philosophy test 2 parker

metaphysics

the study of the nature of reality

2 big questions: what is the nature of reality and does God exist

Berkeleyan Idealism

The only way for something to exist is for it be to perceived. If it is not being perceived it must not exist. two people looking at a tree will have a similar description of the tree because they’re both perceiving it.

Dualism (Descartes)

The idea that mind and body are separate but intertwined. 2 types of reality: material and immaterial.

Materialism

a tendency to consider material possessions and physical comfort as more important than spiritual values.

Idealism

the practice of forming or pursuing ideals, especially unrealistically.

pantheism

the belief that the divine reality exists in everything

theistic idealism

in addition to finite minds, there is God's mind

Philosophical Theology

the study of theological topics that primarily employs the tools and methods of philosophical reasoning and uses information that can be known about God from observing the universe, but not information that comes from Scripture

Thomistic Cosmological Argument for God

1. there is an order of causes in the world

2.Nothing can be the cause of itself

3.Hence, everything that is caused is caused by something else

4.there can not be an infinite regress of causes

5.Therefore there must be a first, uncaused cause (God)

Kalam Cosmological Argument for God's Existence

1. Everything that begins to exist has a cause

2.The universe began to exist

3.The universe has a cause

4.The cause of the universe has certain characteristics

5.The cause of the universe is God

2nd law of thermodynamics (usable energy claim) supports this.

Fine Tuning Argument

The constants of nature and the arbitrary quantities of a universe must fall within an extremely narrow set of values for a universe to be life-permitting.

Many Universes Hypothesis

The idea that there are more universes outside of ours. Heightens the chance of the possibility of life by chance instead of design

irreducible complexity

The idea that parts of organisms are so complex and dependent on one another that they cannot be reduced to something less complex and still function, providing evidence for Creation.

Dualism

the presumption that mind and body are two distinct entities that interact. You have a body and a immaterial mind (soul)

Physicalism

(The belief that) the real world is nothing more than the physical world. You are your body

The logical argument of evil

1.If God exists, he is omnipotent, omniscient, and omnibenevolent

2. an all-powerful being can prevent evil

3. An all-knowing being knows how to prevent evil

4.A perfectly good being desires to prevent evil

5.so, if God exists, there is no evil

6.there is evil

7. So, God does not exist

The evidential problem of evil

1.If an all-powerful, all-knowing, perfectly good God exists, there would be no gratuitous evil - evil that is not necessary for some greater good

2. But there is gratuitous evil

3. So God does not exist

Noseeum Inference

suggests that if we do not have a good reason for believing X that we should withhold belief—if we cannot see what good reason God would have for allowing certain evils we should believe that God does not have a good reason.

Divine Hiddenness Argument

1. If God exists, there would be no nonbelief in God

2. But there is nonbelief in God

3. So God does not exist

intentionality argument

There are certain characteristics of human experience that cannot be explained by descriptions of physical properties. Humans have thoughts and ideas about certain things

inverted spectrum problem

the problem of accounting for the fact that people's color experiences could be very different even though they are functionally equivalent. something about our qualia cannot be reduced

Functionalism philosophy

mental states are not just physical states but also the functioning of those states

interaction problem

dualists believe immaterial beings can cause events in the material world. but how could these two interact?

van Inwagen’s consequence argument

1. if determinism is true, then our actions are necessary consequences of past events

2. we have no control over these actions

3. therefore, we have no free will

libertarianism

some of our actions aren’t determined and we as people come to the decision. its up to us which path to take

compatibalism

the belief that free will and determinism are compatible with each other