So You Wanna’ Be an Idealist

(The So You Wanna’ Be an… series is a series of posts introducing some of the basic philosophical systems that have influenced modern secular thought and a brief Christian critique of each one. There are five posts in this series)

Idealism is a philosophical system associated with Plato. The idealist maintains that ultimate reality and ultimate good are found in the realm of ideas, not in the physical world. Here’s a brief breakdown:

1) The metaphysics of the idealist can best be described as the reality of the mind. The world of the senses, the physical world, is not the world of ultimate reality. The world of ultimate reality is the world of pure ideas.

2) The epistemology for the idealist is also concerned with the world of ideas. The highest truth is not found in what is seen and touched, rather, it is found in ideas that can be grappled with and maintained in the mind. The idealist looks for consistency and coherence of ideas as an indication of truth.

3) The axiology for the idealist is best described as striving to conform to the perfect form in the world of ideas. An individual becomes more ethical the more they become like their Absolute Self. Beauty is found for the idealist in that which reflects the Absolute Ideal.

4) For the idealist, education is about freeing people from the physical, material world and encouraging them to conform to the ideal. The student is in the process of becoming more like their Absolute Self. The Teacher is crucial because they are an example for the student of the ideal self. Although they haven’t “arrived” yet, they are closer to the Absolute Self than the student. Since truth is wrapped up in ideas the curriculum is ideas focused. It revolves around the humanities including history, literature and “pure (read: abstract) mathematics. The goal in education is to conform students to their Absolute Selves.

5) Critique: There are several strengths to the idealist philosophy. First, many of its principles are easily adaptable to Christianity. If we replace “Absolute Self” with “Jesus Christ” we arrive at a very Pauline understanding of sanctification. Paul writes in Romans 12:2, “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good, acceptable and perfect.” This shows a caution of things of “this world” contained in scripture. A final strength in the idealist school is that it helps preserve the past and pass it on to next generations, a concern that is very important to God (Deuteronomy 6:7-9).

There are also several weaknesses to the idealist philosophy. The first is that idealism is concerned with transcending reality while Christianity is about transforming reality. The Platonic idea of transcending the physical world has plagued the world for centuries. We serve the God of the incarnation who took on flesh and became the firstfruits of a new created, physical order. When Christ returns he will usher in his physical, earthly kingdom (1 Corinthians 15:20-23). Christians are to transform the physical world, not despise it and leave it for dead. Another problem with idealism is that it completely ignores the physical world. The Bible uses the physical world to teach and instruct and even God is compared to animals, stars and humans on occasion, so it is not bad by nature, it is just subject to futility under sin (Romans 8:20-23). Finally, the mind is actually corrupt in sin and cannot find truth apart from Christ. The renewal of the mind is needed in order to understand truth and in order to know the Absolute Self of Jesus Christ (Romans 12:2).