Glossary of terms helpful to the study of Bavinck's Reformed Dogmatics
a posteriori
a priori
Dogmatics
Empiricism
Epistemology
Innate idea
Intuition
Knowledge
Metaphysics
Prologomena
Rationalism
a posteriori
a posteriori - dependent upon observation, experience, or sense perception
(Taken from Dr. Greg Bahnsen’s The History of Western Philosophy [http://www.cmfnow.com/articles/phil-out.pdf])
The empiricist believes knowledge is a posteriori, gained only through sense experience.
a priori
a priori -independent of observation, experience, or sense perception
(Taken from Dr. Greg Bahnsen’s The History of Western Philosophy [http://www.cmfnow.com/articles/phil-out.pdf])
The rationalist believes knowledge is a priori, independent of sense experience.
Dogmatics
from the Greek dokein "to think", "to appear". The formal study of the Christian faith which presents its beliefs and doctrines in a an organized and systematic way.
(Taken from Donald K. McKim's Westminster Dictionary of Theological Terms by Donald K. McKim [WJK, 1995] p. 81)
Empiricism
Empiricism – A view which bases our knowledge, or the materials of knowledge from which it is constructed on experience through the traditional five senses. What might be called the classical empiricist view is associated especially with John Locke (not the John Locke of the T.V. Series Lost who interestingly, was not an empiricist, but a man of faith). John Locke (1632-1704) was the first of the so-called British Empiricists.
(Taken from Ted Honderich's The Oxford Guide - Philosophy [Oxford University Press, 2005] p. 242)
Epistemology
Epistemology, or the theory of knowledge, is that branch of philosophy concerned with the nature of knowledge, its possibility, scope, and general basis.
(Taken from Ted Honderich's The Oxford Guide - Philosophy by Ted Honderich [Oxford University Press, 2005] p. 260)
Innate idea
Innate idea - a concept known a priori and characterized by universality and necessity
(Taken from Dr. Greg Bahnsen’s The History of Western Philosophy [http://www.cmfnow.com/articles/phil-out.pdf])
Innate ideas are at the heart of the Rationalism, the rationalist will say we all have an innate idea of goodness or love, or even duckness. When we see something good, or say something is good, it is because that thing or action, is conforming to our idea of goodness. When we see a particular duck (like Donald Duck) we say that is a duck because it conforms to our idea of duckness.
Intuition
Intuition - direct, immediate (non-discursive) knowledge
(Taken from Dr. Greg Bahnsen’s The History of Western Philosophy [http://www.cmfnow.com/articles/phil-out.pdf])
Closely related to innate ideas, for the rationalist, when we make the association of a particular out in the world to the innate ideal of the universal in our mind, we are intuiting, using our intuition. It is by intuition that we associate Donald Duck to the idea of duckness.
Knowledge
Knowledge - justified, true belief.
(Taken from Dr. Greg Bahnsen’s The History of Western Philosophy [http://www.cmfnow.com/articles/phil-out.pdf])
In the study of epistemology, to say something is known, or you know something, that fact must be true, and you must believe it to be true, and you must have a justifiable reason to believe it is true. For me to say "I know ducks can fly", 1) Ducks must be able to fly. 2) I must believe ducks can fly. 3)I must have a justified reason to believe this, such as, I saw a flock of ducks flying.
Metaphysics
Metaphysics is the most abstract and in some views 'high-falutin' part of philosophy, having to do with the features of ultimate reality, what really exists and what it is that distinguishes that and makes it possible.
(Taken from Ted Honderich's The Oxford Guide - Philosophy by Ted Honderich [Oxford University Press, 2005] p. 590)
Metaphysics is also sometime referred to as Ontology, which is the study of being. Question concerning what is being and existence are ontological questions which is a just another way to phrase the examination reality.
Prolegomena
Those things which come before the main body of work. In theology, certain issues and questions that prepare the way for treating other major topics.
(Taken from Donald K. McKim's Westminster Dictionary of Theological Terms by Donald K. McKim [WJK, 1995] p. 223)
In the Reformed tradition, "Prolegomena" has been grounded in the God's revelation, primarily special revelation (scripture), and then secondarily general revelation(nature). The idea is that before we talk about the Doctrine of God, Man, Salvation, etc... we must first ground the source of those topics in God's revelation.
Rationalism
Rationalism – Any of a variety of views emphasizing the role or importance of reason, usually including intuition, in contrast to sensory experience (including introspection), the feelings or authority. Just as an extreme empiricism tries to base all knowledge on experience, so an extreme rationalist tries to base it on reason.
(Taken from Ted Honderich's The Oxford Guide - Philosophy[Oxford University Press, 2005] p. 781)
