Explore every episode of the podcast Uncertainty
| Title | Pub. Date | Duration | |
|---|---|---|---|
| #64 Stephen Law | What If God Is Evil? | 23 déc. 2025 | 01:19:41 | |
Stephen Law, professor of philosophy at Oxford, discusses his "evil god challenge" to theists: prove that God is not perfectly evil. That challenge, we will see, is surprisingly difficult to meet. Check out Stephen's paper outlining the evil-god challenge, as well as Mooney and Hendricks paper critiquing the challenge. To support the channel, do please oh please consider donating via PayPal or Buy Me a Coffee. Feel free to follow me Twitter. EPISODE CHAPTERS 00:00:00 Introduction 00:00:06 The evil-god challenge 00:11:03 The versions of the challenge 00:17:02 Does the moral argument break the parallel? 00:24:28 Skeptical theism will not undercut the challenge 00:34:07 Does skeptical theism lead to skepticism about everything? 00:46:30 The neutral-god challenge 00:53:13 Theodicies won't undercut the challenge, either 00:59:39 Would Jesus' resurrection break the parallel? 01:07:57 Is an evil god logically incoherent? 01:16:47 What are you most uncertain about? | |||
| #63 Graham Oppy vs. Brian Cutter | Does Mind-Brain Harmony Point to God? | 19 déc. 2025 | 01:51:11 | |
Graham Oppy and Brian Cutter join me to debate philosophy's newest argument for God: the argument from psychophysical harmony. We talk about epistemic probability versus metaphysical possibility, the relevance of thought-experiments to determining possibility, whether mental states are identical to brain states, and what we ought to infer if we found John 3:16 in binary code in the digits of pi. Check out Cutter and Crummet's paper defending the psycho-physical harmony argument, my previous interviews with Graham and Brian. To support the channel, do please oh please consider donating via PayPal or Buy Me a Coffee. Feel free to follow me Twitter. EPISODE CHAPTERS 00:00:00 Introduction 00:00:34 Cutter opening statement 00:18:14 Oppy opening statement 00:27:59 Moderated discussion 01:48:33 Cutter closing statement 01:50:07 Oppy closing statement | |||
| #62 Mhairi Tait | Would You Still Love Me if I Was a Worm? | 11 déc. 2025 | 01:21:03 | |
Mhairi Tait, my friend and fellow DPhil student at Oxford, sits down with me to discuss whether Ted Bundy's mother was right to stand by her son, whether you could ever love the same person forever, whether you should "trade up" if you find someone with better qualities than your current beloved, and whether one still ought to be loved even if one were a worm. To support the channel, do please oh please consider donating via PayPal or Buy Me a Coffee. Feel free to follow me Twitter. EPISODE CHAPTERS 00:00:00 Introduction 00:00:52 Is the best kind of love unconditional? 00:14:10 Is it okay to not love everyone? 00:20:00 Should we "trade up" if we find a better romantic partner? 00:21:21 Is love ever unjustified? 00:24:07 Is love for an abuser real love? 00:30:14 The possibility of love at first sight 00:40:30 What IS love, exactly? 00:45:04 Do you, Miles, think love has created value in you 00:55:11 Ted Bundy's mother loved him to the very end 00:59:28 Ethical non-monogamy? 01:01:15 Does love require free will? 01:04:20 Is there a single concept the unifies all our uses of the word "love"? 01:06:39 Does analytic philosophy do damage to love? 01:11:50 Realist vs. anti-realist accounts of love 01:14:17 Could you love the same person forever? | |||
| #61 David Enoch | Why This Oxford Professor Thinks Morality is Objective | 04 déc. 2025 | 01:25:04 | |
Dr. David Enoch, author of "Taking Morality Seriously: A Defense of Robust Realism," joins me to discuss moral realism versus anti-realism, objections from the moral error theorist, and my personal sticking points in affirming the existence of irreducible moral facts: moral disagreement across cultures and evolutionary explanations for our moral beliefs. Buy David's book defending robust moral realism. To support the channel, do please oh please consider donating via PayPal or Buy Me a Coffee. Feel free to follow me Twitter. EPISODE CHAPTERS 00:00:00 Introduction 00:07:23 Naturalism vs. non-naturalism 00:19:23 Why should we reject moral error theory? 00:32:32 The revisionary costs of error theory 00:43:34 Intuition as our only ground for moral realism? 00:47:45 The connection to ethical intuitionism 00:51:19 Objection #1 - Moral disagreement 01:03:18 Moral skepticism 01:06:20 Objection #2 - Evolutionary debunking arguments 01:16:16 Is God required to explain objective morality? 01:20:45 Are most philosophers moral realists? | |||
