Majesty of Reason Philosophy Podcast

Today Dr. Justin Mooney gives a comprehensive survey of the problem of evil.Like the show? Help it grow! Consider becoming a patron (thanks!): https://www.patreon.com/majestyofreasonIf you wanna make a one-time donation or tip (thanks!): https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/josephcschmidOUTLINE0:00 Intro2:50 Presentation begins3:52 What is the problem of evil?10:09 Main topics in the literature12:00 Kinds of inference13:07 Logical arguments from evil22:36 Evidential arguments from evil35:47 Kinds of evil54:18 Other arguments from evil1:03:44 Theodicies and defenses1:06:50 Conditions for a successful theodicy1:14:44 Free will theodicies1:33:26 Soul-making theodicies1:39:46 Karma and rebirth theodicies1:49:27 Global value theodicies1:53:27 Other theodicies1:59:15 Epistemic defenses1:59:57 Skeptical theism2:11:56 The anomaly defense2:19:41 Appealing to counter-evidence2:26:59 Meta-Theodicy2:27:26 Constraints on successful theodicy2:35:40 Gratuitous evil compatible with theism?2:38:37 Sufferer-centered theodicies2:41:05 Other topics in meta-theodicy2:43:07 Recommended resources2:44:54 Concluding remarksRESOURCES(1) Justin's website: https://www.justinmooney.net/(2) Justin's 120-page bibliography on the problem of evil: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1dprquqrzQxJsmOArxEoBDaMx15T9T--P8dagUqX6kQI/edit?tab=t.0#heading=h.x1uym8fk8fq3(3) My video with Dr. Perry Hendricks on skeptical theism: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DDqi5U44f7E(4) Poston, "Social evil": http://tedposton.org/Documents/Socialevil.pdf(5) Crummett, “The problem of evil and the suffering of creeping things": https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11153-017-9619-0(6) My Problem of Evil playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLxRhaLyXxXkY98E3QMwBvHcYqWtIhizko(7) Jordan's ( @TheAnalyticChristian ) Problem of Evil playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLlVH-ThCazKk0YOU-K-AWIphUjToiBBC6(8) Other versions of the problem of evil (and links to papers) can be found in Dr. Felipe Leon's list of 200 (or so) arguments for atheism: https://exapologist.blogspot.com/2023/03/200-or-so-arguments-for-atheism.html(9) VIEWER DISCRETION ADVISED: The unspeakable atrocities of unit 731: https://youtu.be/xLcNvGaSvCo?si=BNWdz0VXLcNd4TGL(10) VIEWER DISCRETION ADVISED: The horrors inflicted on Junko Furuta: https://youtu.be/YGSN2MTmzDQ?si=xi_2NObfCkYNOkCk(11) My Springer book: (a) https://www.amazon.com/Existential-Inertia-Classical-Theistic-Proofs-ebook/dp/B0BNMHRW63 (b) https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-3-031-19313-2THE USUAL...Follow the Majesty of Reason podcast! https://open.spotify.com/show/4Nda5uNcGselvKphtKSKvHJoin the Discord and chat all things philosophy! https://dsc.gg/majestyofreasonMy website: https://josephschmid.comMy PhilPeople profile: https://philpeople.org/profiles/joseph-schmid

Here I explain Paul Draper's decisive evidence argument for atheism. Does it succeed?Like the show? Help it grow! Consider becoming a patron (thanks!): https://www.patreon.com/majestyofreasonIf you wanna make a one-time donation or tip (thanks!): https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/josephcschmidOUTLINE0:00 Intro2:35 Decisive Evidence Argument4:13 The syllogism7:23 Why accept the premises?7:38 First premise8:21 Second premise10:54 Third premise20:33 Responses20:56 Contra premise (1)25:35 Contra premise (2)26:59 Contra premise (3)28:58 Conclusion30:32 Bonus soccerRESOURCES(1) Draper's SEP entry, "Atheism and Agnosticism": https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/atheism-agnosticism/(2) My 12-hour long video responding to 150+ theistic arguments: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iP0Mh42jvV4&pp=ygUfbWFqZXN0eSBvZiByZWFzb24gMTAwIGFyZ3VtZW50cw%3D%3D(3) Over 200 arguments for atheism: https://exapologist.blogspot.com/2023/03/200-or-so-arguments-for-atheism.html(4) My Ontological Arguments playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLxRhaLyXxXkZ7oLLpd6Joxl2VS1gOce6t(5) My Bonus Soccer playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLxRhaLyXxXkb7WN8KlASj2P9ewLpXGeML(6) My Springer book: (a) https://www.amazon.com/Existential-Inertia-Classical-Theistic-Proofs-ebook/dp/B0BNMHRW63 (b) https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-3-031-19313-2THE USUAL...Follow the Majesty of Reason podcast! https://open.spotify.com/show/4Nda5uNcGselvKphtKSKvHJoin the Discord and chat all things philosophy! https://dsc.gg/majestyofreasonMy website: https://josephschmid.comMy PhilPeople profile: https://philpeople.org/profiles/joseph-schmid

