Author: John Ramsey Categories: Epistemology, Historical Philosophy, Philosophy of Religion, Islamic Philosophy, Global Philosophy Word Count: 997 Right now you probably think that you are awake, that you are not asleep and dreaming. But do you know you aren’t dreaming? French philosopher René Descartes (1596–1650) famously asked a question like this at the beginning of … Continue reading al-Ghazālī’s Dream Argument for Skepticism
Category: Philosophy of Religion
Is Immortality Desirable?
Author: Felipe Pereira Categories: Ethics, Philosophy of Religion, Phenomenology and Existentialism Word Count: 998 Many people hope to live on after death, in heaven, forever. Even those who don’t believe in heaven usually agree that an eternal life there would be better than any finite, mortal life.[1] Are they correct? Some influential philosophers have argued … Continue reading Is Immortality Desirable?
Hell and Universalism: Could God Sentence Anyone to Eternal Punishment?
Author: A.G. Holdier Category: Philosophy of Religion, Metaphysics, Ethics Word Count: 995 Many religious traditions picture Hell as a place of immense suffering that some people experience after they die. But who might go to Hell, and why, and for how long? And, although many people believe there is a Hell, might they be mistaken? … Continue reading Hell and Universalism: Could God Sentence Anyone to Eternal Punishment?
The Concept of God: Divine Attributes
An introduction to the traditional monotheistic concept of God and the divine attributes.
René Descartes’ Meditations 4-6
A concise version of Descartes' "Meditations on First Philosophy."
René Descartes’ Meditations 1-3
A concise version of Rene Descartes' "Meditations on First Philosophy."
The Fine-Tuning Argument for the Existence of God
Author: Thomas Metcalf Category: Philosophy of Religion Word count: 987 Here’s a simple experiment to help test whether God exists: Hold a refrigerator magnet about one inch above a paperclip. If the magnet picks up the paperclip, then that tiny magnet was able to overcome the gravity of an entire planet.[1] How might this provide … Continue reading The Fine-Tuning Argument for the Existence of God
Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz’s Principle of Sufficient Reason
Author: Marc Bobro Category: Historical Philosophy, Metaphysics, Philosophy of Religion Word count: 999 Imagine that your bicycle keeps dropping its chain. Annoyed, you take it to a bike shop to determine the cause in order to fix the problem. The mechanic informs you that the problem cannot be fixed because there is no reason why … Continue reading Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz’s Principle of Sufficient Reason
Design Arguments for the Existence of God
The universe, or some of the objects in it, exhibit order, complexity, efficiency, and perhaps purpose. Many everyday objects with those features—e.g., watches and houses—were intentionally designed. Should we conclude, therefore, that some of the “natural” objects in the universe, or the universe itself, was also intentionally designed? If so, that designer might be God. This essay introduces design arguments for the existence of God.
“God is dead”: Friedrich Nietzsche and the Death of God
Nietzsche is perhaps most famous for making the striking claim that God is dead. He writes, “God is dead! God remains dead! And we have killed him!” This essay will help us understand this claim, his arguments for it, and its potential implications for contemporary religious and ethical thought.