Majesty of Reason Philosophy Podcast

How do you know you’re not a brain in a vat? Is skepticism self-defeating? What are some responses to skepticism? I’m joined by Dr. Andrew Moon to discuss these questions and more. Buckle up for some juicy epistemology. Like the show? Help it grow! Consider becoming a patron (thanks!): https://www.patreon.com/majestyofreason​ If you wanna make a one-time donation or tip (thanks!): https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/josep... Andrew’s links: A playlist of all Andrew’s YouTube appearances:  https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list... PhilPapers:  https://philpeople.org/profiles/andre... Andrew’s paper on skepticism and memory, downloadable here: https://philpapers.org/rec/MOOSAM-3 Books mentioned in the video: Richard Feldman’s book, “Epistemology"  https://www.amazon.com/Epistemology-R... Alvin Goldman and Matthew McGrath’s book, “Epistemology: A Contemporary Introduction” https://global.oup.com/ushe/product/e... Kevin McCain’s book, “Evidentialism and Epistemic Justification” https://www.routledge.com/Evidentiali... Michael Bergmann’s book, “Radical Skepticism and Epistemic Intuition" https://global.oup.com/academic/produ... Keith DeRose’s book, “The Appearance of Ignorance" https://global.oup.com/academic/produ... And the usual links: My book: https://

Today, Alex and I examine Craig’s recent animated video on philosophical arguments for the universe’s beginning. Buckle up for some juicy philosophy.  Like the show? Help it grow!  Consider becoming a patron (thanks!): https://www.patreon.com/majestyofreason  If you wanna make a one-time donation or tip (thanks!): https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/josep...  Original video from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vybNv... Malpass, A. and Morriston, W. 2020. “Endless and Infinite”, The Philosophical Quarterly. Link:  https://drive.google.com/file/d/15XuA... Malpass, A. 2021. “All the time in the world”, Mind. Link: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1z07W... Malpass, Hedrick, and Morriston video on the Craig-Malpass debate on @Thoughtology:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZZYSj... And, finally, check out my Kalam playlist: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=irfj8... And the usual links: My book: https://www.amazon.com/Majesty-Reason... My website: https://majestyofreason.wordpress.com/

Stage one of Feser’s Aristotelian proof reasons from the reality of change to the existence of a purely actual actualizer. In this video, I critically evaluate the argument.  Like the show? Help it grow! Consider becoming a patron (thanks!): https://www.patreon.com/majestyofreason If you wanna make a one-time donation or tip (thanks!): https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/josep...  This video is based on: Schmid, J.C. Forthcoming. “Stage One of the Aristotelian Proof: A Critical Appraisal”, Sophia. Link: https://philpapers.org/archive/SCHSOO... [The abstract should say 'this question' lol] Also: Here's a supplemental document to the video in which I level yet another criticism toward the Aristotelian proof -- namely, that it seems to actually entail existential inertia. Link: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1A79x... Existential inertia links, for those interested: (1) IJPR paper: https://philpapers.org/archive/SCHEIA... (2) Response to Hsiao and Sanders: https://majestyofreason.wordpress.com... (3) A User’s Guide: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jr44d... (4) Response to Intellectual Conservatism, Part 1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5dG1H... (5) Response to Intellectual

Interested in grim reapers, causal finitism, the (in)finite past, and modality? I have just the conversation for you. Like the show? Help it grow! Consider becoming a patron (thanks!):  https://www.patreon.com/majestyofreason If you wanna make a one-time donation or tip (thanks!):  https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/josep... Josh and Alex also discuss the Grim Reaper Paradox (GRP) here:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MfCQB... Also check out Josh's blog posts on the GRP:  https://joshualrasmussen.blogspot.com... https://joshualrasmussen.blogspot.com... Also check out my discussion with Alex on the GRP:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uoTMs... And, finally, check out Alex's channel Thoughtology:  https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwbA... My book: https://www.amazon.com/Majesty-Reason...    My website: https://majestyofreason.wordpress.com/

Why does anything exist? I'm joined by @Elephant Philosophy to discuss this question and more. Buckle up for some delicious philosophy. Like the show? Help it grow! Consider becoming a patron (thanks!): https://www.patreon.com/majestyofreason If you wanna make a one-time donation or tip (thanks!): https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/josep...  Elephant Philosophy's channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCFAA... Some of my videos on PSR, Contingency arguments, etc:   (1) Leibnizian Cosmological Argument: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wuSxB... (2) Contingency Arguments: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X3clK... Some of EP's videos on PSR, Contingency arguments, etc.: (1) Gale-Pruss Contingency Argument: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qGo__...   (2) A Simple Intro to Contingency Arguments: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jCt4F... (3) An in-depth analysis of contingency arguments: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1NVi5...    Links My book: https://www.amazon.com/Majesty-Reason...   My website: https://majestyofreason.wordpress.com/

