This was a time of great conflict between (then) current and emerging paradigms. These paradigms were so exceedingly influential, that the effects of that conflict are still felt today. However, before I continue this discussion, I believe it would help to define what governs these two opposing sides.
If one is to reasonably examine the foundations of one's philosophical ideals, they would probably be based off of one's accepted answer to basic questions about life such as:
- "What is man?"
- "What is God?"
- "What is the meaning of history?"
Why? Because these questions describe the fundamental pillars of one's existence. If we know what something is, we can easily assume or determine the different facets of that subject's point of being in the world is. But where do we obtain these answers?
Most people would answer based off the different ideas presented to them while they were in early school, or by the age of seven as some have said. At this age, a child is too young to understand for themselves the intricacies of life, thus they end up having the "big picture" answers that typically come from their parents or teachers based off some kind of religious concept that sounds agreeable to them.
And now we have arrived at the core issue of the governance of philosophy. Religion should be the sole determining factor of the way the world is viewed. The reason is that faith, specifically Christianity, is the only thing in the world that (1) never changes, and (2) can fully answer the questions above that lead to one's philosophy.
In the next post, I will talk about what the limits of religion, and therefore philosophy, are. Also, room allowing, I will define what governs science, and why it matters.
