Augustine, Boethius, Anselm, Aquinas-LH 6-8. FL 9-10, HWT 9-10
LH
1. How did Augustine "solve" the problem of evil in his younger days, and then after his conversion to Christianity? Why wasn't it such a problem for him originally?
2. What does Boethius not mention about himself in The Consolation of Philosophy?
3. Boethius' "recollection of ideas" can be traced back to what philosopher?
4. What uniquely self-validating idea did Anselm say we have?
5. Gaunilo criticized Anselm's reasoning using what example?
6. What was Aquinas' 2nd Way?
FL
1. How did Enlightenment values advance in America in the 19th century?
2. What fantasy about 1776 has been accepted as fact by Americans across the religious spectrum (and Ronald Reagan) ever since?
3. How was religion in America, unlike Europe, non-binary?
4. How did Thomas Jefferson characterize America's religious differences in the north and the south?
5. What happened in Cane Ridge, KY in 1801, and how did a Vanderbilt historian describe it?
6. Who was Charles Finney, and what did he understand about American Christianity?
7. What did de Tocqueville say was different about religion in America, compared to Europe?
8. Who was William Miller and what beliefs did he help revive?
9. Who was Joseph Smith and what is the most interesting thing about him?
HWT
1. What fundamental and non-western sense of time has underpinned much of human history?
2. What is "dreamtime" and how is it alien to the modern west?
3. The universalism of western universities implies that what is unimportant?
4. What does John Gray say about the idea of progress?
5. Karma originally concerned what, and lacked what connotations now commonly associated with it?
6. What western ideas have displaced karma, for many young Indians?
Discussion Questions
- [Add your own DQs]
- Would the existence of evil equivalent to good, without guarantees of tthe inevitable triiumph of the latter, solve the problem of suffering?
- Why do you think Boethius didn't write "The Consolation of Christianity"?
- Do you think you have a clear idea of what it would mean for there to be an all-knowing, all-powerful, all-good supernatural being?
- Do you think knowledge is really a form of remembering or recollection? Have we just forgotten what we knew?
- Is there a difference between an uncaused cause (or unmoved mover) and a god?
- Which is the more plausible explanation of the extent of gratuitous suffering in the world, that God exists but is not more powerful than Satan, or that neither God nor Satan exists? Why?
- Are supernatural stories of faith, redemption, and salvation more comforting to you than the power of reason and evidence? Why or why not?
- What do you think of the Manichean idea that an "evil God created the earth and emtombed our souls in the prisons of our bodies"? (Dream of Reason 392)
- Do you agree with Augustine about "the main message of Christianity...that man needs a great deal of help"? (DR 395). If so, must "help" take the form of supernatural salvation? If not, what do you think the message is? What kind of help do we need?
- What do you think of Boethius' proposed solution to the puzzle of free will, that from a divine point of view there's no difference between past, present, and future? 402
- Did Russell "demolish" Anselm's ontological argument? (See below)
- COMMENT: “The world is so exquisite with so much love and moral depth, that there is no reason to deceive ourselves with pretty stories for which there's little good evidence. Far better it seems to me, in our vulnerability, is to look death in the eye and to be grateful every day for the brief but magnificent opportunity that life provides.” Carl Sagan
- COMMENT: “Science is not only compatible with spirituality; it is a profound source of spirituality. When we recognize our place in an immensity of light‐years and in the passage of ages, when we grasp the intricacy, beauty, and subtlety of life, then that soaring feeling, that sense of elation and humility combined, is surely spiritual. So are our emotions in the presence of great art or music or literature, or acts of exemplary selfless courage such as those of Mohandas Gandhi or Martin Luther King, Jr. The notion that science and spirituality are somehow mutually exclusive does a disservice to both.” Carl Sagan
- If you were falsely imprisoned, tortured, and scheduled for execution, would you be able to achieve "consolation"? How?
- Can the definition of a word prove anything about the world?
- Is theoretical simplicity always better, even if the universe is complex?
- Does the possibility of other worlds somehow diminish humanity?
- How does the definition of God as omniscient, omnipotent, and perfectly good make it harder to account for evil and suffering in the world? Would it be better to believe in a lesser god, or no god at all?
- Can you explain the concept of Original Sin? Do you think you understand it?
- Is it better to embrace (or renounce) religious faith early in life, or to "sow your wild oats" and enjoy a wide experience of the world before committing to any particular tradition or belief? Were you encouraged by adults, in childhood, to make a public profession of faith? If so, did you understand what that meant or entailed?
- Does the concept of a never-ending struggle between good and evil appeal to you? Does it make sense, in the light of whatever else you believe? Would there be anything "wrong" with a world in which good was already triumphant, happiness for all already secured, kindness and compassion unrivaled by hatred and cruelty?
- Do you find the concept of Original Sin compelling, difficult, unfair, or dubious? In general, do we "inherit the sins of our fathers (and mothers)"? If yes, give examples and explain.
- What kinds of present-day McCarthyism can you see? Is socialism the new communism? How are alternate political philosophies discouraged in America, and where would you place yourself on the spectrum?