| #60 Dan Linford | Defending Einstein from Philosophers of Religion | 27 nov. 2025 | 01:21:50 | |
Dr. Dan Linford breaks down Einstein's theory of special relativity, its consequences for our understanding of time, and whether there are any ways to reconcile relativity with the view that past events are no longer real, and future events are not yet real. In particular, he examines William Lane Craig's attempt to rehabilitate a neo-Lorentzian theory of relativity. To support the channel, do please oh please consider donating via PayPal or Buy Me a Coffee. Feel free to follow me Twitter. EPISODE CHAPTERS 00:00:00 Introduction 00:00:10 What is special relativity? 00:11:30 Of trains and absolute simultaneity 00:15:31 Time dilation and length contraction 00:25:08 Three "interpretations" of special relativity 00:27:14 Theory #1 - Einsteinian relativity 00:29:11 Theory #2 - Minkowskian relativity 00:35:11 Theory #3 - neo-Lorentzian relativity 00:47:09 What do physicists think of neo-Lorentzian relativity? 00:59:50 Can we integrate special relativity with presentism? 01:10:06 Neo-Lorentzianism applied to cosmology | |||
| #59 Christian Smith | Is Religion Over? | 20 nov. 2025 | 01:20:14 | |
Sociologist and professor Dr. Christian Smith discusses his recent book, "Why Religion Went Obsolete: The Demise of Traditional Faith in America". We discuss the reasons for the decline of faith in a traditionally Christian nation, the seeming recent revival of faith among the younger generation, and what these developments mean for the future of religion in America. To support the channel, do please oh please consider donating via PayPal or Buy Me a Coffee. Feel free to follow me on Twitter. EPISODE CHAPTERS 00:00:00 Introduction 00:00:13 How do we define religion? 00:05:44 In what sense has religion gone obsolete? 00:09:13 Why has religion gone obsolete? 00:18:52 Is religion trending downward worldwide? 00:21:20 The internet's role in undermining religion 00:25:43 The "cringy-ness" of online religious outreach 00:28:11 The legacy of the New Atheists 00:32:01 The role conservative politics has played 00:37:33 Does this mean Americans are atheists? 00:46:50 The advance of science did not cause religious decline 00:50:26 The negative impact of creationism 00:54:01 Homosexuality and abortion as the ride-or-die issues 01:02:09 A revival of faith among American youth? 01:10:20 Does religion have a future? | |||
| #58 Afshordi and Halper | What Happened Before The Big Bang? | 13 nov. 2025 | 01:20:41 | |
Astrophysicist Niayesh Afshordi and science communicator Phil Halper return to the channel to discuss their new book, Battle of the Big Bang: The New Tales of Our Cosmic Origins. We discuss inflationary theory, the BGV theorem, how space and time might not exist at the fundamental level of reality, and so much else besides. This was one of my favorite interviews so far. Make sure to check out Phil and Niayesh's book, and follow Phil on YouTube. To support the channel, do please oh please consider donating via PayPal or Buy Me a Coffee. Feel free to follow me on Twitter. EPISODE CHAPTERS 00:00:13 Does the Big Bang theory feature a bang? 00:07:53 What is an FLRW spacetime? What is the Lambda-CDM model? 00:18:39 Is a singularity unscientific? 00:25:05 Singularity theorem #1: Hawking-Penrose 00:33:04 Singularity theorem #2: Borde-Guth-Vilenkin 00:39:23 What is "classical" spacetime? 00:52:40 Singularity theorem #3: Generalized second law of thermodynamics 00:57:54 The quantum eternity theorem 01:01:10 String-theoretic models of the universe 01:05:56 A fundamental limit to what we can know? 01:09:10 Is a cosmic beginning scientifically unsatisfying? 01:15:17 Teaching science as a story 01:19:35 Embrace uncertainty | |||
