Last August, I published "Polytheism: A Platonic Approach." Last December, Eric Steinhart published "Atheistic Platonism: A Manifesto." At first pass, it might seem that Eric and I are doing the same thing: constructing a Platonic worldview with an eye toward its implications for the philosophy of religion. This in turn might give the impression that … Continue reading Steinhart and the Platonic Cowbell
Classical Theism: The Other Side of the Story
I. Introduction Feel free to skip to Sections II-III if you’re just here for the arguments. This section introduces the topic and some key terms, especially for those who may be new to this. If you’re still here, welcome to the debut of this series! I often hear in law enforcement that every story has … Continue reading Classical Theism: The Other Side of the Story
On Dialectical Success
In "An Ontological Argument for Polytheism", Walking the Worlds 2.2 (Summer 2016), I said that an "[a]rgument will be called dialectically successful if (i) its conclusion follows from its premises, (ii) its premises do not beg the question and (iii) it is not subject to parody," (44). I stand by this. But, what does it … Continue reading On Dialectical Success
Polytheism vs. Classical Theism
On Jan 8th, I had the pleasure of speaking with John Buck on Dry Apologist’s YouTube channel about polytheism and Platonism. Dry Apologist was a gracious host, and John is bright, charitable and an excellent active listener, which made for an enjoyable, meaningful and engaging discussion. You can check the discussion out at the following … Continue reading Polytheism vs. Classical Theism
Supernaturalism & Theism: Chicken or the Egg?
In analytic philosophy of religion, it is not uncommon to think of Theism as being a sub-type of Supernaturalism. The idea is that whereas Supernaturalism is merely the thesis that, say, something is supernatural; Theism specifies what this supernatural thing is as a God. According to this taxonomy, Supernaturalism logically precedes Theism because while Theism … Continue reading Supernaturalism & Theism: Chicken or the Egg?
Natural Law Ethics: A Platonist Searches for Answers
I've been doing some thinking on moral ontology and epistemology lately -- what are moral values and duties, and how do we find out what those are? I've come to some new insights that I'd like to share with you. Before doing so, allow me to express a deep sense of humility here. I am … Continue reading Natural Law Ethics: A Platonist Searches for Answers
Under the Microscope Part 2: An Abductive Case Against Theism
In the last post, we took a look at the first part of a short abductive case against theism. As you can see in the image below, the first section concerns the prior probabilities of Naturalism and Theism. The idea is that we can have some understanding of how believable a proposition is prior to … Continue reading Under the Microscope Part 2: An Abductive Case Against Theism
Under the Microscope Part 1: An Abductive Case Against Theism
Occasionally, I see the screenshot below getting shared around on Twitter. I am not familiar with the author, but I think it's clear why the post enjoys popularity: on its surface, it is an unusually and admirably clear and condensed case. I think it is also aimed at typical representations of theism and atheism, which … Continue reading Under the Microscope Part 1: An Abductive Case Against Theism
Aquinas, Gods and Revelation
1. Introduction Those who have followed my work through the years know that Thomas Aquinas had a big impact on my thought. I considered myself a Thomist for some time and attempted to adapt his philosophy to a Pagan worldview – much as he did with Aristotle for his Christian worldview. I’ll enchant Aquinas, like … Continue reading Aquinas, Gods and Revelation
Some Thoughts on Religious Experience
For as long as we've been around, human beings have had experiences which cause them to believe that a God is doing something to them -- like consoling, watching over or guiding, etc. -- or that a God has some property -- like being loving, powerful or even great, etc. It has often been remarked … Continue reading Some Thoughts on Religious Experience
The Analytic Pagan 