- Andersen notes that since WWII "mainline" Christian denominations were peaking (and, as evidence shows, are now declining). What do you think about this when you consider the visible political power of other evangelical denominations? Are you a part of a mainline traditon? If so, how would you explain this shift?
Aaron Petty
ReplyDeleteSection #7
LH
1. Augustine in his younger days believed that God wasn't all powerful and there was a eternal battle occuring between the forces of good versus evil. After his conversion to Christianity, he believed evil was a direct result of the free will humans were given. It wasn't a big issue for him before Christianity because if God isn't all powerful then he has no control over evil. But if he is, then why does he allow evil to exist, which leads Augustine to his final reasoning of free will.
2. Boethius doesn't mention he was a Christian in his book.
3. Beothius' theory on recollection of ideas is based on what Plato believed about humans when we learn.
4. Anselm had the belief that if humans had the idea of God, then we must have gotten it from somewhere.
5. Gaunilo used the example that just because we can think of a perfect island, then that doesn't mean it actually exists.
6. Aquinas' 2nd Way was the First Cause Argument. Basically, if we trace causes back far enough there had to be a starting point for everything in the universe.
The difference between an uncaused cause and a god. Both are things people believe in to try to understand the complex universe we live in. I feel like people regard them as the same thing, even if they don’t call them either name. The ‘uncaused cause’ that created the universe is incomprehensible, just like a God would be, so people use both to try to make understanding the huge question- provoking universe a little bit less out of grasp. Laney #11.
ReplyDelete#11
ReplyDeleteLH 2. He doesn't bring up the fact that he was a Christian.
FL 4. Jefferson summarized the northerners as "superstitious and hypocritical in their religion" and saw the southerners "without attachment or pretensions to any religion but that of the heart."
HWT 1. Many accepted the thought of time as cyclical instead of linear in the past and in other cultures worldwide.
Taylor Bawcum
ReplyDeleteSection 7
LH 1. He was Manichaean, meaning he believed god wasn’t a supreme power and there was always a struggle going on between good and evil. He decided that it was actually free will, and that God allowed suffering because it was human ability to choose what we do next. He was Christian and didn’t need to question it.
2. That he was an early Christian
3. Plato
Heidi Engle #7
ReplyDeleteLH
2. He doesn't talk about the fact that he was a Christian.
3. Boethius' 'recollection of ideas' comes from Plato
4. Anselm claimed that because we have an idea of God, that proves that God must exist.
5. Gaunilo criticized Anselm's idea with the example of the perfect island.
HWT
1. Cyclical time. Meaning time moves continuously forward and repetitively with no end.
3. It implies that "The pursuit of truth recognizes no national boundaries."
5. Karma originally had to do with the concern of properly carrying out rituals to make sure they were effective. It had no moral connotations.
DQs
Defining God as omniscient, omnipotent, and perfectly good makes it harder to account for the suffering in the world because this often leads to the questions "Is God causing the evil in the world or is he simply allowing it to happen? And why should I want to worship a God like that?" And none of those seem to have satisfying or reassuring answers. "How dare you create a world in which there is so much misery that is not our fault?... Why should I respect a capricious, mean-minded, stupid God who creates a world which is so full of injustice and pain?" Stephen Fry (when asked about how he would address an all-powerful God if that's what he encountered at the end of his life)
I strongly believe that it is important to gain personal knowledge and experiences in the world before committing to any religion. I don't believe that it is safe or healthy to ask a child to proclaim any sort of faith which they cannot fully understand. Children are so vulnerable to indoctrination due to their young, curious minds which makes it even more important to allow them to gain independence in their thinking and make the decision for themselves. Unfortunately, many religions see children as an easy opportunity to simply gain a new follower. I went to church for the majority of my life and was essentially forced into declaring myself a Christian. As a child, I never fully understood what it meant to be saved or to be baptized or even what being a Christian meant other than believing in God. As I got older and gained this understanding, I became more scared of religion than anything. God was supposed to be comforting but I never found comfort in the impending doom of revelations or the constant fear of needing to save everyone around me from an eternity in Hell. I appreciate the perspective I gained from being in such an environment and I appreciate knowing the ins and outs of Christianity so that I can have informed conversations about it now, but I don't appreciate the fear mongering nor the shame that I was introduced to at such a young age.
John Wright #12
ReplyDeleteLH
2: That he was an early Christian.
3: Plato.
4: Logic.
5: The idea of the most perfect island.
HTW
1: Linear Time.
2: The idea that past, present, and future are all present in one place. It’s alien because in the west we focus on when something happens and much less where it happens. Dreamtime focuses on the energy of humans being returned to the Earth when someone dies, as opposed to linear time which assumes that the energy is dispatched from the Earth when someone passes.
LH Emily Seeto #12
ReplyDelete1. How did Augustine "solve" the problem of evil in his younger days, and then after his conversion to Christianity? Why wasn't it such a problem for him originally?
Augustine questioned everything about Christianity even though he believed in it.
