The Kingdom of God vs. The Kingdom of This World

We discussed the 3 major World Views that have existed since the beginning of time.  The first, the Classic Virtue View, was originally attributed to Aristotle, although much of the world ascribed to this view for all of history right up until the 19th century when the next world view began to gain momentum.  

It's amazing to me that the musings of a few mortal philosophers can alter the course of human thought!  These are mostly the teachings of the Western world.  We'll talk next time about the relative merits and downfalls of each view.  Remember as you think through these that none of them is a Christian worldview. That remains for us to pray about and sort out with God.

As you think through these views, imagine where you fit in to them.  Think about where your parents fit, and your grandparents.  God has a lot to say to us about this topic.

Classic Virtue View

Beginnings

·      Typical of Roman and Greek virtues that Aristotle spoke of. 

·      A unifying ideology throughout Wisdom Literature & Religion (i.e. Proverbs, Ecclesiastes).

    Time Period

·      From 4600 BC (the time of Babel) until the 17th century, this was normative world-wide until about 1920, and is still present today.

     Basic Beliefs

·      Each person is created with a Nature (capacities and potentialities)

·      to be shaped to a Telos (final objective).

·      There is Objective Morality/Truth based on Natural Law.

·      Each person will follow a Virtuous Path (Blueprint) to the Good Life.

·      It's the job of society and parents to shape the person's nature.

    Ethos

·      Shame is the dominant controlling force.  Don't shame the family.  The Group/Family is what is important.

·      Children are basically 'compulsive' rather than 'impulsive'.  The do what they "should" do, going "with the grain" of least resistance.

·      Parents instruct and correct, the child represses unacceptable behaviors.

·      Children learn to perform through Fortitude (pulling yourself up by your bootstraps)

·      Goodness is the goal.  Whatever is "good"--behavior, production, lifestyle.

·      There is an Aristocratic Attitude--we are the good/best people, those others who don't share our values are bad/less.

·      Often with natural Wisdom comes arrogance-- "We know best."

·      This leads to people being neurotic--unknown forces drive them-- driven.

·      There is deep loneliness at the heart level. There is a gaping hole where the Holy Spirit was designed to live, and they live their lives trying to find something that will fill it.

·      The reward is to fill the hole with moderate, socially acceptable pleasures.

·      Virtue is the only means of Grace.  If you exhibit virtue, you receive grace.

     Parenting

·      Parents shape the child with repression and shame.

·      They encourage the child to fill the hole in her heart with acceptable pleasures.

·      The child's conscience is his moral tutor.

·      Parents are shapers, and the child's behavior reflects on them.

·      Goodness = happiness

·      Internal split in the child's psyche--the outside complies with the status quo, the inside is repressed, confused, rebellious.

·      The child must uphold family pride.

·      This produces fragile people and families.  It's all in human effort, an act.

·      The child feels better if he is punished for vice.

     Results

·      The person is repressed, but travels with the grain of how the universe operates.

·      Compulsive lives, driven to success, controlled by shame.

·      The person can't look at himself on the inside, so he covers it with virtue.

·      They pursue the Good, operate in strong moralism/human effort.

·      They ascribe to traditional Virtue/Vice according to Aristotle.

·      The rewards for growing up "well" are moderate pleasures, approval, love.

·      Families will unconsciously promote sibling rivalry, family competition.

·      The individual views Love as a result of works and performance.

·      Religion is a device that keeps us on a path to virtue.

·      The emphasis in society is on a strong community and family.

Classic Liberal View

Beginnings

·      The Enlightenment ~ Age of Science and Naturalism, Pragmatism

·      Philosophers: Kant, Hume, Rousseau, Locke, Darwin           

Time Period

·      18th Century to present

Original Position

There is no "nature"--God has now been explained away by naturalism and science, so human beings are only part of the whole "accident" of the cosmos.

Science can only observe--it  cannot give value to things that were a part of evolution

There is nothing to be shaped.  Life is what it appears to be.

Objective Morality: no one knows what Truth is, so it is unethical to interfere with anyone's pursuit of their idea of the Good Life.

No Blueprint/path, no objective "Good Life".  Tolerate anyone's view of Good Life as long as it doesn't hurt anyone else.

One individual's idea of what is good is not better than another's.  There is no standard.

Individual has unlimited personal liberty as long as it does not interfere with another's.

Ethos

Guilt is the result of interfering with another person's pursuit of their idea of the Good Life.

