Philosophy

After three long years of intense research and writing, I finally submitted my doctoral dissertation in hopes of getting three pesky letters to follow my last name for the rest of my life: Ph.D. (I passed)! My final submission was 350 pages long (including the bibliography). To keep it relatively "short" -- and to eventually complete this project in a timely manner -- I unfortunately had to "axe" many points that I was originally planning to include. These arguments went to t

Family times over Christmas and New Year’s can spawn interesting conversations and sometimes heated “discussions.” This was true at the Johann Calvin home, where his daughter Connie and son-in-law Erasmus had gathered to celebrate the holidays. Erasmus had received his Ph.D. in philosophy from UA (the University of Arminia), and his view of human freedom was diametrically opposite of his theological professor father-in-law’s deterministic theology. Usually when the debate bet

Logic is the study of the principles or methods used to distinguish good reasoning from bad reasoning, or valid arguments from invalid arguments, or correct critical thinking from incorrect critical thinking. We are intimately aware of reasoning, since we engage in reasoning everyday. Consider, for example, the following reasoning or argument: If the Bible is the authoritative Word of God, then I should study and obey it. The Bible is the authoritative Word of God. Therefore

The Argument There are several versions of the moral argument for theism. One goes like this: If God does not exist, then objective morality does not exist. Objective morality exists. Therefore, God exists. (This argument is deductively valid by modus tollens .) The Dialectic Suppose a friend asks you why he should believe in God. You share the version above with him. Thus begins the dialectic. He accepts (1). However, he is like some of the college students in an introdu

"What sacred games shall we have to invent?" (Nietzsche, The Parable of the Madman, The Joyful Wisdom) "Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the duty of all mankind." (Ecclesiastes 12:13) Introduction In this article, I provide an argument from the objective meaning of human life to the existence of God. Working Assumptions and Definitions I assume a difference between objectivity and subjectivity. So

Spoilers to follow (you've been warned)! The 40+ year Star Wars franchise has finally drawn the story of the powerful Skywalker family to a close. Star Wars Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker served a powerful end to the story first started with A New Hope in 1977. As a lifelong Star Wars fan, I absolutely loved Episode IX. It connected all three trilogies and provided a satisfying "passing of the torch" to a new generation of heroes, in particular Rey. There were even ref

Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz was a German philosopher, mathematician, a metaphysician and an expert in logic who is recognized for his independent invention of the differential and integral calculus (imagine being able to include "I invented calculus" on your resume)! To put it bluntly, Leibniz was a smart dude! While it is impressive to be able to "invent calculus," in my opinion, the cherry on top of all of his accomplishments was his work in the field of apologetics. In fact

Introduction In this article, I argue that when considering the existence of God, it is unreasonable to bracket background evidence in the manner described below. First, this move is methodologically insufficient. Second, it is conceptually questionable. The Argument from Gratuitous Evil and the Bracketing Method The argument from gratuitous evil is usually articulated as a version of the probabilistic argument from evil against the existence of God. The argument can be a

Question: Dear Tim, This is a three-pronged question: What is The FreeThinking Argument ? What are the premises of the argument? And what reasons are there to believe that the premises are true? Please lay out a defense of all of the argument's steps. - Evan Tim's Response: Thank you for the question, Evan. <1 > > Before I explain and defend the FreeThinking Argument , it is vital to define a term that the argument hinges upon: Libertarian Freedom (libertarian free will/

Preface As Nicholas Rescher notes in Chapter 3 of Metaphilosophy: Philosophy in Philosophical Perspective , philosophy can be articulated in several ways, including the essay, the medieval scholastic treatise, and the dialogue format. In what follows, I provide a philosophical evaluation of postmodernism using the dialogue format. In honor of the first masters of dialogue - the expert dialecticians Socrates and Plato - I use Socrates as the main character of this dialogue, w

