Epistemological Self-Consciousness

In “Epistemological Self-Consciousness,” Rushdoony argues that every worldview must eventually face the implications of its own foundations, and that atheism, when consistently applied, leads to meaninglessness, lawlessness, and the collapse of authority. He contrasts figures like modern artists and scientists who deny God yet still borrow God’s order in practice, showing that unbelief cannot live consistently without smuggling in divine presuppositions. As history advances, God forces cultures toward greater self-awareness, exposing the impossibility of maintaining order, morality, or meaning apart from Him. The result is rebellion against all authority—family, church, state, and law—and the rise of chaos and mob mentality. Rushdoony insists that Christians must develop Christian epistemological self-consciousness through comprehensive Christian education and systematic obedience to God’s law, rather than fighting humanism on humanistic grounds. Only a coherent, God-centered worldview can rebuild what unbelief can only destroy, and victory belongs not to lawless systems of negation but to faithful submission to the triune God who alone gives knowledge, order, and meaning.