Rationalism

From Neoredemptive

Reason is the functional god, law-giver, and savior of scientism and the more recent flavors of humanism and naturalism. The functional worship of reason is called "rationalism".

The working assumption of rationalism is that reason is in some way "just true" -- which is to say, it must be either assumed or rejected, not believed because it is the reasonable consequent of some other observation or argument (since that would constitute a circular argument).

Douglas Wilson points out, with his characteristic style and clarity, the problem with such a notion (and slips in an ample supply of digs at Richard Dawkins in the process):

When I knock on the door of the neutral zone, Dawkins opens the door, all smiles. Another Christian. "Sure, let's discuss it," he says. "Let's hear your argument for God's existence. But I have to warn you -- I think I have heard just about everything."

"Oh, I don't want to argue for the existence of God," I say.

He looks surprised. "Why did you come here then?"

"I saw the sign on the door -- neutral zone. I have always wanted to know what one of those might be. So I guess I am interested in hearing your arguments for the existence of a neutral zone."

"Well, this is a bit unusal [sic], but the neutral zone is the place where we agree to reason together about ultimate questions . . . like the existence of God."

"Reason. What's that?"

"Reason is the process of identifying rational inferences from true and established premises."

"Is this reason authoritative? Do we have a moral obligation to obey it?"

"Well, yes."

"Why?"

"Because to do otherwise would be . . . unreasonable."

"I have questioned your Scriptures, and didn't you just defend them by pointing to a Bible verse?"

"So you are opposed to reason. Is that right?"

"Well, no. I am happy to follow reason wherever it goes. But before we follow it anywhere we have to know where it came from first. I am interested in the preconditions of reason. You have said that reason is the rule to follow in this neutral zone. But what is this neutral zone resting on? What is the foundation? Have you ever gone down into the crawl space under this neutral zone with a flashlight? To see what it is resting on?"

"I have no idea what you are talking about."

"Well, I know that. You devoted 32 pages of your book to the arguments for God's existence, and you completely ignored the transcendental argument. It is as though you had never heard of it, which is inexplicable in a writer of your stature. You teach at Oxford, after all, and not at Cow Tech. You would think that you would be able to identify your own presuppositions -- and what they are resting on."

"What do you say they rest on?"

"Well, what else? The rest on the Incarnation, the death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. And before we reason any further about it, I really think we should ask the Lord to bless our endeavors."

"You are begging the question."

"I know. That's inescapable with all ultimate questions. So let's ask God to bless that too."

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