Taking every thought captive for obedience to Christ (2 Corinthians 10.5)

Disciplines
Philosophy
In his book, The Abolition of Man, C. S. Lewis decried the growing relativism in British higher education. In his day, the idea that there are no permanent values, and that everyone needs to be able to decide matters of right and wrong for himself, was just beginning to infiltrate literary studies. Now, a generation later, this has become the defining motif of such studies.

Philosophers – those who truck in ideas and worldviews and the like – bridle at the notion of relativism being the last word, even though some have made a career out of it. For many, however, the truth is out there, and it falls to philosophy, not science, to discover whatever is wise, prudent, beautiful, good, and true about life, and to communicate these to people in terms and forms they can understand, embrace, and apply.

But philosophy is stuck in a rut. As long as professional philosophers limit themselves to the philosophical teaching of Europeans, they will be missing the opportunity to discern and discover truth from other cultures. This, at any rate, is the argument of Peter Levine, writing in the 28 June 2016 issue of Aeon (“The lack of diversity in philosophy is blocking progress”).

Mr. Levine insists that philosophy today “is a remarkably undiverse discipline.” He continues, “Compared with other scholars who read, interpret and assign texts, philosophers in the United States typically choose a much higher percentage of their sources (often, 100 per cent) from Europe and countries settled by Europeans.” That can’t be a good thing, Mr. Levine insists, because it simply ignores peoples and cultures, philosophies, religions, and worldviews which surely must have some insight to truth.

He longs for philosophy as a discipline to “become more diverse in order to make progress on its fundamental questions.” He points to the example of literary and scientific studies, which have become multicultural and international in nature, in calling for greater breadth and diversity in philosophical research. Philosophy doesn’t make steady forward progress; it lurches, so to speak, from philosopher to philosopher and age to age, glomming onto first this, then that, then some other truth as each new philosopher emerges to prominence. Philosophy as a discipline benefits from “encountering and absorbing new perspectives.” So it only makes sense that, if philosophers could give more credence and pay more attention to thinkers, writers, and sages from other cultures besides Europe, philosophy might be better able to fulfill its calling.

Mr. Levine rightly points out that “ideas about values are embedded in everyday life and informed by people’s local experiences.” If philosophers were more diligent about studying cultures and histories other than Europe and European derivatives, they might expect to make more progress toward truth and wisdom.

It is of the nature of philosophy to love and seek out wisdom wherever it may be found. “The point is not,” Mr. Levine explains, “that different people see the world differently and we ought to understand everyone. Rather, the Buddha or the Gita might be correct.” Thus, “To ignore such sources is to practise philosophy poorly.”

This is a very good point, especially in view of C. S. Lewis’ argument in The Abolition of Man about the existence of common values, priorities, and moral perspectives across a wide range of cultures and through many generations. Borrowing a term from Confucius, Lewis referred to this common catalog of values as the Tao, and what he was acknowledging is what the Scriptures refer to as the works of the Law of God, which He has written on the hearts of all people (Rom. 2.14, 15).

People have an innate sense of right and wrong, beauty, goodness, and truth; God has invested them with this by virtue of having made people in His image. Thus, we should expect to find, culture by culture, century after century, that certain values and moral convictions are constant, cherished, and preserved, and when transgressed, denounced and punished.

Mr. Levine would agree, and he hopes that philosophers will realize the truth of this claim and devote themselves to exploring the evidence of such practical truths and longstanding wisdom in cultures beyond Europe and America.

Here is another case of a secular discipline which, having become ingrown, is suffocating under the weight of its false presuppositions, and in need of fresh air to survive and be relevant. By looking to worldwide evidence of common truths, practices, values, and moral convictions, philosophy may open students up to a broader vision of humanity, and to the teaching of Scripture, which explains the reason why this Tao exists.

For reflection
1.      Do you think it’s true that people from all kinds of cultures share certain basic values and moral convictions? Can you give an example or two?

2.      Christians should rejoice to know that an academic discipline is challenging its long-held presuppositions and looking more broadly in search of truth. Why?

3.      Why does being made in the image of God mean that people necessarily share certain values and moral convictions? Could knowing this serve as a conversation-starter for talking about the Gospel? Explain.

Next steps: Talk with some of the people in your Personal Mission Field about the question of values and moral convictions. Is everything relative? Are there some values and moral convictions that everyone understands to be true? If so, what is the source of those values and convictions?

Today at The Fellowship: ReVision returns to a daily column next week. This week we’ll finish the current series on “Time for the Kingdom” before we turn to consider the topic of “Work Matters” next week. In our Crosfigell columns this week we have considered the importance of keeping our priorities in line with God’s, and the nature of our calling as witnesses for Christ. We also encourage you to download this week’s PDF of our Scriptorium study of Acts 12 (Part 11). Our newest books, The Kingdom Turn and The Poetry of Prayer can help you realize more of the presence, promise, and power for Kingdom living as a follower of Christ. Finally, check out the state of your Christian worldview by watching the video and downloading the Personal Discipleship Inventory, a tool for evaluating your worldview and growing in Kingdom vision, disciplines, and outcomes.

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T. M. Moore