Does WLC face trouble at the moment of creation? Erik Wielenberg argues that the answer is yes. Craig, of course, disagrees. Buckle up for some philosophy. Like the show? Help it grow! Consider becoming a patron (thanks!): https://www.patreon.com/majestyofreason If you wanna make a one-time donation or tip (thanks!): https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/josep... Outline  Introduction  Background  The first contradiction  -----Craig’s first rejoinder The second contradiction  -----Craig’s second rejoinder Is there a way to avoid trouble at the moment of creation?  -----Non-metric, amorphous time  -----Naturalistic explanations of the universe’s (purported) origin [Why is there no video accompanying the discussion? Long story short, I accidentally permanently deleted it... lol] Links   Erik’s paper: https://ojs.uclouvain.be/index.php/th...  Craig’s rejoinder: https://ojs.uclouvain.be/index.php/th... My book: https://www.amazon.com/Majesty-Reason...    My website: https://majestyofreason.wordpress.com/

Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer The slings and arrows of doubt, Or to take Arms against a Sea of skepticism, And by opposing end it: to wager, to believe; No more; and by a belief, to say we end The heart-ache, and the thousand natural shocks That eternal damnation promises? Like the show? Help it grow! Consider becoming a patron (thanks!): https://www.patreon.com/majestyofreason If you wanna make a one-time donation or tip (thanks!): https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/josep... Outline   Introduction  Background  The Wager  Objections -----Many gods objection  -----Mixed strategies objection  -----Doxastic voluntarism -----Evidence-sensitivity and pragmatic-sensitivity  -----The gratuity of Pascal’s Wager  -----Universalism  -----Pascal’s Mugger Links  Liz’s website: http://liz-jackson.com/  Liz’s paper on Pascal’s wager: https://philpapers.org/archive/JACSPW... Liz's YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/lizjacks... My book: https://www.amazon.com/Majesty-Reason...  My website: https://majestyofreason.wordpress.com/

Interested in divine simplicity, divine timelessness, temporal ontology, modal collapse, and divine and human freedom? I've got just the discussion for you. Like the show? Help it grow! Consider becoming a patron (thanks!):  https://www.patreon.com/majestyofreason    If you wanna make a one-time donation or tip (thanks!): https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/josep... Ryan's link: https://www.rtmullins.com/ Kate's link: https://www.philosophy.udel.edu/facul...  My book: https://www.amazon.com/Majesty-Reason...   My website: https://majestyofreason.wordpress.com/

Does contingency give us reason to believe in God? The Leibnizian Cosmological Argument (LCA) answers in the affirmative. In this video, I explain Alex Pruss’ LCA from the Blackwell Companion to Natural Theology.   Like the show? Help it grow! Consider becoming a patron (thanks!):  https://www.patreon.com/majestyofreason If you wanna make a one-time donation or tip (thanks!): https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/josep... Presentation Outline   1 Introduction  2 Principle of Sufficient Reason (PSR)  -----2.1 Self-evidence  -----2.2 Koons-Pruss epistemological argument  -----2.3 Evolution (Induction in science)  -----2.4 Inference to best explanation  -----2.5 Precluding chaos  -----2.6 Nature of modality ----------2.6.1 Narrowly logical account of modality  ----------2.6.2 Lewisian modal realism  ----------2.6.3 Platonic account of modality  ----------2.6.4 Aristotelian-essentialist account of modality  ----------2.6.5 Aristotelian-causal account of modality  ----------2.6.6 The argument -----2.7 Philosophical argumentation 3 Objections to PSR  -----3.1 Modal imagination argument  -----3.2 Van Inwagen’s modal fatalism argument  -----3.3 Quantum mechanics  -----3.4 Contrastive explanation 4 Global Causal Principles (CPs)  -----4.1 Objection: causing the causing  5 Toward a first cause  -----5.1 The PSR  -----5.2 Objections ----------5.2.1 Can we even form BCCF?  ----------5.2.2 HECP  ----------5.2.3 Taxicab Problem  -----5.3 CP for wholly contingent states 6 The Gap Problem  -----6.1 Agency  -----6.2 Goodness  -----6.3 Divine Simplicity?  -----6.4 Gellman’s argument for uniqueness and omnipotence Links  Pruss, “The Leibnizian Cosmological Argument”: http://alexanderpruss.com/papers/LCA....    Craig and Moreland, “The Blackwell Companion to Natural Theology”: https://www.difa3iat.com/wp-content/u...J._P._Moreland_The_BlackwellBookZZ.org-2.pdf Baddorf, “Di

In this engaging discussion, philosopher Dr. Alex Malpass, an expert on infinity and the Grim Reaper paradox, dives into the intricacies of causal finitism and the Kalam cosmological argument. He challenges traditional views on infinite causal chains and explores various thought experiments that question their foundations. The conversation seamlessly links logical paradoxes with theological implications, particularly regarding divine knowledge and time. With a touch of whimsy, Malpass encourages listeners to reflect on the complexities of metaphysical inquiry and the limits of human understanding.