Faith & Reason: Kierkegaard, Clifford, & Aquinas ~ sli de 1 Kierkegaard & Fideism Fideism – The position that religious belief- systems are not subject to rational evaluation (Michael Peterson et al, Reason & Religious Belief: an Introduction to the Philosophy of Religion, 2nd ed. (NY: Oxford UP, 1998) 49). – Søren Kierkegaard (Danish, 1813-1855) • Two ways of knowing – Objective – Subjective
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Faith & Reason: Kierkegaard, Clifford, & Aquinas ~ slide 1 Kierkegaard & Fideism lFideism –The position that religious belief-systems are not subject to.
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Fideism – The position that religious belief-systems
are not subject to rational evaluation (Michael Peterson et al, Reason & Religious Belief: an Introduction to the Philosophy of Religion, 2nd ed. (NY: Oxford UP, 1998) 49).
– Søren Kierkegaard (Danish, 1813-1855)• Two ways of knowing
Strong rationalism - the position that “in order for a religious belief-system to be properly and rationally accepted, it must be possible to prove that the belief-system is true” (Peterson et al 45).
– William Clifford (English, 1845-1879)• Story about ship owner
• Conclusion: The ship owner had “no right to believe on such evidence as was before him” & it was morally wrong for him to believe that it was safe to sail (Peterson 802nd).
– We often must act without sufficient knowledge (e.g., practice of medicine).
– In his tacit application of his position to religion, he assumes that religious faith is a leap beyond reason & evidence. • John Polkinghorne: “You don’t
have to commit intellectual suicide to be a person of religious faith.”
Critical rationalism - the position that “religious belief-systems can and must be rationally criticized and evaluated although conclusive proof is such a system is impossible” (Peterson et al 53).
• Arguments for the appropriateness that although truths about God are available through human reason, these same truths are also available through revelation (reason & revelation)
– 1. The pragmatic argument– 2. Argument based on the frailty of
human reason•Arguments for the appropriateness that there are some truths about God which are beyond human reason (revelation only)– [1. Argument based on the
satisfaction of the transcendent nature of humans]
– Critique of Aquinas• On # 5, in view of our 20th
century awareness of the historicity of the development of dogma & of the interpretation of scripture, why not say that in cases of conflict, both religious faith & reason must reassess their positions?
•Finally, critical rationalism, since it holds that conclusive proof is never possible with respect to religious belief-systems, involves, as Kierkegaard claims, commitment which goes beyond pure rationality; it involves entrusting ourselves to something that goes beyond what we have conclusive proof for.