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Divine Hiddenness
An argument from nonbelief is a philosophical argument for the nonexistence of God that asserts an inconsistency between God's existence and a world that fails to recognize such an entity. It is similar to the classic argument from evil in affirming an inconsistency between the world that exists and the world that would exist if God had certain desires combined with the power to see them through. There are two key varieties of the argument. The argument from reasonable nonbelief (or the argument from divine hiddenness) was first elaborated in J. L. Schellenberg's 1993 book ''Divine Hiddenness and Human Reason''. This argument says that if God existed (and was perfectly good and loving) every reasonable person would have been brought to believe in God; however, there are reasonable nonbelievers; therefore, this God does not exist. Theodore Drange subsequently developed the argument from nonbelief, based on the mere existence of nonbelief in God. Drange considers the distin ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Philosophical Argument
An argument is a series of Sentence (linguistics), sentences, Statement (logic), statements, or propositions some of which are called premises and one is the Logical consequence, conclusion. The purpose of an argument is to give Reason (argument), reasons for one's conclusion via justification, explanation, and/or persuasion. Arguments are intended to determine or show the degree of truth or acceptability of another statement called a conclusion. The process of crafting or delivering arguments, argumentation, can be studied from three main perspectives: the logical, the dialectical and the rhetorical perspective. In logic, an argument is usually expressed not in natural language but in a symbolic formal language, and it can be defined as any group of propositions of which one is claimed to follow from the others through Deductive reasoning, deductively valid inferences that preserve truth from the premises to the conclusion. This logical perspective on argument is relevant for sc ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Argument From Love
The argument from love is an argument for the existence of God that suggests the depth, complexity, and universality of love point to a transcendent source or purpose. Arguments from love to the existence of God Tom Wright suggests that materialist philosophy and scepticism has "paved our world with concrete, making people ashamed to admit that they have had profound and powerful 'religious' experiences". The reality of Love in particular ("that mutual and fruitful knowing, trusting and loving which was the creator's intention" but which "we often find so difficult") and the whole area of human relationships in general, are another signpost pointing away from this philosophy to the central elements of the Christian story. Wright contends ''both'' that the real existence of love is a compelling reason for the truth of theism ''and'' that the ambivalent experience of love, ("marriages apparently made in heaven sometimes end not far from hell") resonates particularly with the Christ ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Skeptical Theism
Skeptical theism is the view that people should remain skeptical of their ability to discern whether their perceptions about evil can be considered good evidence against the existence of the orthodox Christian God. The central thesis of skeptical theism is that it would not be surprising for an infinitely intelligent and knowledgeable being's reasons for permitting evils to be beyond human comprehension. That is, what may seem like pointless evils may be necessary for a greater good or to prevent equal or even greater evils. This central thesis may be argued from a theistic perspective, but is also argued to defend positions of agnosticism. Skeptical theism can be an informally held belief based on theistic doctrine, but the origin of the term ''skeptical theist'' is the 1996 paper "The Skeptical Theist" by philosopher Paul Draper. Following Draper's publication, the term ''skeptical theism'' was adopted in academic philosophy and has developed into a family of positions support ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
The Monist
''The Monist: An International Quarterly Journal of General Philosophical Inquiry'' is a quarterly peer-reviewed academic journal in the field of philosophy. It was established in October 1890 by American publisher Edward C. Hegeler. History Initially the journal published papers not only by philosophers but also by prominent scientists and mathematicians such as Ernst Mach, David Hilbert, Henri Poincaré, Alfred Binet, Pierre Janet, Cesare Lombroso and Ernst Haeckel. The journal helped to professionalize philosophy as an academic discipline in the United States by publishing philosophers such as Charles Sanders Peirce, Ernst Cassirer, John Dewey, Gottlob Frege, Hans-Georg Gadamer, Sidney Hook, C. I. Lewis, Hilary Putnam, Willard Van Orman Quine, and Bertrand Russell. Russell's ''Philosophy of Logical Atomism'' was originally published in full as a series of articles in the journal in 1918–19. After ceasing publication in 1936, the journal resumed publication in 1962 and ha ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Animism
Animism (from meaning 'breath, spirit, life') is the belief that objects, places, and creatures all possess a distinct spiritual essence. Animism perceives all things—animals, plants, rocks, rivers, weather systems, human handiwork, and in some cases words—as being animated, having agency and free will. Animism is used in anthropology of religion as a term for the belief system of many Indigenous peoples in contrast to the relatively more recent development of organized religions. Animism is a metaphysical belief which focuses on the supernatural universe: specifically, on the concept of the immaterial soul. Although each culture has its own mythologies and rituals, animism is said to describe the most common, foundational thread of indigenous peoples' "spiritual" or "supernatural" perspectives. The animistic perspective is so widely held and inherent to most indigenous peoples that they often do not even have a word in their languages that corresponds to "animism" (o ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Jain Cosmology
