Van Til and Idealism

 In the eighth and final course of our Fellowship in Reformed Apologetics, Dr. Lane G. Tipton examines Van Til’s exposition and critique of transcendental idealism (Kant) and absolute idealism (Hegel). The course will begin with an overview Van Til’s critique of various forms of post-Enlightenment idealism. The thesis will emerge that against both transcendental and absolute forms of idealism, of which both entail distinct forms of correlativism, Van Til set forth Reformed Trinitarianism and federalism as a comprehensive alternative. The course will then focus on Kantian transcendental idealism and reflect on Van Til’s vigorous rejection of Kant’s conception of dimensionalism, as well as his notions of theoretical and practical reason. Next, the course will proceed to give sustained and detailed attention to Hegel’s absolute idealism and reflect on Van Til’s comprehensive rejection of Hegelian correlativism. The course will conclude with a summary of Van Til’s doctoral dissertation and explore his argument that idealism is antithetical to Christian theism, since it reduces to pragmatism. Special attention will be given to reading relevant primary sources with critical understanding.

Total course duration: 5 hours, 49 minutes.