October 2008 Archives

Thomas Aquinas explains reason and faith in Chapter VII of Summa Contra Gentiles.  Ha makes numerous connections to primary truths.  He relates the first condition: the ability of the mind to know truth to reason, and he relates the first principle: assume there won't be contradiction, in connection to the Christian Faith.  Thomas uses these two primary truths to prove faith and reason, and to defend them in their own subject area.

                Christian faith exceeds the capacity of human reason.  Thomas states that "those things which are naturally instilled in human reason cannot be opposed to this truth".  Thomas makes a connection to the first condition.  Beliefs that are instilled in humans cannot be contrasting to truth.  What humans believe is naturally must be true, it is impossible to deem it false according to Thomas Aquinas.  "Nor is it lawful to deem false that which is held by faith, since it is so evidently confirmed by God".  Thomas makes two connections; he states that the human mind is unable to think it's false because God established that it was true.  He also states that there can't be any contradiction because states that it's true.

"It is impossible for the aforesaid truth of faith to be contrary to those principles which reason knows naturally".  Aquinas states that impossible for truth to have any contradiction because the principle states that there cannot be any contradiction in order to converse about truth.  Objects and beliefs that are natural cannot have contradiction.  Natural objects are unchangeable as long as it remains natural.  Although some humans think there is confusion in reason, there cannot be any uncertainty in order for humans to discuss primary truths.

Thomas Aquinas connects both reason and faith through the two primary truths.  He states that the divine Wisdom contains these principles, but whatever is contrary to the principles is contrary to divine Wisdom.  "Therefore the divine Wisdom also contains these principles. Consequently whatever is contrary to these principles is contrary to the divine Wisdom; wherefore it cannot be God".   The first principle of non-contradiction states that in order for humans to talk about truth people have understand no truth can be discussed unless there is the understanding of the primary truths.  Thomas Aquinas discusses many relations that corresponds both faith and reason together.  "Therefore God does not instill into man any opinion or belief contrary to natural knowledge".  Aquinas believes that man has no contrasting opinion to natural knowledge, man's mind is pure.  No contrary opinions will disprove that faith and reason cannot be discussed with different ideas. 

Thomas Aquinas created this idea that people that believe in Christian faith believe in divine Wisdom, and divine Wisdom has no contradiction that it has to be true to be discussed with other people.  He also says that Christian faith has no contradiction and must be true because it was created by God is pure and true, so the Christian faith cannot be contrasting.  "Now contrary opinions cannot be in the same subject".   If God had instilled conflicting knowledge in humans, then people's intellect would be obstructed from knowing truth.  "Our intellect is stayed by contrary arguments, so that it cannot advance to the knowledge of truth". 

Aquinas harmonized faith and reason together.  He interrupted that knowledge cannot be contrasting because humans have opinions.  God created us where humans would be able to contradict what he instilled in us from birth.  Aquinas connected that God and the divine Wisdom have no contradiction in arguments because humans must first realize that in order to discuss faith the primary truths must be understood.  Aquinas also believed that reason corresponded with the first principle, and faith corresponded with the first condition.  Aquinas gave reasons that allow for there to not be any contrast in the Christian faith.  He gives two examples, "Hence the apostle said, 'The word is nigh thee even in thy heart and in thy mouth. This is the word of faith which we preach'". Christian faith also has no contradiction and must be true because that is the way that God made humans, and the reason why the knowledge humans have cannot be obstructed in any way. 

                Aquinas gave thoughtful explanation to discussing how Christian faith, divine Wisdom and God must be true and have no contradiction.  Humans cannot have conflicting knowledge otherwise "our intellect would not be able to grow.  Aquinas makes the connection between faith and reason in Chapter VII more evident.

The eighteenth century is referred to as the Enlightenment, or Age of Reason.  The Enlightenment was brought on by intellectuals at the end of seventeenth century who were attempting to bring new ideas about the Scientific Revolution. Also, during the eighteenth century Thomas Jefferson an Enlightenment intellectual wrote the Declaration of Independence. Jefferson being an intellectual used the three basic concepts of Enlightenment - reason, nature, and change and progress - to declare our independence. Jefferson being an Enlightenment thinker argued for reform and change and the Declaration is a document about reform and change. 

