God exists? Prove it! | What is Philosophy? | Aristotle | Problem of evil | Rationality of religious belief |
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What is the teleological argument?
This argument for the existence of God derives its name for the Greek word for "end" or "purpose".
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What is "love of wisdom"?
Philosophy originates from the Greek translation of this phrase.
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What is human flourishing?
The word "eudaimonia" is commonly translated as "happiness", but the more accurate translation is this. You better eat your Wheaties!
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What are omniscience, omnipotence, and omnibenevolence?
These are the three divine attributes that are highlighted in the argument from evil.
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What is a qualification?
Antony Flew accuses the believer in God as making too many of these - which can weaken a claim.
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What is the First Mover argument and the First Cause argument? (Or the Necessary Being argument)
Two of three cosmological-type arguments St. Thomas Aquinas offers to prove God's existence.
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What is epistemology?
This branch of philosophy deals with questions about knowledge. (What do you know?)
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What is rational activity?
A knife's function is to cut; a heart's function is to pump blood; an apple tree's function is to grow apples. But human beings also have a function, and, according to Aristotle, it is defined as this.
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What is gratuitous evil?
A fawn that slowly burns to death in a forest fire seems to be this type of evil/suffering? Don't forget the tip!
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What is a "blik"?
R.M. Hare calls a fundamental assumption about the world that is not subject to rational scrutiny by this name.
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What is a perfect being (the greatest being conceivable)?
St. Anselm argues for the existence of God based on the idea that God is this type of being.
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What is metaphysics?
This branch of philosophy deals with questions about the nature of reality. (What is real?)
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What is the golden mean?
This doctrine claims that moral virtue is moderation that lies between two extremes (excess and deficiency).
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What is human free will?
According to a popular response to the problem of evil, evil is not God's doing. Evil, rather, is the inevitable consequence of this.
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What is an "unfalsifiable" belief?
A belief that will not be given up, even in the face of the strongest counterevidence, is called this type of belief (a la Antony Flew).
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What is a necessary feature?
360 degrees is this type of feature of a circle - after all, if not 360 degrees, we are talking of another shape entirely.
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What is corrupting the youth (or impiety)?
One of two charges against Socrates at his trial.
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What is practicing (i.e., doing virtuous acts)?
Just like any excellence in the arts or athletics, Aristotle believes that moral virtue is acquired primarily by doing this.
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What is natural evil?
You say that some evil is explained by human free will? That is fine! But your response fails to explain away this type of evil. So hah!
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Who is R.M. Hare?
Between Antony Flew, R.M. Hare, and Basil Mitchell, the figure who argues that religious beliefs are not irrational.
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What is the "God of the Gaps" fallacy.
Watch out! You are guilty of this fallacy if you argue for the existence of God based on gaps in scientific explanation.
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What is the Socratic method?
This is a form of inquiry and discussion between individuals that involves asking questions to stimulate critical thinking and illuminate ideas.
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What is reason?
Human beings are unique, says Aristotle, in their capacity to place the appetitive part of the soul under the governance of this.
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What is the simplest hypothesis principle (Ockham's razor)?
We do not see a greater good come out of some cases of suffering. So, according to Bruce Russell, we are justified in believing there is no greater good for this SIMPLE reason. (No need to assume invisible elephants.)
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What is counterevidence (to his beliefs)?
The fact that Basil Mitchell's Resistance Member is responsive to this separates him from Flew's Explorer... and oh by the way, might help him avoid the charge of "irrationality".
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