By the Fall and Revolt of Adam the Whole Human Race Was Delivered to the Curse, and Degenerated from Its Original Condition by John Calvin Reformed Thinking

Calvin indicates the paramount weight of self-knowledge, deeming ignorance of oneself more disgraceful than ignorance of everyday matters. He assesses philosophers who promote self-knowledge to instill personal excellence, leading to vanity and pride. Instead, Calvin favors a humbling, encyclopedic self-understanding. He outlines two key aspects of true self-knowledge: First, by contemplating on the gifts bestowed by God during creation and those He continues to supply, individuals can perceive the potential greatness of human nature if it had remained unblemished. This consideration advises people that everything they possess is granted by God, cultivating reliance on Him and resisting pride or self-sufficiency. Second, Calvin maintains humanity's current wicked state since Adam's fall, which should dismantle any confidence or boasting, evoking humility and shame. Recognizing that humans were created in God's image to elevate minds towards virtue and eternal life should affect individuals to strive for blessed immortality. In addition, Calvin points out true self-examination, urging adherence to divine truth, which disheartens assurance in one’s abilities and stimulates humility. This involves knowing our limitations, stripping us of grounds for boasting and leading to submission. He acknowledges the allure of a more flattering perspective that focuses on virtues rather than shortcomings, noting the human mind's inclination towards self-admiration. Calvin notices that even when individuals credit God, they often retain grounds for self-confidence and boasting. He comments teachings that flatter pride, warning they are deceptive and destructive, feeding dangerous self-reliance and self-deception. Relying on oneself leads to a lack of true intelligence and virtue, causing persistent errors until downfall. Listening to teachers who reiterate good qualities without fomenting true self-knowledge plunges individuals into ignorance. True self-awareness, according to Calvin, requires recognizing our insufficiency and submitting to divine guidance, avoiding self-delusion and pride. Lastly, Calvin deviates human and divine perspectives on self-knowledge. Traditional wisdom and divine revelation both stress its concern, but human self-knowledge often forwards certainty in intelligence and virtue. In disagreement, divine self-knowledge uncovers thorough inadequacy, leading to despondency and recognition of dependence on divine grace. Meditating on humanity's original dignity should galvanize a pursuit of goodness and justice but often underlines the fall from grace, leading to humility and a longing for restoration.

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