What are debunking arguments? How are they defended? And how are they attacked? Does the evolutionary debunking argument against moral realism work? Here I explore these questions and more.Like the show? Help it grow! Consider becoming a patron (thanks!): https://www.patreon.com/majestyofreasonIf you wanna make a one-time donation or tip (thanks!): https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/josephcschmidOUTLINE0:00 Intro2:00 Debunking arguments3:05 Varieties of debunking arguments11:22 Structure of debunking arguments17:49 Explanatory premise19:30 Epistemic premise21:01 Categories of response23:35 Explanationist responses24:57 Alethic28:29 Doxastic29:42 Minimalist responses31:37 Indirect defense33:56 Unstable minimalism35:35 Stable minimalism39:33 Third factor response44:03 Plenitudinist response46:00 Direct defense55:55 Overgeneralization responses58:32 Moorean responses1:02:49 Summary1:04:17 Flowchart1:09:29 ConclusionRESOURCES(1) Korman (2019), "Debunking Arguments", https://philarchive.org/archive/KORDA-2(2) Dan Korman's other papers on debunking arguments can be found here: https://danielzkorman.weebly.com/papers-and-books.html(2) Wielenberg (2016), "Ethics and Evolutionary Theory", https://philpapers.org/rec/WIEEAE-4(3) My Metaethics playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLxRhaLyXxXkbIsKrv640jcBmNCFbU-ZQy(4) My Springer book: (a) https://www.amazon.com/Existential-Inertia-Classical-Theistic-Proofs-ebook/dp/B0BNMHRW63 (b) https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-3-031-19313-2THE USUAL...Follow the Majesty of Reason podcast! https://open.spotify.com/show/4Nda5uNcGselvKphtKSKvHJoin the Discord and chat all things philosophy! https://dsc.gg/majestyofreasonMy website: https://josephschmid.comMy PhilPeople profile: https://philpeople.org/profiles/joseph-schmid

Here I respond to a recent video by  @CapturingChristianity . I explain why you should probably still take atheism seriously, and I also explore problems for limited god hypotheses.Like the show? Help it grow! Consider becoming a patron (thanks!): https://www.patreon.com/majestyofreasonIf you wanna make a one-time donation or tip (thanks!): https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/josephcschmidOUTLINE0:00 Intro0:27 Cameron’s video11:53 Four main responses12:37 Response #1: Arguments for global atheism16:12 Response #2: Problems for a limited god16:56 Imprecision17:47 Arbitrariness20:00 Probabilistic tension23:13 Evidential dilemma38:29 Deontological problem of evil39:34 Ad hoc, likelihood ratio rigging, and unfalsifiability42:02 Response #3: Atheistic arguments disconfirm theism49:43 The Joy of Bayesianism59:21 Twitter interaction1:04:48 Response #4: The same problem applies to theism1:11:09 Parody1:17:05 TakeawaysRESOURCES(1) The video to which I’m responding: https://youtu.be/oj6eCF63DAw?si=1UaTNK28TIV5JBRg(2) Oppy, “The Best Argument Against God”: https://www.amazon.com/Best-Argument-against-Palgrave-Pivot/dp/1137354135(3) Oppy and Pearce, “Is There A God?”: https://www.amazon.com/There-Little-Debates-about-Questions/dp/0367243946(4) Schmid, “Naturalism, Classical Theism, and First Causes”: https://philarchive.org/rec/SCHNCT-4(5) Felipe Leon’s post collecting over 200 arguments for atheism: https://exapologist.blogspot.com/2023/03/200-or-so-arguments-for-atheism.html(6) Draper’s SEP entry “Atheism and Agnosticism”: https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/atheism-agnosticism/(7) My response to Cameron’s video on 150+ arguments