Basic Structure of My Evidential Arguments
Epistemic Interpretation of ProbabilityIn this article series, when I refer to probability I shall be adopting the epistemic interpretation of probability. The epistemic probability of a statement is a measure of the probability that a statement is true, given some stock of knowledge. In other words, epistemic probability measures a person’s degree of belief in … Basic Structure of My Evidential Arguments
A Brief Comment on Terminology
The purpose of this post is just to define terms used in my series on evidential arguments for naturalism. Before discussing specific arguments for and against atheism, I think it would be useful to define some terms. In doing so I will adopt the definitions put forth by Professor Theodore M. Drange in his excellent … A Brief Comment on Terminology
Index: Evidential Arguments for Naturalism
Preliminary Issues Evidential Arguments for Naturalism
The Evidential Argument from the History of Science (AHS)
Informal Statement of the Argument If there is a single theme unifying the history of science, it is that naturalistic explanations work. The history of science contains numerous examples of naturalistic explanations replacing supernatural ones and no examples of supernatural explanations replacing naturalistic ones. Indeed, naturalistic explanations have been so successful that even most scientific … The Evidential Argument from the History of Science (AHS)
LINK: Draper on Naturalism, Theism, and the Burden of Proof
http://www.newappsblog.com/2012/05/paul-drapers-burden-of-proof-for-theists.html HT: Ex-Apologist
LINKS: Scientific American Summarizes the Cases For and Against the Multiverse
“The Case for Parallel Universes: Why the multiverse, crazy as it sounds, is a solid scientific idea” by Alexander Vilenkin and Max Tegmark (HT: Explicit Atheist) “Does the Multiverse Really Exist?” by George Ellis
The Cases For and Against Christianity in 30 Minutes or Less
“The Case for Christianity in 15 Minutes or Less” by J.W. Wartick “The Case Against Christianity in 15 Minutes or Less” by A is for Atheist HT: Debunking Christianity
Audience Poll: What Questions Would You Like to See Addressed on the Secular Outpost?
(We haven’t made as much progress as I would like on implementing the suggestions already provided, but I’m redating this point anyway to solicit more suggestions.) If there is a topic you’d like to see authors of The Secular Outpost address, please post a comment below and suggest it.
Confessions of a Multiverse Skeptic
Okay, the title of my post is a little misleading. A more accurate, but less catchy, title for my post would be, “Confessions of a Skeptic of the Multiverse Objection to the Fine-Tuning Argument.” Whew! Just trying saying that five times fast! On a serious note, I’ve mentioned before that I am not convinced by … Confessions of a Multiverse Skeptic
Gervais and Norenzayan: Analytical Thinking Promotes Religious Disbelief
Abstract: Scientific interest in the cognitive underpinnings of religious belief has grown in recent years. However, to date, little experimental research has focused on the cognitive processes that may promote religious disbelief. The present studies apply a dual-process model of cognitive processing to this problem, testing the hypothesis that analytic processing promotes religious disbelief. Individual … Gervais and Norenzayan: Analytical Thinking Promotes Religious Disbelief