Jain cosmology is the description of the shape and functioning of the Universe (''loka'') and its constituents (such as living beings, matter, space, time etc.) according to Jainism. Jain cosmology considers the universe as an uncreated entity that has existed since infinity with neither beginning nor end. Jain texts describe the shape of the universe as similar to a man standing with legs apart and arms resting on his waist. This Universe, according to Jainism, is broad at the top, narrow at the middle and once again becomes broad at the bottom. Six eternal substances According to Jains, the Universe is made up of six simple and eternal substances called ''dravya'' which are broadly categorized under Jiva (Living Substances) and Ajiva (Non Living Substances) as follows: ''Jīva (Jainism), Jīva'' (Living Substances) * Jīva (Jainism), Jīva i.e. Souls – ''Jīva'' exists as a reality, having a separate existence from the body that houses it. It is characterised by ''chetan ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
God In Buddhism
Generally speaking, Buddhism is a religion that does not include the belief in a Monotheism, monotheistic creator deity.Harvey, Peter (2019). ''"Buddhism and Monotheism",'' p. 1. Cambridge University Press. As such, it has often been described as either (non-Materialism, materialistic) atheism or as nontheism. However, other scholars have challenged these descriptions since some forms of Buddhism do posit different kinds of Transcendence (religion), transcendent, Anutpada, unborn, and unconditioned Buddhist philosophy, ultimate realities (e.g., Buddha-nature). Buddhist teachings state that there are divine beings called ''Deva (Buddhism), devas'' (sometimes translated as 'gods') and other Buddhist deities, heavens, and rebirths in its doctrine of Saṃsāra (Buddhism), saṃsāra, or cyclical rebirth. Buddhism teaches that none of these gods are creators or eternal beings. However, they can live very long lives. In Buddhism, the devas are also trapped in the cycle of rebirth and ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Anthropology
Anthropology is the scientific study of humanity, concerned with human behavior, human biology, cultures, society, societies, and linguistics, in both the present and past, including archaic humans. Social anthropology studies patterns of behaviour, while cultural anthropology studies cultural meaning, including norms and values. The term sociocultural anthropology is commonly used today. Linguistic anthropology studies how language influences social life. Biological anthropology, Biological (or physical) anthropology studies the biology and evolution of Human evolution, humans and their close primate relatives. Archaeology, often referred to as the "anthropology of the past," explores human activity by examining physical remains. In North America and Asia, it is generally regarded as a branch of anthropology, whereas in Europe, it is considered either an independent discipline or classified under related fields like history and palaeontology. Etymology The abstract noun ''wikt ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Jonathan Edwards (theologian)
Jonathan Edwards (October 5, 1703 – March 22, 1758) was an American Christian revival, revivalist preacher, philosopher, and Congregationalism in the United States, Congregationalist theologian. Edwards is widely regarded as one of America's most important and original philosophical theologians. Edwards' theological work is broad in scope but rooted in the Puritans, Puritan heritage as exemplified in the Westminster Confession of Faith, Westminster and Savoy Declaration, Savoy Confessions of Faith. Recent studies have emphasized how thoroughly Edwards grounded his life's work on conceptions of beauty, harmony, and ethical aptness, and how central the Age of Enlightenment was to his mindset. Edwards played a critical role in shaping the First Great Awakening and oversaw some of the first Christian revival, revivals in 1733–35 at First Church of Christ (Northampton, Massachusetts), his church in Northampton, Massachusetts. His work gave rise to a doctrine known as New England ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Paul Helm
Paul Helm is a Reformed British philosopher and theologian. Helm was born in 1940. He taught at Regent College, having served as the first incumbent of the J.I. Packer Chair of Theology there from 2001 to 2005. He also served as Professor of Theology at Highland Theological College, Scotland, from 2007 to 2010. Education Helm was educated (BA, MA) at Worcester College, Oxford, and began his teaching career at the University of Liverpool, where he rose from Lecturer to Senior Lecturer to Reader in Philosophy (1964–93). He was subsequently appointed as Professor of the History and Philosophy of Religion at King's College London (1993–2000). Writings His voluminous writings range over philosophy of religion, philosophical theology, historical theology and apologetics. The bulk of his work, however, has been on the doctrine of God (''Eternal God'', Clarendon, 1988; ''The Providence of God'', IVP, 1993), religious belief (''The Last Things'', Banner of Truth, 1989; ''Belief Polici ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sensus Divinitatis
''Sensus divinitatis'' (Latin for "sense of divinity"), also referred to as ''sensus deitatis'' ("sense of deity") or ''semen religionis'' ("seed of religion"), is a term first employed by French Protestant reformer John Calvin to describe a postulated human sense. Instead of knowledge of the environment (as with, for example, smell or sight), the ''sensus divinitatis'' is believed to give humans a knowledge of God. History In Calvin's view, there is no reasonable non-belief: Jonathan Edwards (theologian), Jonathan Edwards, the 18th-century American Calvinist preacher and theologian, claimed that while every human being has been granted the capacity to know God, a sense of divinity, successful use of these capacities requires an attitude of "true benevolence". Analytic philosophy, Analytic philosopher Alvin Plantinga of the University of Notre Dame posits a similar modified form of the ''sensus divinitatis'' in his Reformed epistemology whereby all have the sense, only it do ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Epistemology
Epistemology is the branch of philosophy that examines the nature, origin, and limits of knowledge. Also called "the theory of knowledge", it explores different types of knowledge, such as propositional knowledge about facts, practical knowledge in the form of skills, and knowledge by acquaintance as a familiarity through experience. Epistemologists study the concepts of belief, truth, and justification to understand the nature of knowledge. To discover how knowledge arises, they investigate sources of justification, such as perception, introspection, memory, reason, and testimony. The school of skepticism questions the human ability to attain knowledge while fallibilism says that knowledge is never certain. Empiricists hold that all knowledge comes from sense experience, whereas rationalists believe that some knowledge does not depend on it. Coherentists argue that a belief is justified if it coheres with other beliefs. Foundationalists, by contrast, maintain th ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