for God: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iP0Mh42jvV4(8) Aikin, “The Problem of Worship”: https://www.academia.edu/7062247/The_Problem_of_Worship(9) John Buck clip is from  @EmersonGreen 's here: https://www.youtube.com/live/mlMBzYTGuW4?si=IaPzPihfOuhOZ9qN(10) My response to  @TheCounselofTrent  on the problem of evil: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tctHQlYbl6E(11) My Bayes’ Theorem video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o1MdtyLL3Uw&pp=ygUfbWFqZXN0eSBvZiByZWFzb24gYmF5ZXMgdGhlb3JlbQ%3D%3D(12) Steinhart, “Six Axiarchic Arguments”: https://ericsteinhart.com/articles/axiarchicargs.pdf(13) Nagel, “Mind and Cosmos”: https://www.amazon.com/Mind-Cosmos-Materialist-Neo-Darwinian-Conception/dp/0199919755(14) My Kalam playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLxRhaLyXxXkZzH2YffI32ViTZ73Tu8jSR(15) My Contingency Arguments playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLxRhaLyXxXkZkl5I5QDUXW5CauOfO_bs1(16) My Design Arguments playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLxRhaLyXxXkax5OrwZmkqE1fY446O4i6g(17) My Ontological Arguments playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLxRhaLyXxXkZ7oLLpd6Joxl2VS1gOce6t(18) My co-authored SEP entry “Ontological Arguments”: https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/ontological-arguments/(19) My Springer book: https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-3-031-19313-2(20) My website: https://josephschmid.com

William Lane Craig responded to my video with Dr. Daniel Linford and Phil Halper on what Craig gets wrong about science and the beginning of the universe. Here, we respond in turn.Like the show? Help it grow! Consider becoming a patron (thanks!): https://www.patreon.com/majestyofreasonIf you wanna make a one-time donation or tip (thanks!): https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/josephcschmidOUTLINE0:00 Introduction1:42 Craig’s response2:39 Thermodynamics and entropy7:53 Philosophical case9:03 Craig’s approach12:38 Hartle-Hawking model17:57 No viable beginningless models?18:44 Craig and Sinclair’s argument26:06 Singularity and BGV theorems34:05 Beginningless models (again)46:16 Mischaracterizing science48:11 BGV Theorem (again)51:01 Timeless physical things1:08:03 Craig misunderstands Joe1:12:33 Joe’s VICIOUS ad hominem ATTACK1:14:33 Craig misuses Vilenkin’s quote1:17:11 Misusing science1:21:30 Concluding commentsRESOURCES(1) The podcast to which we're responding ( @ReasonableFaithOrg ): https://www.reasonablefaith.org/media/reasonable-faith-podcast/does-william-lane-craig-misuse-science(2) Our previous response to Craig: https://youtu.be/7CiOudgSdeE?si=qBdm3IrulDrfKx61(3) Dan and I respond to the scientific case and stage two: https://youtu.be/35tICdYtHsQ?si=oQ-LfJuWjSo6mWYb(4) Dan's dissertation, “Cosmic Skepticism and the Beginning of Physical Reality”: https://philarchive.org/archive/DAN_SA-15(5) Phil’s book, “Battle of the Big Bang”: (a) https://press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/book/chicago/B/bo244963115.html (b) https://www.amazon.com/Battle-Big-Bang-Cosmic-Origins/dp/0226830470(6) My Kalam playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLxRhaLyXxXkZzH2YffI32ViTZ73Tu8jSR(7) My responses to the Grim Reaper Kalam: https://majestyofreason.wordpress.com/2024/05/28/responses-to-the-grim-reaper-kalam/(8) Linford, “A modal condition for the beginning of the universe”: https://philarchive.org/rec/LINAMC-2(9) Linford, “Neo-Lorentzian Relativity and the Beginning of the Universe”: https://philarchive.org/rec/LINNRA-3(10) Linford, "Big Bounce or Double Bang? A Reply to Craig and Sinclair": http://philsci-archive.pitt.edu/17188/1/FORTHCOMING_Big_Bang_or_Double_Bounce_Erk_Sub.pdf(11) Linford, “The Kalam Cosmological Argument Meets the Mentaculus”: http://philsci-archive.pitt.edu/16833/1/Online_Final_BJPS_Kalam_Mentaculus_Submission.pdf(12) Halper, "The Kalam cosmological argument: Critiquing a recent defence": https://philarchive.org/rec/HALTKC (13) My Springer book with Dan: https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-3-031-19313-2(14) My website: https://josephschmid.com

