Week 1 Discussion
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California State University, Fullerton *
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Course
210
Subject
Philosophy
Date
Jan 9, 2024
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docx
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Uploaded by stenyv06
Week 1 Discussion Board
1.
How would you describe the thesis of Smith's book? What is his main argument?
○
The overarching thesis Smith expounds on in chapter one is the notion that “you
are what you love”. He dissects this conviction, exploring each component of his
argument, to essentially come to the conclusion that changing what you love to
become who you desire will be more beneficial in your discipleship than simply
improving knowledge. In other words the matters of the heart have more weight
than our intellect because we are driven by love and love will allow us to achieve
telos
- the ultimate end goal which is God.
2.
What does Smith mean by "habit"? How do habits play into his vision of the
Christian life?
○
Habit is acquired through practice. Smith describes habit as human nature, it is
what we do subconsciously. Our first nature is biological such as breathing and
blinking, we do this without choosing to. In the same way, habits can become
second nature. Because we are what we love and love is a virtue, it should also
become a habit. To be virtuous is to possess good, moral habits and to form a
habit requires regular practice, so we must strive to make those virtuous habits
second nature. In brief, if love is a habit, then it is through habit that we are able
to attain telos or the life we desire.
3.
Based on what you've read so far, do you think there is a tendency for Smith to
downplay the role of thinking and believing? Why or why not?
○
While Smith is more partial to believing that discipleship is of the heart, he does
not downplay the importance of the mind. He embraces a holistic approach by
aligning the mind and heart in relation to one another, and by doing so rejects the
idea that humans are purely “thinking things”. Through scripture we renew our
minds and we learn about God which influences the person we are. However, the
gap between what we know and how we act is filled in by our desire, this is where
our heart comes into play.
Notes
: You are what you think, so if you change the way you think you can alter who you are
into who you want to be. Developing Descartes' “I think, therefore I am” conviction into Paul’s
prayer “I love, therefore I am '' prompting us to ponder how this would change our approach to
discipleship. Ancient wisdom of St. Augustine’s themes: 1. Humans are made by and for the
creator 2. Humans are teleological creatures, constantly developing to reach an end goal 3.
Center of gravity of humans is located in the heart not the mind (love orients us to telos). Our
hearts are made to find their ultimate end in God, so we experience restlessness when we try to
find love in the world. Like a compass, the longings of the heart point and propel us in the
direction of a kingdom. You are what you love and love is a virtue, it should also be a habit
(second nature) just as our biological systems such as breathing and blinking are first nature
because we do it unconsciously. We form this habit through practice, imitation, and learning and
we do this regularly (recalibrate our hearts/desires). Worship is a practice that is the heart of
discipleship.
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