In my previous article, I addressed the paradox of the philosophical man. Using the format of Nietzschean prose, I attempted to display the social philosophy of a brilliant man who descended into the midst of fools. In this part of the article, I would like to highlight a quote from the common man and see how we, as academics, can respond using the thoughts of scripture. Here is what I want to meditate on: “What have you profited from your thought? We ate, drank, and studied all that we needed. We have no need for your religious babble.” I believe we can best respond to this using the inspired philosophical inquiries of Asaph.
Asaph was a Levite musician, singer, and prophet, being consummately used to write inspired scripture. Throughout his Psalms (Psalm 50 and Psalms 73-83), he writes in a very philosophical format, questioning faithfulness, the struggles of humanity, and faith amid difficulties. These are all inquiries of philosophy and ought to be placed within the wisdom literature genre of scripture. Asaph, pondering these things, has always intrigued me, and he provides an answer for the life of the philosophical man found in the first part of the article, particularly in Psalm 73.
Psalm 73:1 begins with what the philosophical man knows, “Truly God is good to Israel,
to those who are pure in heart.” This echoes what the philosophical man attempts to proclaim to the common folk: “Why don’t you understand? There is a God. He is the answer for our society.” There is a sense in which both men have a certainty in what they know to be true. Then they both run into the same problem. The wicked men are eating, drinking, and prospering. They know no suffering. They know no pain. We know from the historical context of Psalm 73 that Asaph is writing this Psalm after a recent spiritual awakening, so it would only make sense that he would be baffled at the prosperity of the wicked. The two men at first appear to have different responses, but in reality, they are quite similar. The philosophical man, after having experienced the rejection of the truth he proclaimed, retreats to his mountain of vain study to continue pondering the truths of life. That is a burden he knows he must bear. Asaph, in reality, has a remarkably similar response, but it differs in one manner. Instead of retreating to his mountain of study, he instead ascends a profoundly different mountain. He ascended the mountain of God. Psalm 73:16-26: But when I thought how to understand this, it seemed to me a wearisome task, until I went into the sanctuary of God; then I discerned their end. Asaph ascended to the mountain of God, and there he found understanding. All the earthly prosperity that the wicked partakes in during this mist of life is all vanity. The philosophical man’s flesh and heart failed to proclaim his truthful message, but Asaph persevered. This inquiry into the prosperity of the wicked resulted in a dependence upon Christ and not on any amount of study that one could do.
To finally answer the question outright, “What have you profited from your thought?”
Psalm 73:28 answers the question outright, stating, “But for me it is good to be near God; I have made the Lord God my refuge, that I may tell of all your works.” Do not simply descend from the mountain of intellect to abstractly proclaim the truth of God, but truly draw near to Him who can keep you from stumbling. As Christians, we ought to live this life to conform to the image of the Son. So, go forth, philosophical man. Ascend to the mountain of God and not to the mountain of vain study.
Leave a comment