2. What does Boethius not mention about himself in The Consolation of Philosophy?
He never mentions that he’s Christian
3. Boethius' "recollection of ideas" can be traced back to what philosopher?
His ideas were based on Plato
4. What uniquely self-validating idea did Anselm say we have?
If humans believed in a god then theoretically someone had to have started it
5. Gaunilo criticized Anselm's reasoning using what example?
The idea of a perfect island that may or may not exist
6. What was Aquinas' 2nd Way?
His second way was that everything started from somewhere
Cole #7
ReplyDelete1. Augustine believed that there was a war in heaven between the forces of good and evil which allowed both sides to have a foot hold in the mortal world when a certain act was committed. After his conversion to Christianity he believed in the concept of free will which allowed humans to make their own decision.
2. He doesn't mention that he is a Christian.
3. Boethius based his ideas off of Plato.
4. Someone had to start the idea for men to believe in a higher power such as God.
5. He used the idea of an island that may or may not exist.
6. Aquinas' 2nd way was the idea that everything started from somewhere.
Hannah Crumley #11
ReplyDelete1. How did Augustine "solve" the problem of evil in his younger days, and then after his conversion to Christianity? Why wasn't it such a problem for him originally?
In his younger days, he “solved” the problem of evil by avoiding that God wanted evil to happen in the first place. He became a Manichean, which meant he did not believe God was all powerful. Instead, there was just a constant battle of good and evil. He thought that goodness came from the soul while evil came from the body. After his conversion to Christianity, he solved the problem by saying that God gave us free will. This meant that God did not want to let evil happen, but he gave us free will to choose to be good or evil.
2. What does Boethius not mention about himself in The Consolation of Philosophy?
He never mentions that he is a Christian.
3. Boethius' "recollection of ideas" can be traced back to what philosopher?
His “recollection of ideas” can be traced back down to Plato.
4. What uniquely self-validating idea did Anselm say we have?
Anslem says that because we believe God exists, then there must be a God.
5. Gaunilo criticized Anselm's reasoning using what example?
Gaunilo criticized Anselm’s reasoning using an example of thinking that is a perfect island existed in your mind, then it must actually exist. He explains how that is nit the case, because just that you think of a perfect island does not mean that it is real.
6. What was Aquinas' 2nd Way?
His second way was the First Cause Argument. This said that there had to be a starting point to everything. There had to be something that started everything else that had not been created or started by something else.
Betti Houser #12
ReplyDeleteHWT:
1) "The past is also the future, the future is also the past, the beginning also the end" or cyclical time.
2) Dreamtime is time intimately linked to place.
4) John Gray states "Belief in progress is a relic of the Christain view of history as a universal narrative." He also states that "Secular thinkers reject the idea of providence, but they continue to think humankind is moving towards a universal goal even though the idea of progress in history is a myth created by the need for meaning."
LH #11
ReplyDelete1) Augustine in his younger days was a Manachaean. Manachaeists believe that God and Evil coexist in a battle for with each other, and at times evil wins but eventually good prevails over it. After his conversion, Augustine believed in the Human free will as a solution to Evil, or the "Free Will Defence" that humans choose what they want to do, and straying from the message of god (choosing emotion over reason) can cause humans to do horrible things.
3) Boethius' ideas can be traced to Plato and Aristotle.
4) Anselm believed that if we can imagine a god, then that must mean that a god exists. That we all have an uncontroversial idea of god in our minds, but if it is something we can imagine then it cannot be the all greatness of God. So the all great Divine god could exist, but what we imagine can never be better than the divinity himself, so God must exist.
Kaleb Toon #12
ReplyDeleteLH
1. In his younger days, Augustine solved his problem of evil in the world by following the teachings of the Manachaeists, who believed that the reason that evil existed in this world is due to the eternal battle between God and Satan, thus creating the idea of the struggle between good and evil in this world. When he grew older and denounced the teachings of the Manachaeists, converting to Christianity, he proposed the idea of the Free Will Defense; the idea that though God controls all and all that is good, he gave humanity the ability to control their own fate, or Free Will.
2. Within his book, Boethius fails to mention that he himself was an early Christian. The reason for the absence of this fact I am unsure of, maybe he felt that it could be assumed by anyone who read his book, but the true answer can only be left in the realm of speculation.
3. Boethius's "Recollection of Ideas" can be traced in origin back to the teachings of Plato.
4. Anselm argued that as humans have the ability to imagine a God existing, then that is enough to prove that one does in fact exist.
5. To challenge Anselm's idea, Gaunilo presented the argument of the perfect island. In which, he explains that anyone can imagine the most perfect island, with all necessary resources for not just survival, but to live in luxury. However, just because one can imagine such a perfect place, that is not enough to prove outright that such a place exists. He argues this is the same principle of Anselm's teaching, thus invalidating Anselm's claim.
Kayla Pulling #7
ReplyDeleteHWT
1. Time is cyclical. The past is the future, the future is the past, and the beginning is also the end.
2. Dreamtime is when the Ancestral Spirits progressed over the land and created life, as well as important historical sites.
3. "The pursuit of truth recognizes no national boundaries."
4. "I define progress in my new book as any kind of advance that's cumulative, so that what's achieved at one period is the basis for later achievement that then, over time, becomes more and more irreversible."
5. The concern of properly carrying out rituals to make sure they were effective.