Fact, Value, and God

by Arthur F. Holmes

Philosopher Arthur F. Holmes surveys the historical ways of grounding moral values objectively in the nature of reality, pausing along the way to consider such major landmarks in Western thought as Plato, Aristotle, Augustine, Thomas Aquinas, Ockham, the Reformers, Kant, Hegel, and Nietzsche. Holmes is not convinced that we live in a value-free universe, that fact and value are ultimately unrelated, or that we have to create all our own values rather than discovering the good. He explores the fact-value connection in the larger context of metaphysical and theological views. What emerges is a pervasive-and convincing-link between religious and moral beliefs.

Genres: Philosophy

Paperback

First published January 1, 1997

About the author

Arthur Frank Holmes (March 15, 1924 – October 8, 2011) was Professor of Philosophy at Wheaton College, Illinois (1951–1994). Before his retirement in 1994, he had served for several decades as Chairman of Wheaton's Department of Philosophy. Thereafter, he held the title of Professor Emeritus. After his retirement, he returned and taught half of the yearlong history of philosophy sequence, particularly the medieval (Augustine to Ockham) and the modern (Descartes to Quine) quarters in 2000-2001.

He became widely known for his body of work on topics related to philosophy, including ethics, philosophy applied to Christian higher education, and historical interactions between Christianity and philosophy. Holmes also has served as a guest lecturer at many colleges, universities, and conferences on these topics.

Holmes was a graduate of Wheaton College, where he earned an undergraduate degree in philosophy. He earned the Ph.D. in philosophy from Northwestern University in Chicago. Reportedly, before he immigrated to the United States in 1947, he had flown for the Royal Air Force in England during World War II.

Holmes died in Wheaton, Illinois, on October 8, 2011, at age 87.

Reviews

[Caleb]

A great primer for the development of ethics. Would use in introductory ethics.