                Jefferson states in the opening paragraphs of the Declaration that "... it becomes necessary for one People to dissolve the Political Bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the Powers of the Earth, the separate and equal Station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them (Declaration 1)." In the Enlightenment era nature only had a few simple and unchangeable laws. In Great Britain the King had many laws and rules. Jefferson states in the Declaration about how under the King's rules things have become corrupt from humans complex political, social, and religious restrictions. "That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these Ends, it is the Right of the People, to alter or abolish it, and institute a new Government (Declaration 1)." By stating in the Declaration that we should move to the Laws of nature Jefferson is stating that humans should make the move to a more wholesome vitality and freedom.

                Also in the Declaration, Thomas Jefferson states "we hold these Truths to be self-evident, that all Men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness (Declaration 1)." By Truths Jefferson means reason. These truths are achieved experimentally. "All we know and all we can ever know is what we perceive through our senses and interpret with our reason (469)." Jefferson describes these truths as assumptions and that they should be questioned to critical and experimental reasoning.

                The third concept Jefferson describes is change and progress. Change and progress can free individuals and be practiced only when it is dictated by reason and when lined up with nature. "In every stage of these Oppressions we have Petitioned for Redress in the most humble Terms: Our repeated

Petitions have been answered only by repeated Injury. A Prince, whose Character is thus marked by every act which may define a Tyrant, is unfit to be the Ruler of a free People (Declaration 3)." Jefferson states that the colonies have met Britain's terms but they have seen no progress. "Change and progress work hand in hand as human beings work to perfect themselves and their society (469)." Once there is progress; change will follow. The Declaration of Independence is a document stating the American colonies act toward seeing change. If Britain is not going to provide any change then the colonies want to end their Allegiance with Britain.

                Deism was an Enlightenment religion. It states that "all men naturally possess the ability to know the universe's divinity through reason (Reid 1990)." Thomas Jefferson connected Enlightenment religion with the ideals of American democracy. Jefferson used deism throughout the entire Declaration of Independence. Deism states that all men should know their creator. Deity states that God revealed himself through nature and reason. Deism came between the Renaissance humanism and the pure naturalism. Deism is like the Renaissance humanism because it focuses on the beauties of nature, especially human nature. It is also contrast Renaissance humanism by assigning God to the outer reaches of the universe. "Naturalistic thinkers would a step beyond deism and deny the existence of God altogether (470)." Eventually in 1810 deism lost momentum in its proposal for becoming an accepted religious choice.

                The minds of Enlightenment thinkers generally formed a structure for their more specific ideas on the concepts of reason, nature, and change and progress. Enlightenment thinkers criticize institutions and customs of the pasts through reason and nature. To determine what changes should be made thinkers relied on reason and nature to guide them. The Enlightenment thinkers believed that if individuals made correct changes, their lives would become more informed by reason and compatible with nature. Jefferson stated the same ideals in the Declaration of Independence when he claimed that the colonies wanted to become Free states and break the allegiance with Great Britain. Jefferson believed that humans being were on the verge of Enlightenment. They were making great progress. If the people would just simply open their eyes and become mature, reasoning adults they would lead increasingly, happier, freer, more moral lives. As Jefferson writes it is the Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness.

    I believe the "startling truth" that Angelou is making reference to, is the type of truth that allows people to be able to make mistakes.  She writes in one paragraph, "Who reach out daily for the bomb, the blade, and the dagger" (Angelou).  To me this illustrates someone who has no truth and is taking justice into his own hands to find some sort of truth.  In the next paragraph she writes, "Yet those same hands can touch with such healing, irresistible tenderness" (Angelou).  She makes a connection that someone who is so tormented can also be someone so healing. They can be bad one day and good the next, like there are no good and bad guys. She also talks about the unkindly human nature and the beauty of the earth around us. She uses two paragraphs to describe that the wonders of the world are not the only wonders of the world. "These are not the only wonders of the world" (Angelou). She talks about struggles between the day when we will find peace and the day we accept it. "To the day of peacemaking, when we release our fingers from fists of hostility, and allow the pure air to cool our palms" (Angelou), "When battlefields and coliseum no longer rake our unique and particular sons and daughters" (Angelou).  In those two lines I think is where she really states that when this time comes we will truly find a brave and startling truth. In the last few lines she writes about how "we are the miraculous true wonder of the world", but we will only realize this when we come to know truth.