Reclaiming Moral Knowledge in a Changing World

 

Summary

In today's world, the concept of moral knowledge has become elusive, particularly in the West, where a once broadly Judeo-Christian public morality has been replaced by a new moral framework often referred to as neoliberalism or meritocratic culture. This shift is not merely the result of philosophical arguments but is deeply rooted in socio-cultural changes. The social and economic transformations characteristic of modernity, such as urbanization, pluralism, and liberalism, have refocused our attention on utility and power, moving us away from traditional moral bases. This has led to a situation where fundamental goods and duties become less noticeable, while instrumental goods, which are often mistaken for fundamental, gain prominence.

The parable of the island survivors illustrates this shift. Initially, the survivors focused on projects of escape and rescue, but over time, the production of fish hooks—a symbol of instrumental value—became the central focus, overshadowing the original goals. This mirrors our society's tendency to prioritize material and instrumental values over deeper, fundamental ones.

The disappearance of moral knowledge is further exacerbated by secularization, which has been driven by both intellectual and socio-cultural forces. The rise of pluralism, political liberalism, and urbanization has created a society where multiple perspectives on morality coexist, often leading to a focus on lowest common denominator values. These values, centered around utility and instrumental power, have become the new cultural norm, overshadowing traditional values.

In response to this cultural shift, it is crucial to recognize the illusory nature of this new moral framework and consciously refocus on fundamental values such as family, community, and divine love. While complete withdrawal from modern culture is not feasible, we can take steps to mitigate its influence, particularly through moral education in the home and cultivating an awareness of the true value of human and divine love.

Key Takeaways:

1. The Shift from Fundamental to Instrumental Values: Modern society has shifted its focus from fundamental Judeo-Christian values to instrumental values like utility and power. This shift has made it difficult to recognize and prioritize deeper moral goods. Understanding this change is crucial to reclaiming a more meaningful moral framework. [02:10]

2. The Parable of the Island Survivors: The story of the island survivors illustrates how instrumental values can overshadow fundamental goals. Over time, the production of fish hooks became more important than the original rescue mission, symbolizing how society often prioritizes material gain over deeper values. [05:58]

3. The Role of Secularization: Secularization has played a significant role in the disappearance of moral knowledge. This process, driven by both intellectual and socio-cultural forces, has made traditional religious morality harder to see and accept, leading to a focus on lowest common denominator values. [07:53]

4. The Influence of Modern Social Phenomena: Urbanization, pluralism, and liberalism have created a society where multiple perspectives on morality coexist, often leading to a focus on instrumental values. Recognizing the impact of these phenomena can help us refocus on fundamental values. [15:09]

5. Cultivating Awareness of True Values: To counter the influence of modern culture, we must consciously refocus on fundamental values such as family, community, and divine love. This involves recognizing the illusory nature of instrumental values and making deliberate choices that prioritize deeper moral goods. [34:31]

Youtube Chapters:

- [00:00] - Welcome
- [00:20] - Introduction and Abstract
- [00:56] - Loss of Moral Knowledge
- [01:34] - Modernity's Influence
- [02:27] - The Island Parable
- [03:19] - Camps and Traditions
- [04:17] - The Rise of Fish Hooks
- [05:46] - The New Culture
- [06:10] - Secularization's Role
- [07:41] - Social Changes and Secularization
- [08:17] - Modern Social Phenomena
- [10:28] - Political Liberalism
- [12:20] - Urbanization's Impact
- [15:09] - The Divide and Conquer Dynamic
- [17:46] - Instrumental vs. Fundamental Values
- [21:28] - The Origin of LCD Culture
- [23:54] - Conformity and Choice Points
- [27:05] - Ideas and Interests
- [30:17] - Proposals for Change

Study Guide

Bible Study Discussion Guide

Bible Reading:

1. Matthew 6:19-21 (NIV) - "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."

2. Romans 12:2 (NIV) - "Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will."

3. 1 John 2:15-17 (NIV) - "Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them. For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world. The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever."

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Observation Questions:

1. What are the key differences between fundamental and instrumental values as discussed in the sermon? [02:10]

2. How does the parable of the island survivors illustrate the shift from fundamental to instrumental values? [05:58]

3. What role does secularization play in the disappearance of moral knowledge according to the sermon? [07:53]

4. How do modern social phenomena like urbanization and pluralism contribute to the focus on instrumental values? [15:09]

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Interpretation Questions:

1. How might the shift from fundamental to instrumental values affect one's personal and spiritual life? Consider the implications of Matthew 6:19-21 in this context.

2. In what ways does Romans 12:2 challenge the cultural norms of prioritizing instrumental values over fundamental ones?

3. How can 1 John 2:15-17 guide believers in recognizing and resisting the allure of instrumental values in today's society?

4. What are some practical steps individuals can take to refocus on fundamental values such as family, community, and divine love, as suggested in the sermon? [34:31]

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Application Questions:

1. Reflect on your own life: Are there areas where you have prioritized instrumental values over fundamental ones? How can you realign your priorities this week? [19:03]

2. Consider the influence of secularization in your community. How can you actively promote and teach fundamental values within your family or social circles? [07:53]

3. Identify a specific way you can cultivate awareness of true values, such as family and divine love, in your daily routine. What changes will you make to ensure these values are prioritized? [34:31]

4. How can you apply the teachings of Romans 12:2 to transform your mindset and resist conforming to the pattern of this world?

5. Think of a recent decision you made. Was it influenced more by fundamental or instrumental values? How might you approach similar decisions differently in the future?

