| Subject |
Modernism |
Postmodernism |
Biblical (theism) |
| Human Nature |
Humans are, purely material machines. We live in a purely physical world.
Nothing exists beyond what our senses perceive. |
No opinion on this issue, but suspicious of such dogmatic claims to
knowledge. |
Humans are the only beings on earth created in the image of God. They are
spiritual and material. |
| Free Will (autonomy) |
Humans are self-governing and free to choose their own direction |
People are the product of their culture and only imagine they are
self-governing. |
Human free will has been drastically diminished by a moral fall from
grace, but they are still responsible for the use of their remaining free will. People's
desire to be autonomous is sinful--we were created to depend on God. |
| View of Reason |
People should be "rationalistic optimists." They should depend
only on the data of their senses and reason. |
There is no such thing as objective rationality (i.e., reason unaffected
by bias) in the sense modernists use the term. Rationalism is a myth. |
Reason is necessary but not sufficient for understanding reality. Reason
can disclose truth about reality, but faith and revelation are needed in addition. |
| View of Progress |
Humankind is progressing by using science and reason. |
"Progress" is a code word used by modernists to justify the
domination by European culture of other cultures. |
Humans aren't progressing toward any glorious future. However, advances
which relieve suffering and prolong life are good. |