| #57 Dan Linford | Everything that Begins to Exist Has a Cause? | 06 nov. 2025 | 00:51:47 | |
Dr. Dan Linford and I discuss the causal principle, that everything that begins to exist has a cause. We look at William Lane Craig's oft-repeated three reasons for affirming the premise: something cannot come from nothing, if something could come from nothing, then anything and everything should come from nothing, and an inductive generalization supports the causal principle. Check out Linford's paper discussing neo-Russellian analyses of causation, "Without microphysical causation, not just anything can begin to exist just anywhere". To support the channel, do please oh please consider donating via PayPal or Buy Me a Coffee. Feel free to follow me on Twitter. EPISODE CHAPTERS 00:00:00 Introduction 00:01:58 Different types of "causes" 00:05:49 Premise (1) of the KCA 00:10:19 First argument for CP: An inductive generalization 00:23:56 Metaphysics should be continuous with physics 00:34:27 Is science our only source of knowledge? 00:38:32 Second argument for CP: Something cannot come from nothing 00:42:16 Is neo-Russellianism just too counter-intuitive? | |||
| What Is a Woman? | #56 Dr. Tomas Bogardus | 30 oct. 2025 | 01:23:15 | |
Dr. Tomas Bogardus discusses contemporary philosophical analysis of sex and gender, defending a traditional understanding of these terms. To support the channel, do please oh please consider donating via PayPal or Buy Me a Coffee. Feel free to follow me on Twitter. EPISODE CHAPTERS 00:00:00 Introduction EPISODE CHAPTERS00:00:00 Introduction 00:32 What are the main views about gender? 17:03 What's the difference between sex and gender? 27:52 Why think sex terms are social constructions? 35:29 Societal consequences for biological realism regarding sex 39:05 Intentional revision of sex terms? 44:35 Dr. Bogardus: What is a woman? 45:04 Woman: Adult human female 55:24 Can trans-women be women on this account? 01:12:38 But still, should we revise the meaning of our terms? | |||
| Morality Doesn't Exist | #55 Dr. Matt Lutz | 24 oct. 2025 | 01:32:34 | |
Dr. Matt Lutz defends moral error theory, the two-part thesis that (i) our moral claims are capable of being true or false, but (ii) because there is no objective morality, all of them are false. Check out all of Dr. Lutz's publications. To support the channel, do please oh please consider donating via PayPal or Buy Me a Coffee. Feel free to follow me on Twitter. EPISODE CHAPTERS 00:00:00 Introduction 00:00:13 What is moral error theory? 00:03:46 Non-cognitivism in ethics 00:19:32 Motivation for non-cognitivism 00:25:00 Ethical naturalism vs. non-naturalism 00:54:30 Is there an objective morality? 00:58:21 Epistemological objections to realism 01:11:00 Miles' two responses to arguments for error theory | |||
| Debating God, the Universe, and Everything | #54 Joe Folley | 16 oct. 2025 | 02:22:32 | |
Joe Folley and I discuss our philosophical differences regarding fine-tuning, the problem of evil, skeptical theism, pragmatic justification for God, apatheism, and much else besides. Check out Joe's excellent YouTube channel. To support the channel, do please oh please consider donating via PayPal or Buy Me a Coffee. Feel free to follow me on Twitter. EPISODE CHAPTERS 00:00:00 Introduction 00:00:15 The fine-tuning argument 00:12:30 Can the constants really vary? 00:18:41 What is "possibility"? 00:34:54 Is probability just frequency? 00:48:16 Is there common ground between theist and atheist? 00:58:04 We should not be apathetic about God's existence 01:10:38 There are more options besides theism and naturalism 01:19:50 Skeptical theism 01:28:29 Does evil disprove God? 01:32:04 Philip Goff's limited God 01:43:55 Life is better if you believe in God 01:53:40 Should we take the red pill? 01:58:59 Problems with moral realism 02:12:50 What motivates you in running a YouTube channel? | |||
