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Home > Books > Logical Reasoning in Christian Science
Logical Reasoning in Christian Science
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Product Code: LogicalF
Manufacturer: Kappeler Institute Publishing
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Booklet, 28
Level:
SUBJECT(s):
Christian Science as a Science
RELATED RECORDINGS:
X-2, The Logic of Christian Science (5 hours, audio)
SYNOPSIS: The Bible and Science and Health can often seem to be contradictory and paradoxical. This is because we tend to read them with the classical two-valued logic or orthodox thinking, not the one-valued, infinite logic that allows us to see their consistency. Fundamentally, the entire message of Science and Health is oriented toward leading us to the realization that all discord is merely the consequence of incorrect reasoning and that the error that arises from this false logic must be corrected by divine logic. Reasoning in the Science and logic of Christian Science is not just an intellectual game. The dimensionalism of Christianly scientific logic makes it possible for all questions posed at the different levels of consciousness to find their respectively spiritually logical answers.
CONTENTS:
Chapter 1: Understanding Through Logical Reasoning
Chapter 2: Classical Two-valued Logic
Chapter 3: The Way to Understanding
Chapter 4: Logic on the Level of Christian Science
Chapter 5: Logic on the Level of Absolute Christian Science
Chapter 6: Logic on the Level of Divine Science
Chapter 7: Logic on the Level of Science itself
Chapter 8: Conclusion
Chapter 9: Scientific Reasoning Tolerates No Mistakes
EXCERPT:
From Max Kappeler, Logical Reasoning in Christian Science, pp. 2–9. Why is it important for the Christian Scientist to think "logically"? Correct reasoning shows us two things: First, it shows how an assumed premise leads to a conclusion; and, second, it also shows why the conclusion must be thus and not otherwise. In Christian Science, therefore, we learn through logical reasoning what true conclusion results from a right premise; and we learn why this conclusion is the only correct one. This second aspect is even more important for students than the first. For Truth itself is presented in the Textbook, to be read at any time. But this alone, in the long run, does not bring us spiritual progress. For, as long as absolute Truth remains purely theoretical to students, as long as they are unable to reason with the exact logic that leads to Truth, they will not be able to experience the demonstrability of Truth in actual practice. We do know the truth; we know, for instance, that man in the image and likeness of God can only express perfection and that sin, disease, and death are not realities. Often, however, we do not understand why this is true, merely believing it because it says so in the Textbook. But to prove Truth for ourselves in our daily lives, we must above all be able to think in the distinct, spiritually logical steps that make this possible. This is the true remedy. Mary Baker Eddy makes this clear in her instruction to the student in case of accident: "When an accident happens … Declare that you are not hurt" (S&H 397:12,17). We must know what is true "and understand the reason why" (S&H 397:18), and we must, in addition, know why it is true. Logic shows us this "why"….
The comprehensive logic of the Textbook. The logic with which Christian Science leads the student to the demonstration of reality embraces all levels of conscious experience. It is a comprehensive logic, which is multi-dimensional. What does this imply?
In the Textbook, we can distinguish four different basic levels of conscious experience: Science itself, divine Science, absolute Christian Science, and Christian Science. From each of these levels being presents itself differently; thus each of them accentuates a different question about being
- On the level of Science itself, it is a question of how the infinite One knows itself.
- The level of divine Science deals with the question of the oneness of God and its creation—the oneness of Principle and idea.
- On the level of absolute Christian Science, it is a question of the relationship between this Principle and its idea. Here the accent is on the infinite calculus of ideas and the handling of the noumenon of evil, latent error, through the infinite calculus of being.
- The level of Christian Science answers the question concerning the relationship of Truth to error. It shows how concrete error can be destroyed through the healing Truth. (For more on this topic, see Max Kappeler, The Four Levels of Spiritual Consciousness).
The Textbook does not tackle these very different questions with a single method of correct reasoning. On the contrary, for each level or dimension it uses a different and appropriate logic; it works with a multi-dimensional logic, which provides different forms of reasoning for each level.
This explains why the Textbook is so often misunderstood and even thought to be self-contradictory. For we generally try to approach every theme with the same logic, usually our own human, two-valued logic. Not until the appearance of quite new sciences in our own day has our attention been drawn to the fact that not all problems and questions can be solved with the same logic; that nuclear physics, for instance, when researching the sub-atomic field, has to use a different method of reasoning from that used in classical physics. It is the same in Christian Science. Here the level of consciousness on which the question is asked determines which logic is appropriate, that is to say, which kind of reasoning can supply a conclusive answer. Thus, spiritual understanding employs a different kind of argumentation for each of the four levels of consciousness; for on each level it has to solve different questions about being.
Anyone who is not familiar with this dimensional use of logic in the Textbook feels irritated by the varying methods of reasoning. The Textbook as a whole, and the wide range of problems discussed in it, can be understood only when we see clearly which kind of reasoning is needed for which level of consciousness.
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