Recently Tim Stratton wrote a response to the following question: "On the framework of Molinism, if there are multiple “logical moments” (not to be confused with chronological moments) prior to God’s creative decree, then would this not imply that God knows and does not know a truth simultaneously? If so, is this not a contradiction nullifying the entire idea of middle knowledge and Molinism?" Tim's response is good and worth reading ( click here ). Although I agree with eve

It is commonly held that Anselm’s argument in Chapter 2 of Proslogium is not a modally-significant argument, but that his argument in Chapter 3 possesses such significance. For example, in the first paragraph of Anselm's Neglected Argument , Brian Leftow refers to the argument in Chapter 2 as “non-modal” and to the argument in Chapter 3 as “a modal argument some find.” In this article, I submit that the argument in Chapter 2 is modally-significant. In short, I attempt to sh

Introduction In this article, I will briefly argue for the following theses: (a) it is not clear that Anselm’s ontological argument in Chapter Two of Proslogium presupposes that existence is a property, and (b) Anselm’s argument presupposes that objectivity and subjectivity are properties. Argument It is commonly held that, in Chapter Two of Proslogium , Anselm assumed that existence is a property (hereafter, the Property Assumption or PA) and that, since the PA is false,

“More than that: you say that then science itself will teach man (though this, to my mind, is already a luxury) that he really does not possess, and never did possess, either a will or a whim of his own; that he is, in fact, no more than a kind of piano key or organ stop; and that, besides, there is such a thing in the world as the laws of nature; so that everything that is done by man isn’t in the least a matter of his own will, but happens itself, according to these laws. C

Introduction The kalam cosmological argument is both historically and currently significant. William Lane Craig, the leading contemporary advocate of the argument, has dubbed it the kalam argument in recognition of its origin in the work of Medieval Muslim philosophers such as al-Ghazali. The argument continues to interest philosophers and theologians. Its structure is simple: Whatever begins to exist has a cause. The universe began to exist. Therefore, the universe has a

I closed Note One by calling Underground Man “grouchy.” That is an understatement. The man admits to being spiteful. He hates his neighbors, practices cruelty, and delights in the misfortune of others. He even claims to take pleasure in his own pain and bitterness, some of which is self-induced. For example: “I reached a point where, trudging back to my corner on some foul Petersburg night, I would feel a certain hidden, morbid, nasty little pleasure in the acute awareness

"Meaningless! Meaningless!" says the Teacher. "Utterly meaningless! Everything is meaningless." (Ecclesiastes 1:2)   In Part 1 of Notes from Underground , Dostoyevsky’s Underground Man claims that consciousness is a disease. In a loose sense, given certain assumptions, Underground Man makes a significant point. In a strict sense, however, he is wrong. Let me explain. First, we need some background. Dostoyevsky was a 19 th Century Russian novelist and philosopher. He is w

The problem of evil (pain or suffering) is probably the number one argument against the existence of God. While it is definitely not a problem that can be answered quickly and simply, I’d like to offer 18 short, rapid-fire responses that can be used to begin deeper discussions about why God allows evil: 1) Free will - Freedom is a great good that God has granted us. But God can’t give us free will and then forbid us from using it. He can’t give us commands and force us to ob

Question: Dear Tim, On the framework of Molinism God possesses knowledge in different "logical moments" (natural, middle, and free knowledge) prior to creation. These logical moments are not to me confused with chronological moments. However,  if there are multiple "logical moments" of God's knowledge, then would this not imply that God knows and does not know a truth simultaneously? If so, is this not a contradiction nullifying the entire idea of middle knowledge and Molini

An American outcry has erupted recently in response to newly legislated restrictions on abortion in certain states. Outraged, public figures have gone so far as to boycott Georgia, an entire state, in protest. Why have the American people fought so hard against abortion restrictions and pushed so vehemently for full-term, easily accessible abortions for all? They claim it is a woman’s right to choose, and granted, no one acquiesces to being stripped of their rights. Their o