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PHILOSOPHICAL, HISTORICAL AND LEGAL FOUNDATIONS OF EDUCATION (EDUC 403)

Subject

Sheena Marie A. Albason Dr. Exequiel Calimutan

Juvy Anne C. Calonce Professor
Mary Joy G. Abiera
Reporters

PHILOSOPHY OF JESUS CHRIST

Topic

Jesus Epistemology (the philosophy of knowing)

Epistemology is derived from the Greek word “epistome” meaning knowledge and “logos” which means
the study of. It is synonymous with the Latin word “scientia”. Basically it deals with the study of knowledge.
THE FIRST GREAT PHILOSOPHICAL question is: What is? The second, which naturally follows, is:
How do we know what is? The first question is about being, the second is about truth.
Jesus’ answer to the first question, the question of being, was Himself. It was not to point but to be, to be “I AM.”
So His answer to the second question, the question of truth, is also not to point to anything else as the truth but
simply to be Himself the truth: “I AM the truth.” (John 14:6)
So he is not just an epistemologist but the truth that all epistemology seeks. For Jesus is not just a
philosopher, a lover of wisdom, only because He is wisdom. He is the Beloved that “the love of wisdom” is in
love with.
In epistemology, what we must know is ourselves, the world and God. There are degrees of knowledge
and the key is wisdom. Again, Jesus not only taught in Jewish wisdom but personified it. As Kierkegaard wrote in
Practice in Christianity, the only explanation of truth is to be it. Jesus philosophy is in that sense ‘existential. Our
knowledge will increase with our sanctification of the Name of God, and of the world and ourselves. Kreeft
rightly refers to prayer as an important key to knowledge, allowing us to draw close and relate to that which we
need to know, rather than just to know about.
It shows how all things point to Christ. Everything in the universe and everything in the bible is finger
pointing to Him. He is the end of Epistemology.

Jesus Anthropology (the philosophy of man)

Anthropology is the study of what makes us human.

The THIRD GREAT QUESTION of philosophy is the question of the questioner, the question of man. It is
naturally third because after thinking about reality (metaphysics), we naturally think about our thinking
(epistemology), and then about the thinkers, ourselves (anthropology).
Jesus anthropology revolves around the imago Dei, the instruction that we are made in the image and
likeness of God. Each person is infinitely other than God, but bears God’s image and likeness in one major
respect: each human person is absolutely one and only. Upon this is founded human dignity. Jesus anthropology is
one which seeks to serve human dignity and increase it upon the face of earth, for God’s glory.
Next Kreeft explores the anthropology of Jesus, noting that Christ is the key to anthropology. Jesus is the
only way for man to know himself. Even Kreeft’s writing style weaves word pictures together in such a way as to
point to the beauty, artistry, and glory of Christ. In addition, the content itself encompasses both the philosophical
questions and the scriptural answers.

Jesus Ethics
Ethics is the art of science that deals with the morality of human acts.

In looking at Jesus ethics, Kreeft says, “There are really three moral questions, three basic parts to
morality; how should we relate to each other, to ourselves and to God? Kreefts writing prowess shines through as
he reflects on Christ as the answer to the ethics:
 “He is the world’s greatest moral teacher, but He is more than that. He is the world’s most perfect moral
example, but He is more than that. He is the world’s greatest prophet but He is more than that. He is more than
one who taught goodness and lived goodness and demanded goodness. He is goodness.
The Philosophy of Jesus is a powerful and even worshipful look at the person of Jesus Christ. This is a
profound look at Christ as the answer to life’s great questions: “Philosophers seek wisdom. Christ is wisdom.
Therefore Christ is the fulfillment of philosophy. Moralists seek righteousness. Christ is righteousness. Therefore
Christ is the fulfillment of morality.
The conclusion; “The answer is that there is only one hope, for societies as well as souls; What must I do to be
saved? Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you shall be saved (Act11:14)
Jesus ethics revolves around the imitation Dei, the imitation of God, which in Christianity becomes the
imitation of Christ. Kreeft argues that we have to be little Christs, which I take it has to do with becoming all that
God has called us to be, individually and as a people of God. The idea is that we each need to be personally
responsible for our share in collective destiny, which is with God, to mend the world. Jesus own philosophy was
to do the Father’s will, which he did, and which he enjoined us to do, and in which prayer and personal wholeness
is the key to knowledge and true freedom.

Reference:
A Book The Philosophy of Jesus By Peter Kreeft. St. Augustine’s Press South Bend, Indiana 2007