Meaning, proof, and religious belief in Anglo- American philosophical theology : an investigation into the theme of reasonableness of religious belief in Anglo-American philosophical theology from the mid 17th to the early 20th centuries

Abstract

This study investigates the theme of the reasonableness of religious belief in Anglo- American philosophical theology from the mid-17th to the early 20th centuries. Through the analysis of key texts by William Chillingworth, John Tillotson, John Locke, David Hume, William Paley, Richard Whately, John Henry Newman, William Clifford, and William James, it provides a systematic account of reason and reasonability, of the criteria for argument and proof, and of the meaning and truth of religious belief, and their role in understanding what ‘the reasonableness of religious belief’ meant in the theology of this period in Britain and North America . The first, or ‘formative’ phase of this discussion begins with 17th century theologians, such as Chillingworth and Tillotson. This study examines their understandings of faith and religious belief, their criteria for proof and reasonableness, and the role of reason and evidence within theology for belief. It then turns to Locke and Hume, who refined these understandings of religious belief, and their novel criteria according to which belief can be reasonable, and by which one can be reasonable in believing. In the late 18th and early 19th centuries there is a second phase in this discussion, where theologians seek to defend the reasonableness of religious belief against a range of critics. This study focuses, first, on Paley who, in a number of works, provides ‘evidences’ of Christian religious belief – hence, his identification as an early ‘evidentialist’ – and, second, on Whately, who presents a more developed account of the forms of argument and, thereby, of proof and the reasonability of religious belief. Their respective conceptions of ‘proof’ and religious belief, though sometimes misunderstood, show a marked shift from those of earlier figures. Finally, this study investigates a third phase in the discussion of this theme – responses to the evidentialism of Paley and Whately in Newman, who qualifies and ‘contains’ evidentialism, by making important distinctions concerning faith, reason, and reasonability; in Clifford, who extends evidentialism and uses it to challenge religious belief; and in James who, by introducing the notions of ‘overbelief’ and a ‘right to believe,’ endorses but also limits evidentialism. This study, then, provides new understanding of the origins of the discussion of reasonableness in Anglo-American philosophical theology; into the relation of reason to belief and, particularly, to religious believing; into the nature of religious belief; and into the place of proofs and arguments in determining reasonability in believing and belief.

Esi sifundo siphanda umxholo wokufaneleka kwenkolo yezonqulo kwimfundiso yefilisofi yamaNgesi namaMelika ukusuka embindini wenkulungwane ye-17 kuya ekuqaleni kwenkulungwane yama-20. Ngokuhlalutya izicatshulwa eziphambili zikaWilliam Chillingworth, John Tillotson, John Locke, David Hume, William Paley, Richard Whately, John Henry Newman, William Clifford, noWilliam James, sifumana inkcazelo ecwangcisiweyo yokuqiqa kunye nengqiqo, yeenqobo zokuphikisana nobungqina, kunye nentsingiselo, nenyaniso yenkolelo yezonqulo, kunye nendima yazo ekuqondeni ukuba “ukuba sengqiqweni kweenkolelo zonqulo” kwakuthetha ntoni kwezakwaLizwi ngeli xesha eBritani nakuMntla Melika. Isigaba sokuqala, okanye “esakhayo” sale ngxoxo siqala ngabafundi bezakwaLizwi, ngenkulungwane ye-17, abanjengoChillingworth noTillotson. Olu phononongo luvavanya ukuqonda nenkolelo yabo, iindlela zabo zobungqina kunye nokuqiqa, kunye nendima yesizathu nobungqina phakathi kwethiyoloji yenkolelo, kunye neenqobo zokuziphatha zabo zokuba yeyiphi inkolelo enokuba sengqiqweni, kwaye iyeyiphi eqiqileyo umntu anokuyikholelwa. Ekupheleni kwenkulungwane ye-18 nasekuqaleni kweye-19, kukho isigaba sesibini sale ngxoxo, apho abafundi bezakwaLizwi befuna ukukhusela ukuba sengqiqweni kweenkolelo zonqulo bezikhusela kubagxeki abaninzi. Olu phononongo lujolise, kuqala, kuPaley, othi kwimisebenzi eliqela, aveze “ubungqina” benkolo yobuKrestu – yiyo loo nto watsho waziwa njenge “ngqina” lokuqala. Okwesibini, uphononongo lujolise Ekupheleni kwenkulungwane ye-18 nasekuqaleni kweye-19, kukho isigaba sesibini sale ngxoxo, apho abafundi bezakwaLizwi befuna ukukhusela ukuba sengqiqweni kweenkolelo zonqulo bezikhusela kubagxeki abaninzi. Olu phononongo lujolise, kuqala, kuPaley, othi kwimisebenzi eliqela, aveze “ubungqina” benkolo yobuKrestu – yiyo loo nto watsho waziwa njenge “ngqina” lokuqala. Okwesibini, uphononongo lujolise kuWhately, onika ingxelo ethe vetshe ngeengxoxo ezazikho, kwaye, ngaloo ndlela enika ubungqina kunye nengqiqo yokholo. Uluvo lwabo “lobungqina” kunye nenkolelo yezenkolo, nangona ngamanye amaxesha ingaqondwa kakuhle, zibonisa ukutshintsha okuphawulekayo ukusuka koko kwakunjalo ngaphambili. Okokugqibela olu phononongo luvavanya isigaba sesithathu kwingxoxo yalo mxholo ngenkulungwane ye-19 – oko kukuthi, iimpendulo kubungqina bukaPaley noWhately kuNewman, ofanelekileyo kwaye “oqulethe” ubungqina, ngokwenza umahluko obalulekileyo malunga nokholo, kunye nengqiqo; kuClifford, owandisa ubungqina kwaye abusebenzise ukuphikisa inkolelo yezokholo; nakuJames owathi, ngokwazisa iingcinga “zokubaxa kokukholelwa” kunye “nelungelo lokukholelwa” waxhasa kodwa wanciphisa ubungqina. Olu phononongo, ke, lubonelela ngokuqonda okutsha ngemvelaphi yengxoxo yokuqiqa kwizifundo zeLizwi zefilosofi yamaNgesi namaMelika: ngokunxulumene nokunxibelelana kwesizathu nenkolelo kwaye, ngakumbi, kwinkolo; ngokubhekisele kuhlobo lwenkolo; nangokunxulumene nendawo yobungqina kunye nempikiswano ekumiseleni ukuba nokuqiqa ekukholweni