What is effective altruism? What motivates it? And what about the many objections to effective altruism? JD Bauman and Matthew Adelstein join me to talk about these topics and more.Like the show? Help it grow! Consider becoming a patron (thanks!): https://www.patreon.com/majestyofreasonIf you wanna make a one-time donation or tip (thanks!): https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/josephcschmidOUTLINE0:00 Intro1:16 What is effective altruism?4:04 Motivating effective altruism9:25 Utilitarianism objection15:57 Incommensurability objection23:44 Demandingness objection29:10 Earn-to-give objection33:26 Individualism, institutional critique, and capitalism39:28 Too longtermist47:50 Triviality objection50:10 Sociological criticisms at the margins56:15 Epistemic objection1:00:08 Timmerman’s dilemma1:10:08 Incompatible with Christianity1:11:38 ConclusionRESOURCES(1) GiveWell (for a well-researched list of effective charities): https://www.givewell.org/(2) Christians for Impact (JD's organization): https://bit.ly/3Ca1sLT(3) 80,000 hours website: https://80000hours.org/(4) EA for Christians: https://www.eaforchristians.org/(5) One For the World (1% pledge): https://1fortheworld.org/(6) Giving What We Can (10% pledge): https://www.givingwhatwecan.org/(7) Matthew's YouTube channel:  @deliberationunderidealcond5105 (8) Matthew's substack: https://benthams.substack.com/(9) JD's YouTube channel:  @eaforchristians460 (10) My video with Dr. Travis Timmerman: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mySfT7wMVRo(11) The MacAskill & Pummer article I mentioned: https://philpapers.org/rec/PUMEA(12) My Applied Ethics playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLxRhaLyXxXkaYPueOwJRE0CPj6xyIWfxb(13) My Springer book: (a) https://www.amazon.com/Existential-Inertia-Classical-Theistic-Proofs-ebook/dp/B0BNMHRW63 (b) https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-3-031-19313-2THE USUAL...Follow the Majesty of Reason podcast! https://open.spotify.com/show/4Nda5uNcGselvKphtKSKvHJoin the Discord and chat all things philosophy! https://dsc.gg/majestyofreasonMy website: https://josephschmid.comMy PhilPeople profile: https://philpeople.org/profiles/joseph-schmid

Daniel Rubio joins me to make a tier list of arguments for and against God’s existence.Like the show? Help it grow! Consider becoming a patron (thanks!): https://www.patreon.com/majestyofreasonIf you wanna make a one-time donation or tip (thanks!): https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/josephcschmidOUTLINE0:00 Intro0:28 Old Kalam5:00 New Kalam16:31 Contingency arguments23:27 Thomistic arguments25:18 Scotistic arguments28:25 Anselm’s ontological argument32:40 Modal ontological argument36:15 Moral argument39:32 Moral knowledge44:49 Paley’s design argument46:53 Fine-tuning argument57:20 Psychophysical harmony1:03:30 Nomological harmony1:11:11 Miracles1:12:48 Religious experience1:17:18 Problem of evil1:21:28 Divine hiddenness1:24:00 God is superfluous1:25:22 Improvability argument1:26:16 ConclusionFURTHER RESOURCES(1) Daniel's website: https://www.danielkfrubio.com/(2) Daniel's papers: https://philpeople.org/profiles/daniel-rubio(3) List of arguments for God's existence: https://www.camcintosh.com/theistic/(4) List of arguments against God's existence: http://exapologist.blogspot.com/2023/03/200-or-so-arguments-for-atheism.html(5) Over 100 Arguments for God ANSWERED: https://youtu.be/iP0Mh42jvV4?si=2qiyco0OXNsw3GIz(6) My interview with Brian Cutter: https://youtu.be/1oEp_UVCm8M(7) My Kalam playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLxRhaLyXxXkZzH2YffI32ViTZ73Tu8jSR(8) My Contingency Arguments playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLxRhaLyXxXkZkl5I5QDUXW5CauOfO_bs1(9) My Argument from Change playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLxRhaLyXxXka2JpwLJaSaXdDZlBYkd9Cn(10) My Existential Inertia playlist: https://youtu.be/Jr44d_1_sGk?si=TFMubHijCyAAK8Vf(11) My Ontological Arguments playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLxRhaLyXxXkZ7oLLpd6Joxl2VS1gOce6t(12) My