Extracts from: ‘How Should We Then Live?’ by Francis A.
Schaeffer
A good
explanation of Existentialism:
“… Kierkegaardianism did bring to full tide the notion that
reason will always lead to pessimism.
That is, one must try to find optimistic answers in regard to meaning
and values on an “upper level” outside of reason. Through a “leap of faith” one must try to
find meaning without reason.
You
will remember that in the High Renaissance, humanistic man, starting only from
himself, had problems concerning the meaning or value of things and of
absolutes for morals. With Rousseau it
became an AUTONOMOUS FREEDOM / AUTONOMOUS NATURE problem. With Kant it was NOUMENAL WORLD / PHENOMENAL WORLD. With Kierkegaardianism it went a step further
and now became:
NON-REASON = FAITH – OPTIMISM
REASON = PESSIMISM
So optimism will now always be in the area of
non-reason.” Pg 163
“This (dichotomy) is the mark of modern man.” Parenthesis
mine, Pg 164