In the modern world, naturalism exerts a potent influence on our way of thinking. The exuberance produced by the success of science caused an overconfidence in its ability to explain the world. As scientific discoveries accumulated, people assumed this trend would continue indefinitely. Eventually, science would discover the Theory of Everything, a complete description of… Continue reading The Substance of Reality – Consciousness filtered through space-time
Category: Philosophy
The Inner Dimensions of Nature
There is a lot of debate about the characteristics of nature and the existence of the supernatural, but through it all the concept of nature is often obscure. We may use the same word, but often we’re not talking about the same thing. For the materialist, nature consists of the objective properties studied by science… Continue reading The Inner Dimensions of Nature
Universes from Nothing?
Scientific euphemisms and equivocations The question of cosmic origins is a perennially popular question, but most theists think the answer has been known for thousands of years. God is the ultimate cause of the cosmos. While there’s room to disagree with that theistic conclusion, there are rational limits on the valid ways to reject it.… Continue reading Universes from Nothing?
In Pursuit of the Good Life
The search for the foundation of ethics. Everyone wants to live a good life, but what does that mean? Generally we picture a life with enough money to make us independent, time to pursue activities we enjoy, and opportunity for sensual pleasures. But can you live a good life even if you don’t have the… Continue reading In Pursuit of the Good Life
The Fingerprints of God – A finely tuned universe
Modern physics has produced some amazing insights into the nature of the universe. One of the most astonishing is the discovery the fundamental forces of nature are balanced with a delicate precision. Upset this delicate balance and the universe could have collapsed in on itself before getting started. No atoms could form, which means no… Continue reading The Fingerprints of God – A finely tuned universe
The Presumption of Atheism on Trial
It’s become fashionable to say atheism has no burden of proof. It’s said atheism is the default assumption and the onus is on the theist to prove, not on the atheist to disprove. While this idea has the superficial gloss of rationality, under a critical cross-examination it falls apart. Rather than promoting rational methods, it… Continue reading The Presumption of Atheism on Trial
Why is there Something Rather than Nothing?
The cosmological argument for God. The cosmological argument is a formidable argument for the existence of God. It’s not a single argument but a family of arguments with a similar theme. While there are several different versions of the argument, it’s unfortunately one of the most misunderstood. This is a vast topic, but in this… Continue reading Why is there Something Rather than Nothing?
The Impossibly Hard Problem of Consciousness
The philosophical zombie apocalypse. In 1994 the philosopher David Chalmers raised questions about consciousness which ignited a zombie apocalypse. These weren’t questions no one had asked before. These were questions that rattled the established orthodoxy. They challenged the complacent modern assumption that science had settled all such questions. Many people assume it’s no longer an open… Continue reading The Impossibly Hard Problem of Consciousness
Do Extraordinary Claims Need Extraordinary Evidence?
Exposing the skeptics linguistic sleight of hand. You can’t travel far on the internet without hearing someone chanting the mantra: Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence. It’s often assumed that merely reciting the incantation is sufficient to reject any idea its power is aimed at. The saying was popularized in Carl Sagan’s 1979 book Broca’s Brain in reference to… Continue reading Do Extraordinary Claims Need Extraordinary Evidence?
How to Practice Intellectual Charity
A philosophical principle to help you avoid bigotry and dogmatism. The Principle of Charity is a fancy way of saying we should be open minded and reasonable. It’s a method used in philosophy to avoid bigotry and dogmatism. If we’re mindful of this principle, it helps us assess every viewpoint — including our own —… Continue reading How to Practice Intellectual Charity
Prudence Louise 