6. How can you use the parable of the island survivors as a reminder to focus on long-term, meaningful goals rather than short-term, material gains? [05:58]

7. What is one specific action you can take this week to demonstrate the value of community and divine love in your interactions with others? [34:31]

Devotional

Day 1: Rediscovering Fundamental Values
Modern society has shifted its focus from fundamental Judeo-Christian values to instrumental values like utility and power. This shift has made it difficult to recognize and prioritize deeper moral goods. Understanding this change is crucial to reclaiming a more meaningful moral framework. [02:10]

"For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." (Matthew 6:21, ESV)

Reflection: What is one fundamental value you have neglected in pursuit of material success, and how can you begin to prioritize it today?


Day 2: The Parable of Priorities
The story of the island survivors illustrates how instrumental values can overshadow fundamental goals. Over time, the production of fish hooks became more important than the original rescue mission, symbolizing how society often prioritizes material gain over deeper values. [05:58]

"Do not toil to acquire wealth; be discerning enough to desist." (Proverbs 23:4, ESV)

Reflection: Identify an area in your life where you have allowed a secondary goal to overshadow a primary one. How can you realign your priorities this week?


Day 3: Secularization and Moral Clarity
Secularization has played a significant role in the disappearance of moral knowledge. This process, driven by both intellectual and socio-cultural forces, has made traditional religious morality harder to see and accept, leading to a focus on lowest common denominator values. [07:53]

"For the wisdom of this world is folly with God. For it is written, 'He catches the wise in their craftiness.'" (1 Corinthians 3:19, ESV)

Reflection: In what ways have secular values influenced your understanding of right and wrong? How can you seek God's wisdom to gain clarity?


Day 4: Navigating Modern Social Phenomena
Urbanization, pluralism, and liberalism have created a society where multiple perspectives on morality coexist, often leading to a focus on instrumental values. Recognizing the impact of these phenomena can help us refocus on fundamental values. [15:09]

"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 and acceptable and perfect." (Romans 12:2, ESV)

Reflection: How can you create space in your daily life to discern and focus on fundamental values amidst the noise of modern society?


Day 5: Cultivating True Values
To counter the influence of modern culture, we must consciously refocus on fundamental values such as family, community, and divine love. This involves recognizing the illusory nature of instrumental values and making deliberate choices that prioritize deeper moral goods. [34:31]

"And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near." (Hebrews 10:24-25, ESV)

Reflection: What is one practical step you can take today to cultivate a deeper sense of community and divine love in your life?

Quotes

Dallas Willard observed that moral knowledge is now Elusive and rarely publicly recognized in the West. He was at least partially correct an earlier broadly judeo-christian public morality was and is lost however this former public moral knowledge has been largely replaced by a new one variously called neoliberalism and meritocratic culture. [00:47:34]

Urbanization, pluralism, and liberalism interact to constantly refocus our attention on utility and power and away from genuine or at least traditionally geo-christian moral bases. The result is that fundamental goods and duties become harder to notice while merely instrumentally valuable phenomena appear more salient. [00:49:22]

The parable of the island survivors illustrates how instrumental values can overshadow fundamental goals. Over time, the production of fish hooks became more important than the original rescue mission, symbolizing how society often prioritizes material gain over deeper values. [00:57:00]

The Elders of each Camp explain to their children that the point of the daily activities on the island, collecting Fish Hooks Gathering water repairing bashing on the Huts was to keep them alive so they could continue their projects of escape and Rescue. [01:04:29]

The result is an undesigned divide and conquer Dynamic where anyone with deep particular values is systematically cold from their home flock and deprogrammed that's how it seems to work. The upshot of all this is that disembedding whether due to urbanization or the social effects of the internet shrinks the leads of our Cloverleaf model. [00:15:21]

What makes LCD culture different from most other cultures from the Petals of the daisy is that it takes vital human needs and instrumental power to be the most important values. Human needs and instrumental power of course have utility in every culture but for many perhaps all other cultures the most important things lie elsewhere. [00:17:46]

Traditional cultures overlap with everyone else on the utility of instrumental values but LCD culture puts disproportionate emphasis on them. Oversimplifying a little bit for the sake of clarity we might say that what makes LCD culture distinctive is that it treats instrumental values as fundamental values. [00:18:25]

A successful education for an open Future is actually an education for this particular kind of professional feature. Crucially a member of LCD culture enjoys this greater latitude in life and Life Choices because he prioritizes LCD values over those of any traditional culture. [00:23:54]

A fundamental Choice point is a situation in which someone must choose between a fundamental value according to their traditional culture on the one hand or on the other hand pursuing an instrumental value instead. So for instance does one choose a job or career that will enable them to live near their extended family or does one choose the job or career that maximizes income or career opportunity. [00:27:05]

The phenomenology of lowest common denominator culture poses a similar problem, presents us with a distracting and illusory world. As with any culture the power of LCD culture is strengthened to the extent that it's not recognized as culture but is instead taken for granted as the nature of reality. [00:34:31]

If we can come to realize that the denuda duracinated world of fundamentalized instrumental value is illusory, then perhaps we can try to walk in gnash his shoes we can begin to consciously effortfully discount the illusions of LCD culture and bring back into focus our obligations to family and neighbor and the true value of human and divine love. [00:34:31]

In all likelihood our children first encounter the engines of the zeitgeiston school, where they are exposed to life worlds different from their own and dialogue with children and teachers from these other life worlds childhood is the most influential time in the development of a person's moral perspective so it stands to reason that this would be an especially critical time to form our children away from these influences. [00:30:17]

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Transcript
What was the most surprising thing in this sermon?
Were there any personal stories shared?