Bulverism, as Lewis defined it, is dodging your opponent's argument by psychologizing him. Your treat him like a psychological patient who needs your evaluation to explain why he came up with such a ridiculous argument in the first place.
So what was his inferior state of mind that produced the silly argument? Hmmmm.... Let's see (says the faculty at Enlightenment U). He's obviously so weak he needs a crutch. So he invents a God to help him through life.
No! Wait (says Freud)! He misses his papa, so he invents a heavenly father to hold his hand every step of the way.
No! Here it is. He doesn't live up to his goals so he projects a perfect image of himself into the sky and calls it God. Yeah! Yeah!
Wait, (says the patient) but how do you explain the incarnation Feuerbach?
Oh that's easy (says the philosopher). You see that projection got a little intimidating after awhile, so man just brought it back down to earth in the form of Jesus, so he could pat his God on the head and say "There, there. Your not so scary. You love me so much you're going to die and rise again to save me."
Now let's all go to bed and rise tomorrow to live wiser lives (says the Lady of the Green Kirtle).
What about Thomas's Five Ways (says the patient)?
Oh, don't you know that philosophers have pointed for years out that those arguments don't really prove anything scientifically. Thomas' only use now is on my couch. That will explain everything.
But aren't there grave difficulties in psychoanalyzing the dead (says Roland Bainton the perfectly sane historian)?
No, not when they really need you (says the faculty of Enlightenment U in their most updated accent).
No comments:
Post a Comment