what is learned to everyday life. Solomon personifies wisdom throughout the book of Proverbs to illustrate this point. For example, let us look at Proverbs 4 to see why we must apply knowledge to life:

Hear, O sons, a father’s instruction, and be attentive, that you may gain insight, for I give you good precepts; do not forsake my teaching. When I was a son with my father, tender, the only one in the sight of my mother, he taught me and said to me, “Let your heart hold fast my words; keep my commandments, and live. Get wisdom; get insight; do not forget, and do not turn away from the words of my mouth. Do not forsake her, and she will keep you; love her, and she will guard you. The beginning of wisdom is this: Get wisdom, and whatever you get, get insight. Prize her highly, and she will exalt you; she will honor you if you embrace her. She will place on your head a graceful garland; she will bestow on you a beautiful crown.”

Hear, my son, and accept my words, that the years of your life may be many. I have taught you the way of wisdom; I have led you in the paths of uprightness. When you walk, your step will not be hampered, and if you run, you will not stumble. Keep hold of instruction; do not let go; guard her, for she is your life. Do not enter the path of the wicked, and do not walk in the way of the evil. Avoid it; do not go on it; turn away from it and pass on. For they cannot sleep unless they have done wrong; they ar...

Table of contents

• Title Page
• Foreword
• Preface
• Acknowledgements
• Abbreviations
• Introduction
• Part One: Prelude to Philosophy and Its Value for the Christian
• Part Two: How We Come to Know Things
• Part Three: Philosophy and the Gospel
• Part Four: So What Now
• Bibliography