Thinking Christianly #46 – Good Reasons to Believe in Things We Can’t See: The Realism/Nominalism Debate, Part 2
26 snips
Jan 15, 2026 
Stan W. Wallace, philosopher and podcaster who writes on realism and theology, and J.P. Moreland, philosopher and theologian noted for work in philosophy of mind and apologetics. They debate whether abstract things like numbers, relations, and essences are real. Short takes on math and logic as non‑sensory realities, universals in persons and roles, beauty and normativity, and theological stakes of realism.
AI Snips
Chapters
Books
Transcript
Episode notes
Truth Is A Non-Sensible Correspondence
- J.P. Moreland distinguishes sensory experience from apprehending correspondence relations like truth.
- We compare inner concepts to perceived objects and grasp a non-sensible correspondence relation called truth.
Normativity Is Intuited, Not Seen
- J.P. Moreland claims normative realities (moral oughts, intrinsic value, beauty) are intuited, not seen.
- Humans possess an intuitive faculty for normativity that animals lack.
Train To Recognize Objective Beauty
- J.P. Moreland and Stan W. Wallace urge rejecting the cliché 'beauty is in the eye of the beholder.'
- They recommend training perception (art/music appreciation) to recognize objective beauty.
