"You shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free"

Philosophy

 

"Where is the wise?
where is the scribe?
where is the disputer of this world?
hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world?"
(1 Corinthians 1:20)
-- 6 feet under

 

The world is
an enormous marketplace of ideas.
Almost all the ‘goods' proffered
are adulterations, forgeries,
or fantasies.
Happy is the man who
finds the genuine.

Generally, human developed philosophies are an attempt by mankind to improve the conditions of the present and future generations' quality of life. So far as it is capable, guided by human sagacity, it seeks to avoid the consequences of the Edenic fall. These philosophies seek to find ways to improve man's 'quality of life' culturally, socially and politically. But truly as Cicero said, "There is nothing so absurd but that it may be found in the books of the philosophers". And indeed, it is astounding to look at some of the suggested courses of action that philosophers have invented. Most philosophers have seen the necessity of controlling the wayward human spirit and therefore they have proposed some of the most absurd methods to develop a 'utopian' society, including eugenics, which is a nice way of saying the 'selective breeding' of mankind.

Will Durant was asked the question “What was it that made you get so interested in studying history.” He responded, “Well that's very interesting. I was interested in philosophy and I studied it very faithfully. Wrote a little book called The Story of Philosophy and I found that I wasn't getting any answers that I wanted. I wanted to know what kind of a man is man. Philosophy didn't tell me. It is true that is an attempt to deal with consciousness which scientists never deal with and yet it is the most astonishing thing in the world. But I discovered that to find out how man behaved and how he will probably behave in the future, you have to study history. That is the, the map of human character.” (The Lessons of History, Will Durant, audio edition, 24:10).

Because Mr. Durant was a philosopher, atheist¹, and evolutionist, he could not accept that the Bible had already mapped out the human character. Nor does the Bible deal with the future as a "probably". Mr. Durant's world view relegated religion, not to a useless superstition, but rather to a useful tool for maintaining social order but nothing more. But not only had the Bible already mapped out the human character, it has from generation to generation shown mankind what he can do about it -- and what will happen if he doesn't. The truly wise of every age have been able to see the past, present and future with precision lacking in any history or philosophy of human origin. The world is still content to feed off the rotting husks of Aristotle, Plato, Voltaire &c. &c., going from "modernism", to "post-modernism" to paganism and moving towards nihilism. Only years back they worshipped "the god of Reason" and have progressed now to to the 'death of Reason'. There is no hope for humanity from vain human philosophy. The best it can deliver is a shortlived balm which may slightly alleviate the problems of mankind. The wise will find answers that are useful for the life that now is and that which is to come in the Bible.

"Those who do not believe that moral values must come from the Bible or be based upon God's moral instruction argue that they have a better source for values: human reason. In fact, the era that began the modern Western assault on Judeo-Christian values is known as the Age of Reason. That age ushered in the modern secular era, a time when the men of "the Enlightenment" hoped they would be liberated from the superstitious shackles of religious faith and rely on reason alone. Reason, without God or the Bible, would guide them into an age of unprecedented moral greatness. As it happened, the era following the decline of religion in Europe led not to unprecedented moral greatness, but to unprecedented cruelty, superstition, mass murder and genocide. But believers in reason without God remain unfazed. Secularists have ignored the vast amount of evidence showing that evil on a grand scale follows the decline of Judeo-Christian religion...." (Dennis Prager)

"Now, as the scripture saith, the Great Builder of the heavens and earth is God. 'His hand hath laid the foundations of the earth, and his right hand hath spanned the heavens.?' The Builder of all things either left the elements of the world to a random and accidental aggroupment, or, He 'ordered them in all things?'. Where is the man among 'philosophers?' who will stultify, or idiotize himself by saying that the Creator permitted chance to elaborate the terrestrial system? The thing is absurd. Chance is defined to be the cause of fortuitous, or accidental events. What is that cause? The fool says in his heart it is not God. Why does he say so? Because he would make the cause of all things, a mere physical disposition in matter, destitute of all intellectual and moral attributes, in order that he may get rid of all responsibility to such a Being . He hates truth, righteousness, and holiness, and therefore he vainly strives to persuade himself that there is no God of a truthful, righteous, and holy character.

"But no man of any pretensions to sound mind would affirm this. Nothing has been elaborated by chance. The scriptures declare that everything was measured, meted out, and weighed; and that the Spirit of the Lord executed His work without any to counsel or instruct Him. As it is written, 'He has measured the waters in the hollow of his hand, and meted out heaven with a span, and comprehended the dust of the earth in a measure , and weighed the mountains in scales, and the hills in a balance. Who hath directed the Spirit of the Lord, or being his counsellor, hath taught him? With whom took he counsel, and who instructed him, and taught him in the path of judgment, and taught him knowledge, and showed to him the way of understanding?'" (Elpis Israel, Note: Darwin would "idiotize" himself and many others only 10 years later, 1859, when he wrote The Origin of Species)

"For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God. For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent. Where is the wise? where is the scribe? where is the disputer of this world? hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe. For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom: But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness; But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God. Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men. For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called : But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea , and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are: That no flesh should glory in his presence. But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption: That, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord." (1st Corinthians 1:18-31)

Footnote:

(1) Mr. Durant said, "In the last page of that book [The Lessons of History] I fall into a kind of religious rhapsody about the heritage and it has served me as a substitute for my religious belief." (The Lessons of History, Will Durant, audio edition)

 

Last Update: April 24, 2006