Ligonier Class: Philosophy II

This coincides with my CUNY Modern Philosophy Class.

Where they overlap, I placed my notes under the CUNY thread.

This thread contains whatever I left out from the CUNY thread. There is a 72 page pdf download which outlined Sproul's book: Consequences of Ideas

I shall briefly browse through this class as much of it I have watched for the purpose of supplementing my CUNY Course.

Lesson 1: The Renaissance Revolution

Names mentioned between Aquinas and Descartes:
Bonaventure, Duns Scotus, William Ockham, ...

Already "renaissance" going on in Muslim world: A synthesis between Aristotelian philosophy and Muslim theology.

The Renaissance (Rebirth/of ancients) began in Florence, Italy.
Cosimo de Medici, who founded the new platonic republic. He represents a transitional figure.
Most people (unlike de Medici family) were either indifferent or hostile to the church. Focusing on the worldly, humanity, instead of the heavenly.

Renaissance at first seems to work against Christianity, until Desiderius Erasmus of Rotterdam (Christian humanist who studied New Testament sources) support Christianity.

Renaissance Motto: Ad Fontes (to the sources), learn Greek and Latin.

Back then: the Queen of all the Sciences was Theology, her handmaiden was Philosophy.

Challenges Teleology. Scientific revolution (Geocentricity -> Heliocentricity) Even Luther and Calvin vehemently castigated Copernican thinking.

Scientific Methods: Induction (gather data) & Deduction (reasoning form data collected)

Explosion of technology (telescope, microscope, etc.), math.

Exploration: Vasco da Gama, Ferdinand Magellan, Columbus, etc.

Money becomes common use. Investments in exploration ventures (75% of things brought back goes to investors, etc.) -> Moral crisis: Interest (usury prohibited in the Bible historically) allowed due to new system of borrowing/financing, as long as not used to exploit. Usury redefined (as excessive interest rather than just interest alone) in the Church (and Luther).

16th century Reformation. Rise of nationalism, against Roman rule.

2 great sins of The Church at this time: Simony & Nepotism. There was at least 2 teenage pope.