| Science Doesn't Prove God | #53 Dr. Tim Maudlin | 07 oct. 2025 | 01:27:11 | |
Dr. Tim Maudlin returns to the channel to discuss the fine-tuning of the universe, the beginning of the universe, and whether these facts might be reasonably suggest that a creator God exists. To support the channel, do please oh please consider donating via PayPal or Buy Me a Coffee. Feel free to follow me on Twitter. EPISODE CHAPTERS 00:00:00 Introduction 00:56 How do science and philosophy relate? 00:11:33 The fine-tuning argument 00:22:35 Is the universe fine-tuned for rocks? 00:27:39 Does evil disprove God? 00:31:04 Of multiverses and Boltzmann Brains 00:35:45 How does the multiverse explain fine-tuning? 00:47:39 Do we know we're not Boltzmann Brains? 00:50:59 God and the beginning of the universe 00:58:24 The Borde-Guth-Vilenkin theorem 01:01:49 Does everything that begin to exist have a cause 01:08:02 Are theistic philosophers acting in good faith 01:11:56 Are atheists acting in good faith? 01:16:59 What is Tim's favorite color? 01:17:29 Will physics ever explain consciousness? | |||
| What Christian Apologists Keep Missing | #52 Dr. Randal Rauser | 30 sept. 2025 | 01:11:42 | |
Dr. Randal Rauser, himself a Christian apologist, joins me to critically examine some of the mistakes and excesses of Christian apologetics as it is commonly practiced - on YouTube and within broader academic discourse as well. Check out Randal's YouTube channel. To support the channel, do please oh please consider donating via PayPal or Buy Me a Coffee. Feel free to follow me on Twitter. EPISODE CHAPTERS 00:00:00 Introduction 00:00:15 What is apologetics? 00:05:52 What is a 'tentative' apologist? 00:14:25 Mistake #1 - Not giving weight to moral experience. 00:36:09 How do we determine what the Bible teaches? 00:38:02 Mistake #2 - Thinking every question must be answered. 00:45:49 Mistake #3 - Simplifying enormously complicated issues. 00:50:50 If saving souls isn't the right motive for apologetics, what is? 00:57:03 Mistake #4 - Mixing apologetics with politics. 01:01:36 Debating vs. discussing controversial issues. | |||
| #51 Dr. Michael Huemer | It's Simple - Stop Eating Meat | 23 sept. 2025 | 01:25:59 | |
Dr. Michael Huemer and I discuss the evils of factory farming, the strengths and possible drawbacks of a vegan and vegetarian diet, whether animals have rights, if humans are the pinnacle of intrinsic value, and whether already having severe dietary restrictions justifies eating meat (it doesn't). Check out Dr. Huemer's book, "Dialogues on Ethical Vegetarianism". To support the channel, do please oh please consider donating via PayPal or Buy Me a Coffee. Feel free to follow me on Instagram or Twitter. EPISODE CHAPTERS 00:00:00 Introduction 00:00:33 What goes on in factory farms? 00:10:45 Do we have to argue that animals have rights? 00:17:26 Do animals have rights? 00:25:02 Can we hunt animals? 00:27:24 Are all animals sentient? 00:29:01 The Shrimp Welfare Project 00:36:54 Why does it seem normal to eat meat? 00:41:08 Nutritional deficiencies in a vegan diet? 00:47:25 Plant farming kills animals too! 00:55:06 Are we heading for a vegetarian-only world 01:02:30 The role of ethical intuitions 01:09:04 BONUS CONTENT - The inconsistencies of moral anti-realists | |||
| God is Time. Literally | #50 Dr. RT Mullins | 17 sept. 2025 | 01:24:59 | |
Dr. RT Mullins discusses his view that God is literally identical to time. We also discuss and critique William Lane Craig's proposal that God is, in a sense, both temporal and timeless. To support the channel, do please oh please consider donating via PayPal or Buy Me a Coffee. Feel free to follow me on Instagram or Twitter. EPISODE CHAPTERS 00:00:00 Introduction 00:00:12 What's the point of philosophical theology? 00:11:00 Mullins' definition of time. 00:21:14 An absolutist theory of time. 00:23:39 Is this pantheism? 00:30:49 The idea that God is time. 00:39:35 William Lane Craig's view - God creates time. 00:52:50 Is God's timelessness logically prior to His temporality? 01:04:48 Does time have a beginning? 01:14:07 Do scientists know anything about time? | |||