People are Impulsive--they no longer act out of obligation and compulsion to conform to the group, but rather out of their own desire to act.

The emphasis is now on the Individual, not the Group/Family/Society.

Education is the key to happiness and what is right, particularly science.

Moral Indignation is now the result of having someone interfere with my chosen path.

Self-Righteousness is the result of there being no objective righteousness--it is only what I perceive it to be, my own perspective.

Existential Loneliness--there is still a hole in the heart where the Holy Spirit was designed to be, only now it is more intense because it rests completely on Me and not on my family or culture.

The person will attempt to fill hole with autonomy--pride in self--self-esteem.

Everything is ok if it doesn't hurt anyone.  Everything.

Tolerance is the core virtue.  We tolerate everyone's point of view and desires because there is no "right" path, no Blueprint.

Freedom within the Bounds of staying out of the other's way.

Fortitude is the agent of energy.  Pull yourself up by your bootstraps. No one can do it for you.

Self-Actualization--my destiny if to fully discover myself.

Objective Morality--don't's--Don't get in another's way.

All grace for everyone.

Parenting

Parents focus on the personal freedom of the child.

Love child, honor individuality

Parents encourage the child to fill the hole in heart with self-expression.

Conscience= children are guilty if they impose opinions on others.

Parents are friends, not mentors, guides, and protectors.

Freedom=happiness

Anything goes, natural consequences are painful but not "bad".

Splintering families due to autonomy

Insecure people and families

Children are only corrected for interfering with another's freedom, but not for self-expression.

Results

Self-driven, looking inward

Expressing freedom within bounds

No "Good"to pursue, do what you like

Tolerance

Reward: personal autonomy

Please yourself, no one is better

Love as a result of being

Religion is ok as long as it doesn't impinge on anyone's freedom

Splintering community, insecure family

Self-harm--against the grain

Post-Modern View

Beginnings

Nietzsche, Sartre

Time Period           

19th into 20th Century

Original Position

There is no "nature", no God

There is nothing to be shaped.

All Morality is Subjective:

Survival of the Fittest--my will as it leads to power is what is important

Free Expression of the Will is the only "authentic" life there is.

Authenticity of Self is what is important since there is no "Good Life"

All social conventions are repressive, and the result of fear: marriage, education, family, parenting, morality, rules.

Survival and reproduction are the only things that matter.

The goal is liberation from all oppression and repression.

Ethos

No Guilt or Shame--nothing is immoral.  If you feel guilt or shame about anything, you need therapy to free you from that.

Everyone lives in an impulsive state. Do what you feel like doing in the moment.

Life is all about the individual.  Partnerships and groups seek to repress the individual.

There is no Blueprint for happiness.  Anything goes.

Total Autonomy is the reward we have for living "authentically".

Morality is completely subjective and individual--make up your own moral code.

Nothing has real value since everything is in the moment.

Psychological Arrogance is the norm.  "I know best, I am the highest authority in my world."

Suspicious of everything being repressive.

Existential Loneliness exists in a heart that was meant to hold the Holy Spirit and interact in love with others.

Nothing can fill the hole in the heart.  Everyone is trying to manipulate and repress me.

There is only Will, no virtue or vice.

No grace is necessary because there are no standards to break.

Parenting

Parents will be afraid to repress the Child.

The problem is that there is no way to fill hole without repressing the "bad".

There is no conscience or moral compass to operate by.

Parents are biological only. They have no influence on the child's operating in the moment.

Authenticity is fulfillment of Will.

Family is merely biological, meant to keep the child alive so he can fulfill his own dreams.

There is lots of hurt and confusion in this worldview.

There is no punishment for wrongs because there are none.  There is no forgiveness because what you did wasn't wrong in the first place.

Results

People are impulsive, expressing their Will above all else.

They will act on the Will regardless of the consequences.

No "Good"--all restraint is repression or fear

No Reward: when you live in the moment there is no sense of achievement to success.

You need to please yourself--no one else matters.

Love is manipulation & repression.

Religion is manipulation & repression.

Cliques by interest only, causing splintering families.

The individual inflicts must self-harm because he lives against grain, lonely & confused.  It's NOT true that you can live any way you want.

No one quite lives this way. It's an inhuman path. 

The Truth:  If I can't find God, I will fill the gap with an idol.

I can fill the hole with God --our idea of Him--or we can let God fill the hole.

We can't live like the Demons, with nothingness.