Worldview. Explanation. Value Proposition. These are the themes of a recent essay and video by the apologist, SJ Thomason, titled: “What Does Atheism Have to Offer? The Atheist Value Proposition”. https://christian-apologist.com/2023/02/10/what-does-atheism-have-to-offer-the-atheist-value-proposition/ Instead of countering her claims, examples, and arguments, all of which have already been done to exhaustion, I aim to look at the foundationContinue reading “Worldview, Explanation, and Value-Proposition: A Heideggerian view of SJ Thomason’s essay”
Category Archives: Philosophy
Response to Robert C Koons: The Quantum Revolution and the Reconciliation of Science and Humanism
This is a response to an essay by Robert C Koons that was recently reproduced in a collection entitled: The Hard Labor of Christian Apologetics. (1) The essay by itself is available here: http://robkoons.net/uploads/1/3/5/2/135276253/koons_quantum_revolution_v2.docx Robert C Koons is a professor of philosophy and Christian apologist. Note I did not include philosopher on that list, asContinue reading “Response to Robert C Koons: The Quantum Revolution and the Reconciliation of Science and Humanism”
Response to a Young Christian Concerned with the Loss of Meaning and Essence
This is a response to a Twitter conversation concerning metaphysics and authenticity that was too long to post there: It’s interesting that we are looking at the same problem but from different perspectives. In such situations it’s sometimes possible for each to learn from the other. The problem in focus here is the loss ofContinue reading “Response to a Young Christian Concerned with the Loss of Meaning and Essence”
Continuation with Our Young Metaphysician: Concept, Metaphor, and Tigers
If we keep in mind I am referring only to poetic metaphor, we should see it is the opposite of a concept. A concept results from a process of abstraction from messy sense data. It removes all that confusion to create a few defining principles. The removal of that messiness of sense data gives aContinue reading “Continuation with Our Young Metaphysician: Concept, Metaphor, and Tigers”
Answer to a Young Metaphysician
This is a reply to a Twitter conversation, too lengthy to post there, concerning the need to overcome and unlearn metaphysics. https://twitter.com/ansaz14/status/1532620713907068930?s=21&t=90dF_arTzdDAJ_H4g4KREg The most difficult part of learning is unlearning – a necessity few of us rise to. We invest our identities, years of work, family and heritage in beliefs assumed prior to our abilityContinue reading “Answer to a Young Metaphysician”
Response to Tim O’Neill As Regards A Twitter Conversation concerning the Oppressive Influence of the Church in the Middle Ages
I recently commented on a Twitter thread on my concern over rising Christian Nationalism, and pointed out that the time that the Church ruled Europe was the darkest period of Western History. That thread is found here: The thread’s originator pointed to the article linked below which he believed refuted the claim of Church oppressionContinue reading “Response to Tim O’Neill As Regards A Twitter Conversation concerning the Oppressive Influence of the Church in the Middle Ages”
Part 2 of Conversation with Simon Egopart on Metaphysical Idealism
This is Simon Egopart’s response to my last comment and again my latest response: First of all, thanks for your constructive and respectful attitude. It clearly is not your intent to score cheap points or to ridicule, and I appreciate that. Obviously I agree with the statement that there is a stark difference between dreamContinue reading “Part 2 of Conversation with Simon Egopart on Metaphysical Idealism”
Conversation with the Belgian Author Simon Egopart on Idealism as Cosmic Consciousness
This is the initiation of a conversation between Simon Egopart and me on the idea of Cosmic Consciousness and Idealism, which began as a conversation about the metaphysics of Bernardo Kastrup. I will post here the opening of the conversation written by Mr. Egopart, and will respond in the comment section. Mr. Egopart’ s writingsContinue reading “Conversation with the Belgian Author Simon Egopart on Idealism as Cosmic Consciousness”
Common Sense and Idealism: A Response to Scott Roberts
This is a response to an essay by Scott Roberts on Bernardo Kastrup’s site: https://www.bernardokastrup.com/2017/07/idealism-vs-common-sense.html It is the result of a conversation taking place on this thread: https://metakastrup.org/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=618&p=13627#p13627 I found your essay extremely interesting. I also am drawn to thinking about how the experience of the world has changed over the millennia, which we doContinue reading “Common Sense and Idealism: A Response to Scott Roberts”
Script to Video: Beranardo Kastrup pt 2: The Metaphysics
This is a follow up to my last video, which was a wide-ranging look at Bernardo Kastrup’s interview by Craig Reed. This time I focus tightly on Kastrup’s metaphysics as described in Kastrup’s interview on the Adrian Sinclair Show, titled How to Think About Consciousness, linked to below: The picture that emerges is a flightContinue reading “Script to Video: Beranardo Kastrup pt 2: The Metaphysics”
World Too Brightly Lit
In a world too brightly lit we loose the depth of night.In a world without soil we loose our soul.In a world absent deep deep harmony we become flat.In this world of meandering consciousness many cry out for meaning.Meaning is what they can least afford and mean instead comfort, assurance.The bedtime story of divine purpose,Continue reading “World Too Brightly Lit”
Script for YouTube Video: Response to Bernardo Kastrup Interview by Craig Reed
Bernardo Kastrup is garnering attention with his revival of Metaphysical Idealism, especially among some Christian thinkers, and several of whom have appeared in conversation on this channel. This attention is partially due to surprise: Metaphysical Idealism has been out of favor for quite some time and bucks a major trend in philosophy since the lateContinue reading “Script for YouTube Video: Response to Bernardo Kastrup Interview by Craig Reed”
William Lane Craig and Kant’s First Antinomy: The Evasiveness of the Apologist
There are those who will criticize the tone of my writing here as inappropriate to addressing a work of scholarship, to whom I point out I am not confronting a work of scholarship. Others may complain that I am not properly respecting an important work of philosophy, to whom I respond that I am notContinue reading “William Lane Craig and Kant’s First Antinomy: The Evasiveness of the Apologist”
Comments on William Lane Craig’s Attempt to Rebut My Article on the Illusion of Fine-Tuning
Just this week I discovered that, on his website last August, William Lane Craig attempted to rebut my article on the fallacy of intelligent design. I suggest you read his rebuttal before going any further: https://www.reasonablefaith.org/media/reasonable-faith-podcast/the-illusion-of-design/ And for those who haven’t read my original piece, you might want to take a look at it here:Continue reading “Comments on William Lane Craig’s Attempt to Rebut My Article on the Illusion of Fine-Tuning”
Continuation of a Conversation with a Mathematician on the Seeming Applicability of Mathematics and Reason to Physical Reality
This is a continuation of a Twitter discussion I am having with wrf3 on the applicability of mathematics and reason to physical reality. We have moved it here for a more convenient forum for lengthy responses. Wrf3 is a mathematician and software engineer. I’ll briefly restate my position on this question and then respond toContinue reading “Continuation of a Conversation with a Mathematician on the Seeming Applicability of Mathematics and Reason to Physical Reality”
Too Late for the Gods 