Response to Dr. Jacobus Erasmus on the Soul
It is always pleasing—especially these days—to see a critique that does not descend into invective. Dr. Jacobus Erasmus does me the favor of offering such a critique of my earlier blog post on the soul: He gives his reply at: http://freethinkingministries.com/objections-to-the-existence-of-the-soul/ Here I would like to offer a response. In my OP, I gave three … Response to Dr. Jacobus Erasmus on the Soul
Constitutional Fundamentalists
Right-wing columnist Marc A. Thiessen recently wrote an op/ed claiming that “liberal presidents tend to nominate judicial activists who legislate from the bench and shape the law to reach their preferred outcomes” (Concerning “Chief Justice is incorrect on both counts,” by Marc A. Thiessen, The Houston Chronicle, 11/26, p. A17). Further, “These liberal judges hold that … Constitutional Fundamentalists
Why I May Have to Stop Blogging with Patheos
I have long enjoyed posting and commenting on Secular Outpost. I also frequently leave acerbic comments on Friendly Atheist. I think that both sites are hosted by Patheos. I may have to stop however. While I am trying to comment–and I do try to put thought into my comments–advertisements are rapidly flipping just below and … Why I May Have to Stop Blogging with Patheos
Morality does not depend on the existence of God
Some people believe (or claim to believe) that if God does not exist, then there are no objective moral truths (e.g., truths about what we are morally obligated to do or refrain from doing). This claim is false as the following argument shows: (1) Torturing a child causes the child to experience severe suffering. (2) … Morality does not depend on the existence of God
Belief, Unbelief, and Rationality
In his classic essay “The Ethics of Belief,” mathematical and philosophical wunderkind W.K. Clifford (1845-1879) famously made rationality a branch of ethics. A belief is rational when we have discharged all of our epistemic duties in forming that belief and are thereby within our epistemic rights in holding it. Your epistemic duty is to carefully … Belief, Unbelief, and Rationality
Does Rhetoric Lead to Violence?
I have been away from Secular Outpost for about six months due to a very heavy teaching schedule and publishing commitments. However, recent events compel me to come back and say some things. The morning of 10/31/18 on NPR’s 1A program with Joshua Johnson they were discussing the question of whether overheated rhetoric can lead … Does Rhetoric Lead to Violence?
Do our reasons depend on our desires?
NOTE: This post assumes an understanding of much of the terminology that I explain in my post, “On Reasons and What They Do?” In particular, this post uses the terms ‘reason,’ ‘objective,’ and ‘subjective’ in accordance with the explanations that appear in that article. Further, there are other important matters (such what it means for a reason to … Do our reasons depend on our desires?
INDEX: Kreeft’s Case for God
KREEFT’S CASE FOR GOD In September of 2017, I began to analyze and evaluate Peter Kreeft’s case for the existence of God in Chapter 3 of his book Handbook of Christian Apologetics (co-authored with Ronald Tacelli). In July of this year (2018), I finished examining his case for God, which consists of 20 arguments for … INDEX: Kreeft’s Case for God
On reasons and what they do
This post is something of a follow-up to my recent post about Sean Carroll’s views concerning meaning and purpose. As I indicated at the end of that post, I used some concepts and made some claims that require development and defense and I promised that I would provide that development and defense in a future … On reasons and what they do
Can humans create meaning? Can God?
Sean Carroll is an excellent scientist and philosopher. One of his greatest virtues is that he understands both the important role that philosophy must play in the scientific enterprise and that there are some questions that science is not situated to answer and that are the province of philosophy. It is always worthwhile to listen … Can humans create meaning? Can God?