Transcript Specified Naturalism vs. Christian Theism

Kevin Vandergriff
SPECIFIED NATURALISM VS.
CHRISTIAN THEISM
Prior Probability in Terms of
Simplicity
Christian Theism
1 - A maximally powerful
2 - Intelligent
3 - And Good
4 - Supernatural Person
5 - Created the universe
6 - For the purpose revealed
by Jesus of Nazareth
Specified Naturalism
(Hypothesis of Indifference)
1 - The universe may or may not be
factually necessary.
2 - No maximally evil supernatural
person or persons exist.
3 - No maximally good supernatural
person or persons exist.
4 - The universe doesn’t exist for a
purpose.
5 - The condition of conscious beings
on Earth (animals) is not the result of
maximally good or maximally evil
persons.
6 - The condition of self-conscious
beings (humans) is not the result of
maximally good or maximally evil
persons.
Generic Naturalism
 Definition: The physical world explains why
anything mental exists.
 This definition doesn’t have enough content
 Mr. Lowder needs the Hypothesis of Indifference!
 Christian theism is roughly equal in simplicity with
Specified Naturalism
God Exists Necessarily
Two Facts Imply This:
 1-The Origin of the Universe
 2-The Existence of the Something Rather
than Nothing
The Origin of the Universe
 Borde-Guth-Vilenkin theorem shows that all
matter, space, and time had an absolute
beginning
Shuttlecock
 Universe has to have an efficient cause
 Metaphysical time can precede physical time
without contradiction
 Effects can be simultaneous with their causes
Why Is There Something
Rather Than Nothing?
 Key Premise: Everything that exists, has an
explanation of it’s existence, either in the necessity of
it’s own nature, or in an external cause
 c
 Even if the universe is eternal, it requires an external
cause
Does Physical Matter Support
Naturalism?
 No; God’s Goodness entails the existence of a
value-generating universe
Does a Hostile Universe
Support Naturalism?
 No; The rest of the universe is physically
necessary for Earth, and life on Earth to exist
 Too many interventions implies a less than
Perfect God
Does Evolution Support Naturalism?
 No; Evolution happened
too quickly to be unguided
 Life on Earth, appears as
early as physically possible
 Evolution may have been
God’s only option
Does Pain and Pleasure
Support Naturalism?
 No; Evolution is Metaphysically Necessary
 Laws of Nature are Metaphysically Necessary
Does Languishing and
Flourishing Support Naturalism?
 No; Evolution is Metaphysically Necessary
 Laws of Nature are Metaphysically Necessary
Does Pain and Pleasure
Support Naturalism?
 Desire satisfaction alone doesn’t explain
objective flourishing (Darwin’s Thought
Experiment)
 Theism Explains why Pain and Pleasure
PREDOMINANTLY Contribute to Human
Flourishing and Survival and Reproduction!
Does Languishing and
Flourishing Support Naturalism?
 Animals aren’t self-aware
 Animals that aren’t persons, don’t have a
right to life
Does Triumph and Tragedy
Support Naturalism?
 No; Look around! Tragedies aren’t the rule in our world
 Life is worthwhile
 Evolution would be blind to all of God’s morally
sufficient reasons for allowing evil in the world
 Humans didn’t have to be resilient in the face of
tragedies on naturalism
 We are hard-wired to find meaning, purpose and
comfort in the face of tragedies
 Divine Comfort should be case by case
Does Mind-Brain Dependence
Support Naturalism?
 No; it is logically impossible to create another
being with a soul that can perform actions
 How do you get consciousness from nonconscious matter on naturalism?
 Moral responsibility doesn’t require
libertarian free will
Does Ethical Disagreement
Support Naturalism?
 No; God’s reasons would be the same as ours
 Morality is Independent of God
 Some moral issues are inherently
indeterminate
 We have room to grow
Does Divine Hiddenness
Support Naturalism?
 No; The Absence of Evidence isn’t necessarily
evidence of absence.
 Is there non-resistant non-belief?
 Do you need to have awareness of the other
person(s) required for meaningful
relationship?
Mr. Lowder’s Case for Naturalism
5 IndependentArguments
3 Dependent Arguments
 Evolution
 Divine Hiddenness
 Hostile Universe
 Pain and Pleasure Not Always
 Mind-Brain Dependence
Morally Necessary
 Languishing and Flourishing
 Tragedy and Triumph
 Ethical Disagreement
*One Unconfirmed Prediction: An eternal and uncaused
universe exists.
Alleged Understated Evidence
 So much of our universe is intelligible without any appeal
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to supernatural agency.
So much of the universe is hostile to life
Embodied moral agents are the result of evolution
The only known moral agents are embodied
Our universe is not teeming with embodied moral
agents, including agents much more impressive than
humans
Variety and frequency of conditions that severely limit
our freedom
Moral responsibility requires libertarian free will
Kevin’s Case for Christian Theism
God is the Best Explanation of:
1-The Origin of the Universe
2-Why Something Rather than Nothing Exists
3-The Formational Economy of the Universe
4-The Connection Between Moral Beliefs and
Necessary Moral Truths
5-The Connection Between Necessary Moral Truths
and Flourishing
6-The Existence of Self-Awareness
7-The Worthwhileness of Life