The Relationship Between Faith and Reason in Philosophy

Extract

[...] This last point is crucial, especially when one is interested in the concept of faith. Faith is a truth without proof. More than in Antiquity, its importance is immense in the Middle Ages. The Bible can provide us with some elements of definition: in The Epistle to the Hebrews, Faith is defined as 'the foundation of what there is to hope for, the means of proving what one does not see' (Heb. XI, 1). Similarly, The Epistle to the Corinthians it tells us that 'it is by faith, not by sight that we walk' (Corint. [...]

[...] These two categories of truths remain no less whole truths. He even goes so far as to assert that it is in the nature of man to 'intelliger and act according to reason'Treatise on the Active and Contemplative Life, 9-10). The 12th and 13th centuries mark a turning point in the history of Western thought. In part under the pressure of the merchant bourgeoisie, demanding reason, thinkers seize the concept and try to reconcile it with the faith of Christianity. [...]

[...] These citations highlight an opposition between faith and what is visible, therefore by extension what relates to reason. If we place ourselves in the historical context of the Middle Ages, they take on a particular sense. It is indeed a period during which Christianity wanted to conquer. This desire for religious domination is in opposition with the Greek or Roman imperialism of Antiquity, which had no religious motives. At first glance, therefore, the very essence of the concept of faith seems to enter into contradiction with that of reason, particularly when we place it in its historical context. [...]

[...] The development of urban schools, followed by the creation of universities in the 12th and 13th centuries, and the emergence of the profession of master, who disseminated knowledge, contributed to a surge in thought that goes against many preconceptions about this era. The quarrel of universals, a major reflection on universal concepts (living being, man, animal . is emblematic of this moment in history. The philosophy of this era is primarily theological, i.e., it affirms that there is a single cause for all things. [...]

[...] We also note that the great ancient thinkers were not entirely devoid of faith, which can be shocking when considering the fact that they are often strictly associated with the concept of reason today. Gaarder explains that Aristotle presupposed the existence of God, or at least a unique cause: his philosophy was therefore inherently theological, even if he made 'no more detailed description of God'. Plato's vision was even closer to Christianity, and it's no coincidence that Saint Augustine found his account in his philosophy. [...]