Phi201 - week 3 - lect 1

Phi201 - week 3 - lect 1

Athens and Jerusalem

*refer to drawing in tute-book*

we can now begin looking at the relation between Platonism/Neoplationism and Christian thought, in writings of the early Church Fathers. Some had a negative attitude to non-Christian, i.e. Greek, philosophy, others were more positive. Let's look at some representatives of these tendencies:

Stock 'anti-philosophical' is Tertullian (c. 160-225) - son of a Roman centurion. Born in Carthage, North Africa. It's an over-simplification to say that he is 'anti-philosophical'. Very well-versed in Greek thought; introduced the term 'Trinity' and the formula 'three persons, one substance'. Fierce polemicist. Ended up only dubiously orthodox, a Montonist (rigorous ascetic sect). He's the source of the quote:

'What has Athens to do with Jerusalem?' Meaning, there's no real value in Greek thought for the Christian - the Christian is privy to higher thought that can be achieved without philosophical methods - the philosophical training is most likely going to lead a Christian astray. (reading it baldly). This has some support in scripture and this attitude has had its adherents ever since (e.g. St. Ambrose "from logicians free us, Oh Lord".)

Nevertheless, there were other reasons , which ultimately proved decisive, for Christians to engage with philosophy. Two are:

1. An external reason. To do apologetics to deal with unbelievers and defend your faith to them, one cannot appeal to scripture and so must invoke philosophical reason.

2. To understand one's faith, to explore it, one needs conceptual tools which philosophy can provide, e.g. the apparatus of substance and accident help to explain transubstantination, or the Trinity.

Moreover, there are tantalizing affinities, and tensions, between Christianity and Platonism, in particular. The problem is to separate the wheat from the chaff. Affinities include the idea of the immaterial world. St. Augustine says he learnt to understand this idea via Platonism. Platonism can be useful as 'training wheels' for Christianity in this way.