philosophy of religion anthologies key points

russell and copleston radio debate 1948: cosmological argument

key point:

  • copleston argues if there are contingent beings must be necessary, russell rejects the notion of a necessary being

  • for russell god is meaningless as it cannot be tested

  • copleston believes that sufficient reason means it is an adequate explanation for a being's existence, whereas russell fallacy of composition, looking for something you will not find and cannot exist

  • russell argues not everything needs a cause (ie. atoms)

  • copleston thinks by raising the question of god, that has meaning in itself, russell thinks you can look for cause but cause may not exist

linked analogies/evidence:

  • scientific developments (atoms that appear from nowhere)

  • mother analogy: everyone in the human race has a mother, the human race itself does not - inductive leap of logic

  • chocolate analogy: necessary + contingent beings

j.l mackie: the problem of evil

introduction:

  • traditional arguments lack rationality

  • it is a logical issue

  • creator should be able to limit evil

  • must change omnipotence

adequate solutions:

  • evil is an illusion, evil is the privation of good, restrict omnipotence

  • cannot call a good all powerful and restrict, evil is clearly not an illusion

fallacious solutions: good cannot exist without evil or evil is necessary counterpart

  • god created evil to understand god

  • limits omnipotence (good cannot be without evil), god is limited by logic, why so much evil

fallacious solutions: evil is a necessary means to god

  • good can only come through evil

  • limits his omnipotence, god created everything why would he choose this

fallacious solutions: the universe is better with some evil in it

  • evil helps develop people, only with evil can good bef ound

  • god is willing to cause suffering

fallacious solutions: evil is due to human free will

  • evil is the cause of humans, god gave humans free will

  • why did free will choose evil, freedom = illusion

russell and copleston radio debate 1948: religious experience

  • copleston argues such an experience includes no doubt

  • the objective cause must be god

definition of RE:

  • loving / unclear awareness

  • transcends all normal objects

  • cannot be pictured or conceptualised

  • russell argues it is hard to accept validity

  • very private

  • hard to use as gods existence

  • mystical experience, very real, fall in love

  • russell says some people attach themselves with fiction

  • some experiences are subjective

  • copleston says the experience can be real and objective and motivates people

  • russell thinks believers would not accept satanic claims, yet they have the same conviction

  • copleston does not wish to deny satan but he thinks RE are not visions or expressible

  • good impact does not mean external force

  • Russell argues you can be influenced by a character in fiction, it is not an existing object

  • Copleston counters by saying he accepts that as objectively valid

  • fiction is not an otherworldly mystical experience

flew, mitchell and hare: university debate:

antony flew:

explain the parable of the gardener:

  • gardener parable: proof for falsification

  • even with proof a believer is not convince

  • is an intangible gardener different from none at all

assertions being reduced:

  • gets reduced to imagination

  • originally = flesh and blood, then = invisible

  • keep qualifying god

death by a thousand qualifications:

  • qualify an idea so much it cannot be disproved

  • not falsifiable

  • cannot test “god loves everyone”

  • a statement that does not deny anything does not claim

  • it is meaningless = nothing counts against it

r.m hare:

parable of the mad don:

  • can be an unfalsifiable

  • through life or empirical testing

concept of a blik:

  • worldviews - meaningless and unfalsifiable

  • can be a mental filter

  • choose to believe, based on faith

criticism of flew:

  • flew = scientific propositions

  • only science should be falsifiable

  • religion is an expression

mitchell:

how does mitchell challenge death by a thousand qualifications:

  • believer will keep their belief

  • commitment to faith accepts challenges

parable of partisan and the stranger:

  • believer refuses to leave the stranger

  • commitment is important and is not based on empirical testing

how does mitchell’s parable differ from hare’s

  • go through a trial of faith

  • understands challenges