I recently experienced what philosopher and author Brendan Myers might call an Immensity; a shocking, overwhelming encounter with an event that's completely beyond my ability to control or understand, with all the resulting sensations of despair, powerlessness, helplessness, humility and silence. I feel as if I've been shaken from an unreflective life, and my attention … Continue reading Existential Paganism
Philosophy
A Polytheist Response to Gel
I originally composed a longer paper version of this post and intended to submit it for publication, but I do not think that is a fruitful use of my time any longer—I honestly don't think it will be until I get letters next to my name. And I will! Eventually. Until then, I'll fight the … Continue reading A Polytheist Response to Gel
I’m not Weird, You’re Weird
Consider the position that two things cannot be the same because they are two. If they were the same, then they would be one. Thus, sameness is identity, and identity is indiscernibility. Call this position 'nominalism'. To the nominalist, many things are never one; not really, anyway. For example, we talk as if there are … Continue reading I’m not Weird, You’re Weird
Gerson’s Monotheism
As a student of Plato, I'm a fan of Lloyd P. Gerson. His knowledge of the ancient Platonists is encyclopedic and his ability to relate their ideas to contemporary discussions is brilliant. His translation of the Enneads will become standard, and his work on "ur-Platonism" will be instrumental in reinvigorating Platonic interest for generations to … Continue reading Gerson’s Monotheism
Steinhart and the Platonic Cowbell
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
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
The Analytic Pagan 