world view midterm longer questions

Question 1

Identify and briefly explain four of the six functions of a worldview, as explained by Hiebert.

Answer 1

1 WV’s are a plausibility structure providing answers to ultimate questions
2 WV’s give emotional security
3 WV’s validate deepest cultural norms
4 WV’s integrate culture
5 WV’s monitor cultural changes
6 WV’s offer psychological reassurance that we are at home in the world

Question 2

Identify and briefly explain three of the evaluative themes/counterthemes from the course slides.

Answer 2

1 Hierarchy is Right v. Equality is Right
2 Emotional Expression v. Emotional Control
3 Group-Centered v. Individual Centered

Question 3

Give Hiebert’s definition of a worldview.

Answer 3

The fundamental cognitive, affective, and evaluative presuppositions a group of people make about the nature of things, and which they use to order their live

Question 4

**Briefly explain what is meant by saying that Christianity is a synthesis of Athens and Jerusalem.

Answer 4

-christianity is a fusion of greek traditional philosophies and jewish traditions from the Old Testament
-they both have elements in common that sometimes fit and sometimes contradict

Question 5

With reference to the book of Genesis, explain the Christian doctrine that pride is sinful.

Answer 5

pride in sinful comes from Adam and Eve eating from the tree of knowledge of good and evil. they wanted to be more like god by eating the fruit and this shows pride as they defied gods authority and tried to be above what they were supposed to be

Question 6

Briefly explain why Plato holds that the divine must be unchanging.

Answer 6

because the divine is supposed to be already perfect. if it where to change for the better, it would imply it wasn’t already perfect before and if he changed for the worse he would not be perfect anymore. plato means that something perfect changing would imply to was imperfect before

Question 7

Identify and briefly explain the main elements of Plotinus’ neo-Platonism.

Answer 7

philosophical system that builds on Platos ideas
-the one, which is the ultimate source of all reality
-the intellect, which are humans who form the material world and contemplate the one
-the soul, which bridges the spiritual and the material world

Question 8

Briefly explain the evolution of Augustine’s conception of God

Answer 8

-in his youth, he thought god was material and a dualistic force between good and evil as he was influenced by Manichaeism
-later, he saw god as a transcendent immutable and perfect being after being influenced by neoplatonism which aligns with the christian view. he also integrated biblical teachings after that

Question 9

Explain how Augustine uses analogy to illuminate the Christian doctrine of the Trinity.

Answer 9

people are created in the image of god so humans can examine themselves to understand more the nature of god and form a clearer idea of him. example trinity
lover( father)
beloved (son)
love (spirit)

Question 10

Briefly summarize the controversy between Augustine and Pelagius and its significance.

Answer 10

the original sin is the center of the controversy. Augustine believes in it and thinks we can’t do good anymore until god brings us back
Pelagius says that its a mistake and we are born fresh and new without sin
significant because raises question on goodness of humans and babies

Question 11

Briefly explain Augustine’s understanding of the contrast between the City of God and the Earthly City.

Answer 11

city of god: city where people have caritas and value god more than themselves
earthly city: people who value material things and life in the moment
example of having a gun to your head and dying or lying earthly city people would lie to live and city of god people would die to because they value the afterlife more

Question 12

Briefly explain the philosophical problem of future contingents.

Question 13

Briefly explain how Boethius reconciles divine foreknowledge and human free will.

Answer 13

he reconciles them by saying god does not necessarily decide on what humans do, that is not what is foreknowledge is about. he says that god knows what humans will decide as he is all knowing so humans have the ability to make the choice just that god knows what it will be so this preserve human free will

Question 14

Briefly explain the doctrine of chance given by Philosophy in Boethius’ Consolation

Answer 14

he says that the world is governed by divine providence . there is not really any such thing as chance but only a result that was unexpected by us and is just the addition of many events we didn’t know would happen

Question 15

Identify and briefly explain Eriugena’s fourfold division of nature.

Answer 15

-what creates and is not created (god)

-what creates and is created (essence of triangularity built into reality)

-what does not create and is create (everything material, humans)

-what does not create and is not created (god in his capacity at rest)

Question 16

Briefly explain what Eriugena means by calling God a ‘seer’ and a ‘runner.
’

Answer 16

seer: everything that exists is within gods knowledge and view because he is omniscient

runner: god is what makes everything happen so he runs the world

greek ethimology of word god gives verb see and run

Question 17

Briefly explain the sense in which God may be said to be ‘nothing’ in Eriugena’s philosophy.

Answer 17

-things have defined characteristics that give us the ability to describe them

-god does not have any specific characteristics he is one and eternal

-because of that he is said not to be a thing so no thing

Question 18

Briefly explain Eriugena’s views on the naming or description of God.

Answer 18

there can’t be contrasts to god so we can’t describe him, we must say he is super good and not good

Question 19

Briefly summarize Anselm’s argument for God’s existence in Chapter 2 of the Proslogion.

Answer 19

-anselm argument based on onthological argument

-that can which nothing greater can be thought
-because we can think about him, he must be real and not only an idea because things are better in reality that just in understanding

Question 20

Briefly summarize Gaunilo’s reply to Anselm’s argument for God’s existence from Ch. 2 of the Proslogion

Answer 20

-says that there’s a difference between having just a thought, really understanding it and it exsisting so Ansley second premise is wrong and justifies it with the idea of the perfect island which we know doesn’t really exist even if we think about it

Question 21

Briefly summarize Anselm’s theory of truth.

Answer 21

Anselm believes that god consists of the fundamental truth so if we want something tp be true, it must conform with god. Anselm idea conforms with christianity

Question 22

Briefly summarize why Anselm holds that not even God can take away rectitude of will.

Answer 22

-because rectitude of will is like justice
-god wants to be just and wants humans to be too so he wants humans to have rectitude of will
-if he was to take it away, he would be contradicting himself which is against god

Question 23

Briefly explain why Anselm holds that the ‘ability to sin’ is not part of the definition of freedom of choice

Answer 23

Blasphemy to say God could sin. You are more free if you’re able to hold onto to your rectitude. ability to sin decreases our rectitude.

Question 24

Briefly explain how Anselm justifies the damnation of infants who die unbaptized.

Answer 24

Anselm believes that because Adam and Eve ate the fruit in the garden of eden w newborns are born sinners.
-believes baptism wipes away that sin
-if unbaptized, die sinners so go to hell

Question 25

With reference to the slogan fides quarens intellectum, explain Anselm’s view on the authority of reason.

Answer 25

The way reason and faith are connected.
Faith seeking understanding.
Anslem is in the middle of faith and reason and thinks we should combine both. but faith comes first. If the two conflict, go with faith.
Rational project within the frame of christianity