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Start here...first principles (A)
Start here…first principles (A)
Terry Dashner……..Faith Fellowship Church PO Box 1586 Broken Arrow, OK 74013
Mortimer J. Adler said, “The fundamentals of logic should be as transcultural as the mathematics with which the principles of logic are associated. The principles of logic are neither Western nor Eastern, but universal.” That’s interesting.
Aristotle was keen on “first principles.” He said that every science begins with certain obvious truths, and these truths form the foundations upon which all knowledge rests. [Norman Geisler and Peter Bocchino, Unshakable Foundations, (Bethany House: Minneapolis, Minnesota) p.19]
These days most Christians are too quick to respond to an opposing worldview by critiquing it at the conclusion of an argument. Mortimer Adler rightly points out that most of the time the errors exist in the beginning. This means we must focus on these “points of departure” used by philosophers, professors, authors and skeptics to see if any errors exist in their foundations (most basic assumptions). [Ibid, p.21]
Now most everyone has a worldview. And the worldviews are varied to say the least. Why? Because everyone looks at the world through lens of various colors. If one’s glasses are blue lens, then his worldview will be blue. The question I raise is this. Is it possible for everyone to see through the same colored lens? Maybe. It depends on whether or not everyman with a worldview wants to paint the color of his lens with “first principles.” If everyman shapes his worldview with logic, everyman is going to come to logical conclusions. Right? Let me explain myself, please.
Everyone uses logic to think about life. All people have at one time or another given thought to the fact that they exist; existence and human reason are the two most fundamental assumptions that all people have in common. These two assumptions are unavoidable; in order to deny existence and reason, one would have to use reason to think about the denial. Further, one would have to exist in order to be engaged in the reasoning process. Therefore, existence and reason must be the
place to start an honest and impartial search for truth. [Ibid, pp. 22-23]
Have you ever heard the term, pluralism? A pluralist would insist, for example, that Christians view reality one way, whereas Hindus view the same reality in a different manner, and conclude that both views are true. But, both views can’t be accurate. Can a Christian affirmation (evil is real) and an opposing Hindu denial (evil is an illusion) both be right? If one view of evil is true, the other must necessarily be false; both claims about evil cannot be true and both cannot be false. [Ibid, p. 22]
When someone acknowledges that an intolerant position is the opposite of the tolerant one, he thereby establishes the credibility of the first principle of all knowledge, the law of noncontradiction. All thinking (whether about physics or about metaphysics) is alike to the extent that it is governed by this foundational first principle of logic—the law of noncontradiction. [Ibid, p. 23]
If someone were to say, “There is no such thing as truth, and the law of noncontradiction is meaningless,” he has done two things. First, he has assumed that his view is true as opposed to false, and thus he uses the law of noncontradiction. Second, he has violated the law of noncontradiction by suggesting that there is no such thing as truth while at the same time and in the same sense insisting that there is such a thing as truth—the truth of his own view. By doing so, he automatically validates the law of noncontradiction. [Ibid, p. 24]
Three basic beliefs must be assumed to be true for every worldview. First, I really do exist. Second, to think about my existence is to employ reason. Third, my existence and logic can not violate the law of noncontradiciton. Stay tuned. This gets clearer.
(This is part one in a series of articles entitled, “Start here…first principles”)
Keep the faith. Stay the course. Jesus is coming soon and very soon.
Pastor T.
About the Author
Pastors a small church in Broken Arrow, OK. US Navy veteran, retired police officer, and father of three grown children.
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