Arguments and Reason
A premise or premises that support a conclusion.
What is an argument?
A belief that there are multiple gods.
What is polytheism?
Cosmological arguments use this question to prime our thinking.
Why is there something rather than nothing?
Nature is designed and if it is designed, then there needs to be a designer.
What is the basic structure of a design argument?
A being that is perfect in every way.
What is perfect being theology?
An argument where the premises guarantees the truth of the conclusion.
A belief that there is one God
What is monotheism?
An argument using the fact the universe is contingent to argue for the existence of God.
The atemporal cosmological argument.
An argument that uses the incredibly precise values of the universe such as the cosmological constant, the mass of a neutron, and the speed of light to argue for a designer.
What is the fine-tuning argument?
One thing that most philosophers believe God did not create even if he does exist.
What is math?
An argument where the premise(s) make the conclusion more probable than not.
What is an inductive argument?
A set of practices, rituals, and traditions with a metaphysical view of the world.
What is religion?
An argument using the beginning of the universe to argue for the existence of God.
The temporal or Kalam cosmological argument.
Suppose that the commander of the prison camp in which you are interned has ordered that you be executed by firing squad. You are marched into the middle of the camp, and although twelve expert marksmen each fire 1,000 bullets at you, you survive unscathed. What should you conclude?
What is the commander tricked you into thinking you were going to be killed?
Kayak and Tolkien's Lord of the Rings.
An argument that uses simplicity, explanatory power, and background knowledge.
What is inference to the best explanation?
Using arguments and reason to understand the world better.
What is philosophy?
Everything that stands in need of explanation has an explanation.
The principle of sufficient reason.
A proposal in science to explain the fine-tuning facts.
What is the multiverse hypothesis?
If and only if it is the case that for every true proposition P God knows that P is true, and for every false proposition P God knows that P is false
What is the definition of omniscience?
It used to be thought that an argument must demonstrate the existence of God to be good. This is commonly viewed as mistaken. What is the standard now?
What is if the premises are reasonable and the inference is good, then the argument is successful.
Is Buddhism more of a religion or a philosophy?
Religion because the deep metaphysical views it espouses.
A critique of the premise that the universe began to exist.
The physical world would depend on the mental structures of God, and do we have any reason to think physical structures need an explanation in a way that mental structures don’t?
What is an objection to the premise or claim three that intelligent design would be a good explanation of the fine-tuning facts?
A response to the challenge that we can't have free will if God is omniscient.
What is open theism or God is outside of time?