Orthodoxy
By: G.K.
Chesterton
Chapter 1
Review: Introduction in Defense of Everything
I.
Introduction
in Defense of Everything
II.
The Maniac
III.
The Suicide of Thought
IV.
The Ethics of Elfland
V.
The Flag of the World
VI.
The Paradoxes of Christianity
VII.
The Eternal Revolution
VIII.
The Romance of Orthodoxy
IX.
Authority and the Adventurer
Chapter 1
Structure of the general
argument suggested in Chapter 1 of Orthodoxy and brought to a completion
in chapter 8:
(1) Human beings have a double spiritual need
for adventure and security (or: balance between imagination and reason--or the
exciting and the commonsensical).
(2) This need is not pathological, but is
identical with a need for psychological health, i.e., sanity.
(3) This need is better satisfied by accepting
the Christian worldview than by accepting any alternative worldview.
Therefore, it is at least reasonable to accept
the Christian worldview.
(4) Furthermore, alternative worldviews fail to
a greater or lesser extent to satisfy the aforementioned double spiritual need.
Therefore, it is unreasonable to prefer any such
alternative to the Christian worldview.
It is crucial to note that until the last chapter, chapter 9, the argument of the book is aimed at showing that Christian belief and practice is healthy and not that it is true. As Chesterton puts it in chap. 2: "It must be understood that I am not now discussing the relation of these creeds to truth but, for the present, solely their relation to health. Later in the argument I hope to attack the question of objective verity; here I speak only of a phenomenon of psychology."
My notes:
Week One Questions:
1.
What is
the purpose of the book. Why did
Chesterton write it?
2.
What does Chesterton think about sin in his time
period?
3.
How does he discuss sanity vs. insanity?
I.
Introduction in Defense of Everything
Purpose of
Book: We need to be happy in the world
without being comfortable. This achievement
of his creed that he pursues by writing the book. POINT
OF BOOK: what keeps us sane is right
first principles. What is the
“right end” is the point of the book.
Orthodoxy means “straight truth”
Paradox means “the truth that goes against
expectation”
For
Chesterton orthodoxy is paradox
p. 19 This idea of believing in “oneself” is really
nonsensical. So what is it we are to
believe? Chesterton explains why we
should not believe in oneself and what to believe in. “Even evil people believe in themselves.”
What to believe in? Both science and
religion start with a basic fact.
Religions begins with the fact of sin. This is being diluted and denied by both
Christians and atheists.
The modern
world describes sin as insanity.
When one relies only on logic and reason and refuses to engage
imagination one is more likely to become “insane” which is the modern description
for sin.
*part of
insanity and a determinist is to see too much “cause” in everything.
*sanity:
signs of sanity is a sense of humor, charity, certainty of experience,
affections
The ordinary
man is a mystic (sane):
1)
Free to doubt his gods and free to believe in
them
2)
Cares more for truth than consistency (he would
take 2 truths that contradict and believe both making for a paradox not a
matter for disbelief: Example 1 God made
man. Example 2- fate and free will
3)
Contradiction – ability to accept contradictions
is a sign of a healthy man. (This appeals
to me because of psychology practice and rigid inflexible being sign of
unhappiness is observed in my practice).
4)
A mystic allows one mystery so everything else
lucid
5)
The seat of dogma is mystery (ex. Trinity)
