The Use of Reason, Techno-philia and the New Secular U.S.A.

Teaching for a regional Florida state college, I am largely impressed with the educational standards being utilized. Unlike the absolute highest ranked public universities (University of Virginia, UNC-Chapel Hill, et al), this college is relatively 'open' in its admission policy. Having noted the less rigorous admission standards, however, I have nonetheless been impressed with the curriculum from which I teach, and the technological savy of the school as a whole. Computer technology is prevalent and well-supported and the curriculum has a strong grounding in Western Rationality since it is a 'neutral' secular public college.

In trying to create a 'neutral' space for learning to occur, however (granted 'neutral' is never neutral at all, but simply some form of secularism, more or less repugnant to the Christian mind), the old post-Enlightenment categories (e.g. Immanuel Kant) still hold court.

"Rationality" and seeking to unify the curriculum through rationality is the rallying point for the future of American higher education.

This emphasis on rationality, although laudatory, is insufficient. Yes, the Western Rational Tradition from Aristotelian philosophy through the Thought of Thomas Aquinas and mixed with Kantian Idealism has established something like a Western tradition of rationality that supposedly everyone could appeal to. In some ways this is good. But, when the post-modern question of "which rationality" is posed, such a curriculum utterly crumbles. Does one mean Aristotelian Natural Law empiricism OR does one mean Kantian Deontological idealism? Whose Rationality are we invoking when we say, "Let's base our curriculum on 'reason'?"

Obviously, the question will determine the course of ALL fields of enquiry. For example, in the field of economics, a Kantian Idealist Rationality would look for theoretical constructs by which to interpret reality and through figures such as Federal Reserve Chair Ben Bernanke will make real-life economic decisions (e.g. raising or lowering interest rates) based upon how well the perceived "ideal" is being instituted or not. In stark contrast to the Kantian Idealist Rationality that makes decisions based upon theoretical constructs (always a bad idea! :-), the Natural Law (Aristotelian) Rationality will FIRST look at the empirical data (e.g. actual rates of inflation, actual percentages of unemployment claims to the federal government), and then after careful evaluation of the actual data, will then, and only then, make a decision with a specific end result in mind.

Here is where technology is extremely useful.

"Theoretical computer software" is of little use to ANYONE (sorry Kant!). ONLY real-life, empirical computers made out of actual silicon chips and run by actual electrical currents can help us communicate efficiently as a super-power!

So, in conclusion, as our new secularism dawns upon our post-Christian U.S.A., let us hold fast to "Rationality" as a concept to unify our Republic. Having said this, however, be forwarned that if "Rationality" is not some version of the Natural Law rooted in Empirical Data, it will lead to utter confusion, bread shortages and an absolute mess of a society. Apparently, one such "ideal" called the Soviet Union ended up not in greater prosperity, but rather in gulags, bread shortages and a century of poverty for the Russian people. All because of Idealist Rational Thought . . .

Natural Law, try it, it's GOOD for you!

Blessings in Jesus,
Rob J. King, techno-phile for Jesus and for a better America!