OTHER EXAMPLES
The works of Philo also used this same Full System to communicate Old Testament Truths to the Greek thinking population and demonstrate that the foundations of this System were founded actually upon Old Testament Principles.
Martin Luther used this System in Bondage of the Will.
Lex Rex uses this System.
Jonathan Edwards used this System in Veritas Redux.
Hume used this System.
THIS SYSTEM IS IN USE STILL TODAY
The students of the ancient world were introduced to the full System of Classical Discourse early-on. In the ancient world, only a "select few"; priviledged, wealthy and brilliant were well-Educated. The rest "got a regular day job". This continued the Class Structure. Today also, unless you were priviledged to receive an excellent Classical Education, you will most likely never have heard of it, yet, it is still used in some form.[2]
This System is the basis for Higher Criticism and Advanced Scholarship used many times by those at the Ph.D. level. It is highly organized, and gives an "automatic edge" to those that use it in its fullest form. It can give the appearance of arguments being irrefutable. Even unbelievers' arguments may appear irrefutable if they use this System. If the Believer is not informed about the Full System and how it is to be properly used, they can believe themselves overwhelmed, not knowing what Full System is being used against them.
High School students in early America were taught this Full System but are no longer. The foundations of Anglo-Saxon Law and fundamental Jurisprudence contain this System.[3]
HOW THE CLASSICAL SYSTEM BECAME REJECTED BY SECULAR HUMANISM
The Clessical System of Determinig Truth, fully accepted in Western Civilization and early American schools, was disregarded with the presentation of the Hegelian Dialectic. Hegel taught that the former idea of "A" and "-A" (The Thesis and the Antithesis) could be combined into a "shade of grey" called a Synthesis. This basically threw the entire Classical idea of determining Truth and Error out the window and opened the door to anything one wanted to place there as a "Synthesis".
In this way, Hegel essentially said, "There are no Absolutes", but all thought could be considered in a sense "Evolutionary".[4] This permitted the full entrance of Humanism, and Darwins' theory of "The Survival of the Fittest" was given full credibility. This brought on Karl Mannheim and all the rest who rejected even Divine Faith as an Absolute.
Anyone that accepts the Hegelian Dialectic simply agrees to surrender the possiblitiy of any Absolute except "Change". All becomes "Relative" and Amoral which leads to the idea that we live in a meaningless Universe. The Hegelian "Synthesis" has produced "synthetic absolutes" which have led directly to the ideas behind "establishing a secular society".
PEOPLE OF G-D MINISTRIES
Copyright 2003 - 2004 People of G-d Inc. All Rights Reserved. Not for reproduction or redistribution without Written Permission and Consent of People of G-d Inc.
[1
[2
[3
Today, the general educational system does not reveal what it once did to High School students in early America. The result is a "dumbing down" of the students and the population who are awarded a "high school diploma" without the Full System being revealed to them. Even at the Universtity level in some cases this is also true. Only a "select few" are taught it. For example, a simple University student may be thrown a mass of literature to read, analyze and categorize and not be given the tools by which that literature can be analyzed as it always was in earlier times.
The Full System may be given only later to a seeming "select few" and therefore is hidden from the rest.
Can this System based on common sense principles be used by Believers to refute the Humanistic arguments of those that use it? Absolutely. The Fallacies of Humanism can be clearly revealed and refuted by it. Just as the Apostle Paul and Augustine did. But if it is only taught to a "select" or "priviledged few" those "select few" are only able to now use it. And it is being actively used against the Bible.
The usual substitute provided at the lower levels is based on Psychology, Sociology or even a "politically correct" agenda in some cases, such as Feminism. A Good Education in its Classical sense is generally not ever provided.
This in no way is suggesting that the entirety of Greek thought should be accepted. This System however, can be useful if properly used.
[4
Does the Hegelian Dialectic actually refute the Classical System? No it does not. It simply refuses to admit on some level that any Absolutes exist except its own method for determining "truth"!
Augustine, Aurelius. City of God.
Downes, Stephen. List of Logical Fallacies.
Mannheim, Karl. Ideology and Utopia. New York. Harvest. 1936.
Marsdon, George M. The Outrageous Idea of Christian Scholarship. Oxford University Press.
Philo of Alexandria. Complete Works.
Rutherford, Reverend Samuel. Lex Rex. 1641.
(Page Under Construction. Other Credits and Sources Forthcoming).