Hierdie studie ondersoek die tema van redelikheid van geloofsoortuiging in Engels- Amerikaanse filosofiese teologie van die middel-17de tot vroeë-20ste eeu. Die ontleding van kerntekste deur William Chillingworth, John Tillotson, John Locke, David Hume, William Paley, Richard Whately, John Henry Newman, William Clifford en William James bied 'n sistematiese weergawe van rede en redelikheid, van die kriteria vir argumente en bewys, en van die betekenis van waarheid van geloofsoortuigings en die rol daarvan om te verstaan wat "die redelikheid van godsdienstige geloof " in die teologie van hierdie tydperk in Brittanje en Noord-Amerika beteken. Die eerste, of "formatiewe" fase van hierdie bespreking begin met 17de-eeuse teoloë soos Chillingworth en Tillotson. Hierdie studie bestudeer hul begrip van geloof en geloofsoortuigings, hul kriteria vir bewys en redelikheid en die rol van rede en bewys in hul teologie van geloof. Dit draai dan na Locke en Hume wat hierdie begrip van geloofsoortuigings verfyn het en hul nuwe kriteria waarvolgens geloof redelik kan wees en waardeur 'n mens redelik kan glo. In die laat-18de en vroeë-19de eeue is daar 'n tweede fase in hierdie bespreking waar teoloë die redelikheid van geloofsoortuigings teen 'n aantal kritici wil beskerm. Hierdie studie fokus eerstens op Paley wat in 'n aantal werke "bewys" van die Christelike geloofsoortuiging bied – dus word hy as 'n vroeë "bewysregtelike" geïdentifiseer – en tweedens, op Whately, wat 'n meer ontwikkelde weergawe van die vorme van argumente, en daarby, bewys van die redelikheid van geloofsoortuiging voorlê. Hulle onderskeie begrippe van "bewys" en geloofsoortuiging, alhoewel soms misverstaan, toon 'n duidelike verskuiwing van die vroeëre figure. Laastens bestudeer hierdie studie 'n derde fase in die bespreking van hierdie tema in die 19de eeu – dit is reaksie op die bewysregtelikheid van Paley en Whately in Newman, wat bewysregtelikheid kwalifiseer en "insluit" deur belangrike onderskeidings te maak oor geloof, rede en redelikheid; in Clifford, wat bewysregtelikheid en gebruik uitbrei om geloofsoortuigings te bevraagteken; en in James, wat bewysregtelikheid deur die idees van "oorgeloof" en "'n reg om te glo" goedkeur maar ook beperk. Hierdie studie bied dan 'n nuwe begrip van die oorsprong van die bespreking van redelikheid in Engels-Amerikaanse filosofiese teologie: rakende die verhouding tussen rede om te glo en, spesifiek, geloofsoortuiging; die aard van geloofsoortuiging; en die plek van bewyse en argumente om redelikheid in geloof en oortuiging te bepaal