Moral Arguments playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLxRhaLyXxXkaUcAQpHXN9ZNF2RxZLe7U_(13) My Design Arguments playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLxRhaLyXxXkax5OrwZmkqE1fY446O4i6g(14) My Springer book: (a) https://www.amazon.com/Existential-Inertia-Classical-Theistic-Proofs/dp/3031193148/ (b) https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-3-031-19313-2THE USUAL...Follow the Majesty of Reason podcast! https://open.spotify.com/show/4Nda5uNcGselvKphtKSKvHJoin the Discord and chat all things philosophy! https://dsc.gg/majestyofreasonMy website: https://josephschmid.comMy PhilPeople profile: https://philpeople.org/profiles/joseph-schmid

Here I interview Brian Cutter in person to talk about the psychophysical and nomological harmony arguments.Like the show? Help it grow! Consider becoming a patron (thanks!): https://www.patreon.com/majestyofreasonIf you wanna make a one-time donation or tip (thanks!): https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/josephcschmidOUTLINE0:00 Intro0:24 Best arguments for God4:01 Consciousness & psychophysical harmony10:00 Evolution13:08 Normative error theory18:00 First-person realism parody?25:08 Contingent normative roles30:30 A priori physicalism36:36 Strengthens the problem of evil46:52 Revenge problem51:35 Nomological harmony1:06:53 ConclusionFURTHER RESOURCES(1) Cutter & Crummett, "Psychophysical Harmony: A New Argument for Theism", https://philarchive.org/archive/CUTPHA(2) Cutter & Saad, "The Problem of Nomological Harmony", https://philarchive.org/archive/CUTTPO-9(3) Cutter's PhilPeople profile with his papers: https://philpeople.org/profiles/brian-cutter(4) Cutter explaining psychophysical harmony on  @CapturingChristianity : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5_TlYmVuxQQ&pp=ygUmY3V0dGVyIGFuZCBnb2ZmIHBzeWNob3BoeXNpY2FsIGhhcm1vbnk%3D(5) A blog post critical of the psychophysical harmony argument: https://naturalismnext.blogspot.com/2023/03/introduction-note-1-this-post-is.html(6) Cutter explaining nomological harmony on  @TheAnalyticChristian : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k90r59vwbG4&t=40s&pp=ygUaY3V0dGVyIG5vbW9sb2dpY2FsIGhhcm1vbnk%3D(7) Builes, "Eight Arguments for First-Person Realism", https://philarchive.org/archive/BUIEAF(8) Design Arguments playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLxRhaLyXxXkax5OrwZmkqE1fY446O4i6g(9) My Springer book: (a) https://www.amazon.com/Existential-Inertia-Classical-Theistic-Proofs/dp/3031193148/ (b) https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-3-031-19313-2THE USUAL...Follow the Majesty of Reason podcast! https://open.spotify.com/show/4Nda5uNcGselvKphtKSKvHJoin the Discord and chat all things philosophy! https://dsc.gg/majestyofreasonMy website: https://josephschmid.comMy PhilPeople profile: https://philpeople.org/profiles/joseph-schmid

Here I explain what's wrong with the moral argument for God.Like the show? Help it grow! Consider becoming a patron (thanks!): https://www.patreon.com/majestyofreasonIf you wanna make a one-time donation or tip (thanks!): https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/josephcschmidOUTLINE00:00 Intro1:14 Overview of criticisms16:40 Different kinds of arguments18:43 Morality is independent of God’s stances23:16 Why is it so effective?26:50 Euthyphro dilemma38:31 Bruteness48:37 A trilemma for the moral arguer51:09 Essences under naturalism53:12 Wielenberg’s view59:33 But some atheists disagree with me!1:05:43 Animal morality1:11:20 Evolutionary debunking1:22:44 Q and ALINKS(1) The original video with  @intellectualcatholicism : https://www.youtube.com/live/eScm9Aoc05E?si=jxnqALAx9wxj3UJK(2) A brief survey of literature criticizing Craig-style moral arguments: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1xjweiT6HE9kNVsWJeqVxpGekrWpnddnXiZryKSAZcJI/edit?usp=sharing(3) The notes I used in this video: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1O-VhI6Tt7c6l6bB-rineREWtAKkdooBj/view(4) Moral Arguments playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLxRhaLyXxXkaUcAQpHXN9ZNF2RxZLe7U_(5) Response Videos playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLxRhaLyXxXkaNtpoOwEZm9fuJq423BUrW(6) The video from  @TruthUnites  to which I'm responding: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TbFXWmadid0(7) My Springer book: (a) https://www.amazon.com/Existential-Inertia-Classical-Theistic-Proofs/dp/3031193148/ (b) https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-3-031-19313-2THE USUAL...Follow the Majesty of Reason podcast! https://open.spotify.com/show/4Nda5uNcGselvKphtKSKvHJoin the Discord and chat all things philosophy! https://dsc.gg/majestyofreasonMy website: https://josephschmid.comMy PhilPeople profile: https://philpeople.org/profiles/joseph-schmid

I'm joined by Dr. Daniel Linford and Phil Halper to explain what Craig gets wrong about science's bearing on the beginning of the universe. Specifically, we respond to a recent video by  @ReasonableFaithOrg .Like the show? Help it grow! Consider becoming a patron (thanks!): https://www.patreon.com/majestyofreasonIf you wanna make a one-time donation or tip (thanks!): https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/josephcschmidOUTLINE0:00 Intro2:22 Craig’s video9:22 Material causality18:14 Beginning to exist20:05 Big Bang and cosmological models33:18 No particular model is probable?36:26 Past finitude doesn’t imply beginning51:57 Quantum gravity55:51 Window shade analogy1:00:10 BGV Theorem1:17:13 Vilenkin’s paper1:26:00 Sean Carroll and Guth1:38:12 The fixed Kalam1:41:20 Abstract object counterexamples?1:51:45 Second law of thermodynamics1:55:10 The universe as a counterexample?1:57:56 Document! Don’t just assert!2:06:45 ConclusionNOTEAt 1:15:05, I wanted to summarize the problems with Craig’s use of the BGV theorem. I didn’t provide the most helpful summary in the video, so here’s a summary:(1) At best, the BGV theorem shows that a spacetime region which has been expanding on average throughout its history could not have been expanding forever. Such an expanding region must have begun its expansion at some finitely distant point in the past. This does *not* imply that all of spacetime *itself* has a beginning because all of spacetime may not have been expanding on average throughout its history. In such a case, the BGV Theorem would be inapplicable to the whole of spacetime itself. In fact, as pointed out in the video, both Guth and Vilenkin explicitly say that the BGV theorem only shows that the *inflation* of the universe has a beginning, it doesn’t show that the *universe as a whole* or *spacetime as a whole* has a beginning.(2) Recent literature purports to give grounds to doubt the BGV theorem. Whether or not this recent literature is correct, it reveals that this is not a settled issue. Instead, it is an active area of research and debate. Relevant papers here include Lesnefsky et al (2023) https://journals.aps.org/prd/abstract/10.1103/PhysRevD.107.044024, Geshnizjani et al (2023) https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/JHEP10(2023)182, Nomura (2012) https://arxiv.org/abs/1205.5550, and Aguirre (2007) https://arxiv.org/abs/0712.0571.(3) The BGV theorem is only a theorem about classical spacetimes. But we probably don’t live in a classical spacetime. We have good reasons internal to the standard model and general relativity for thinking that these theories will be surpassed by a new theory able to incorporate both. So our current understanding of spacetime will be replaced by something else. So the BGV theorem does not apply to the spacetime we live in.(4) Even if we do live in a classical spacetime, the Malamant-Manchak theorems show that, in all likelihood, we couldn’t ever know enough about the global structure of spacetime to know that *all* of spacetime had a beginning.(5) Even if the BGV theorem shows that the past is finite — and, as explained above, it does not — we cannot infer that the universe (i.e., the totality of all physical reality) began to exist, for the reasons given in the section of the video entitled “Past finitude does not entail beginning to exist”.