The empiricists John Locke and David Hume thought that all our concepts were ultimately derived from experience. They divided concepts into two classes: simple and complex. Simple concepts are irreducible, whereas complex concepts are bundles of concepts. For example, UNICORN, according to this theory is a bundle of: HORSE, WHITE, HORN, MAGICAL, etc. Difficult concepts such as EQUALITY, they argued, could be formed by processes such as abstraction and negation. On seeing a pair of sticks of unequal length, one could use negation to imagine the possibility of the sticks being exactly the same in length, and could then use abstraction to say that EQUALITY is the property that equal things have.
Concept rationalists, in opposition to concept empiricists, believe that some concepts cannot be derived from experience. They are a priori imposed by us on experience in order to make sense of it. Potential candidates for this class of concepts are: BEAUTY, JUSTICE, STANDARD, etc. STANDARD is a very important concept in this class, because it is the basis of comparison. Plato developed a theory of forms to account for our intuitive ability to recognise a distinction between things in this world and the ideal version against which we compare them.
In this comparison, it is important to distinguish between the concept itself and ways in which it is manifested in the world. A beautiful horse is not BEAUTY itself. St Paul understood that there were different kinds of glory, presupposing that there are rules governing the way an ideal is applied to things in the real world. A human body has a certain kind of glory, and a heavenly body another. Each of these things partakes of GLORY, but neither could tell one completely what GLORY is in and of itself. Thus there is a distinction between what sets the concept GLORY apart from other concepts and what makes for glory as an attribute of particular nouns.
The ideal or concept and the property that partakes of it, while not formally taught as a system of thought in Scripture, are part of how we understand the story of Scripture. Eden and the Age to Come represent perfections against which we compare this present age and find it a “vale of tears” (vallis lacrimarum). We see elements of glory breaking into this world, but we know that the fullness of glory is not yet come. In reading the Book of Revelation and other parts of Scripture, we also find that the glory of Eden is in fact less than the glory of the Age to Come, hard as that is to imagine.
It is important that we make these comparisons, because they give us clarity and help to fan the fire of our zeal. We should earnestly desire the Age to Come and we should earnestly desire that God’s glory fill the earth. As we learn what perfection is in all its forms, we understand how act and think in accordance with the will of God both ethically and devotionally. These concepts, acting through our consciences, our reasoning, and revelation, link us back to God (“for He has put eternity in their hearts”).
As we seek the return of Christ, let us return to the fire of our love and zeal and allow the Holy Spirit to fan the flame. Meditate on God’s glory; be jealous for His Name – that all kings and potentates may bow at the name of Jesus, that all may come to Jerusalem, the City of the Great King, to pay homage to the Lord.
All Along the Watchtower 
Marvelous, absolutely marvelous.
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I always try to put these philosophical arguments into a thought experiment to test their merit as something that is true for all people at all times . . . therefore being an objective truth. And I always end up with a mystery that is beyond cognitive understanding.
For instance, a man abandoned on an island as a baby (or raised by wolves) etc. has a wholly different view of justice, beauty, equality, or standard than does one who is part of a family or human social culture. So I would lean heavily toward the experiential. If a robot teaches a baby how to speak and read but the person has no human contact then if led to a library how is he to define what is real and what is fiction? It is one of the reasons that I am Catholic. For if I were to read every book in a library, how would I decide which ones would be objectively true if not for a corporate Church that has undeniably existed and makes all the claims of the founding Church and the explains why it is true. I might just as well believe the Buddhist scriptures or the Muslim scriptures or even the Marvel Comic Books that I find.
And without any learning such as writing and reading I would be even at a bigger loss; somebody magically setting out food and drink for me while I sleep. I would come to expect it as I expect the sun rise in the morning.
I could write a whole book on the premises laid out . . . or how a person “thinks” when raised by wolves. But the innate knowledge to me, is something that somehow, when presented and demonstrated, strikes a chord that is harmonious as opposed to that which is discordant. Even animals and plants thrive better when exposed to harmonious music rather than discordant noise that makes them whither and die or become anxious and sick. So I remain unswayed by overly much philosophizing and yet aware that there is a mystery hidden in our very being and even in the being, to a lesser degree, of all living things: call it the Divine Order or what have you . . . but it is a mystery in and of itself.
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Amen to your conclusion Nicholas as well as to Scoop’s reminding us of when Jesus and the apostles referred to and opened up some of the heavenly ‘mysteries’ Father has waiting for us to learn and apply.
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Indeed: God is gracious to us, but I think He is also calling us to meditate on the Kingdom etc so that our minds are attentive to and ready for the new things He is saying.
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Most definitely.
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