Today's Thinking: Postmodern
As we read the newspaper or listen to the news, we get a steady dose of postmodern thought. Dr. T. David Gordon of Grove City College believes that we are in the midst of an oral culture that reduces all knowledge to that which is cultural. Dr. Gordon believes that today's thought is marked by three things:
1. Thought that must produce memorable items through shock and controversy.
2. Thought that must communicate through linguistics that are dynamic.
3. Thought that is marked by quantity and not quality. More is better.
Is this a big surprise? According to the Apostle Paul, it should not be because he offers us a warning in Romans.
In Romans 1:;21-23 Paul stresses many things. For our purposes today, I will focus on four.
1. Paul stresses that humanity has the opportunity to know God through general revelation. In Romans 1:20, he states that all men are without excuse. The point here is that knowledge still flows from a Holy God and not from culture or creation.
2. Paul also points to the very real fact that general revelation yields real knowledge. Our sin is our refusal to acknowledge what we already know to be true about knowledge and are ourselves.
3. Those claiming to be wise became fools. Look at what is considered wise and acceptable today; you will find those same things considered foolish not 20 years ago.
4. The worship of God will be exchanged for the worship of man. Look at what is considered wisdom and knowledge today, and you will find the worship of man.
As we examine today's thinking, we find four fundamental flaws in the foundation of postmodern thought.
Flaw 1: Logical Fallacies
A logical fallacy is an error in reasoning. If you will take the time to examine a list of logical fallacies you will recognize today's thinking. Daily we see red herrings, straw man fallacies, and so many more. According to a well known logic textbook, if you try to persuade someone else to adopt a position, based upon a poor piece of reasoning, you commit a fallacy.
Flaw 2:Rhetoric instead of Fact
Rhetoric is the study of effective speaking and writing and the art of persuasion. It is rooted in language and how language works in writing and communication. Rhetoric divides form and content, what is being said and how it is being said. Plato said rhetoric deals with "the superficial at best, the deceptive at worst." Rhetoric was never meant to stand alone as a way to think; today the "how" is more important than the "what" of thought.
Flaw 3: Appeal to Ridicule
This appeal of ridicule is a fallacy of sorts where ridicule or mockery is substituted for evidence or fact. Ridicule or mockery of a claim does not prove that it is false, yet in today's world both are more effective than fact or truth.
Flaw 4: True Logic vs. False Logic
When it comes to the logical argument it is important to have in place a solid deductive method leading to a valid syllogism. What is a syllogism? It is merely a logical argument in true form. Syllogisms are made up of at least two premises, which are true, leading to a conclusion which is also true. The classic example of a syllogism is:
a. All men are mortal.
b. Caesar is a man.
c. Therefore, Caesar is mortal.
As we examine this idea of thinking Christianly, we must come to grips with the current status of the current state of thought. These are just four of the major flaws. As we pray about how to think Christianly, consider these questions we wrestled with in our class.
1. What are we to do with this information?
2. How do we respond to this type of thinking?
3. How did Jesus respond?
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