| How to Make a Universe Without God | #49 Dr. Daniel Rubio | 10 sept. 2025 | 01:48:44 | |
Dr. Daniel Rubio graciously agreed to come on the channel to discuss and critique a paper I wrote examining four lesser-discussed hypotheses that lie somewhere between theism and atheism: the simulation hypothesis, cosmopsychism, axiarchism, and new laws of nature. To support the channel, do please oh please consider donating via PayPal or Buy Me a Coffee. Feel free to follow me on Instagram or Twitter. EPISODE CHAPTERS 00:00:00 Introduction 00:12:13 Option #1 - We're in a simulation. 00:32:26 Option #2 - The universe designed itself. 01:05:31 Option #3 - Goodness requires that the universe exist. 01:29:01 Option #4 - Laws of nature guide the universe towards life. | |||
| Some Contradictions Are True. Deal With It. | #48 Dr. Graham Priest | 01 sept. 2025 | 01:13:19 | |
Dr. Graham Priest explains his views on dialetheism, the view that some contradictions are true, while also discussing the relationship between Buddhism and modern science, the cosmological and fine-tuning arguments, and how Christians can avoid refutation by embracing paradox. To support the channel, do please oh please consider donating via PayPal or Buy Me a Coffee. Feel free to follow me on Instagram or Twitter. EPISODE CHAPTERS 00:00:00 Introduction 00:00:12 What is dialetheism? 00:06:09 Paradox #1 - The liar 00:14:54 Paradox #2 - The law 00:29:37 Paradox #3 - Theology 00:38:15 Why Christianity can't possibly be true 00:40:46 Does dialetheism support Buddhism? 00:49:01 The relationship between Buddhism and modern science 00:49:25 Support #1 - The impermanence of all things 00:51:54 The cosmological argument for God 00:56:26 The fine-tuning argument for God 01:55:44 Support #2 - The nature of consciousness | |||
| The Multiverse Supports Belief in God | #47 Dr. Klaas Kraay | 26 août 2025 | 01:25:47 | |
Dr. Klaas Kraay explains that the multiverse, rather than serving as an alternative to God, actually supports belief in God by undermining two atheistic arguments: the problem of evil and the problem of no best world. Check out Klaas' paper explaining the theistic multiverse, "Theism, Possible Worlds, and the Multiverse." Also see my paper looking at the relationship between theistic multiverses and modern science, "Does science undermine the theistic multiverse?" To support the channel, do please oh please consider donating via PayPal or Buy Me a Coffee. Feel free to follow me on Instagram or Twitter. EPISODE CHAPTERS 00:00:00 Introduction 00:00:07 Multiverses in cosmology 00:06:36 The problem of no best world 00:13:15 The wine analogy 00:19:44 Two versions of the problem 00:24:20 Theistic multiverse solution 00:32:10 Objection - Duplication 00:37:27 1st response - Limit the multiverse to kinds 00:43:53 2nd response - More is not always better 00:49:50 What's more valuable, God or the multiverse? 00:58:39 The problem of evil 01:18:30 What got Klaas into philosophy? 01:20:11 Does philosophy make progress? | |||
| More Than One Christianity in the Ancient World | #46 Dr. Robyn Faith Walsh | 18 août 2025 | 01:33:57 | |
Dr. Robyn Faith Walsh, professor of New Testament at the University of Miami, explains the gnostic gospels, their significance, and their relationship to the canonical gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, and whether Jesus' earlies disciples would recognize the theology of the earliest Christian creeds. Check out Dr. Walsh's book, "The Origins of Early Christian Literature." To support the channel, do please oh please consider donating via PayPal or Buy Me a Coffee. Feel free to follow me on Instagram or Twitter. EPISODE CHAPTERS 00:00:00 Introduction 00:00:06 What is gnosticism? 00:10:43 The historical value of the gnostic gospels 00:24:12 Are the canonical gospels less legendary than the gnostic ones? 00:31:11 The gospels as literature rather than history 00:35:58 The Gospel of Thomas 00:48:35 Do the gnostic gospels go back to the first century? 00:53:28 Does the Apostles' Creed reflect earliest Christianity? 01:01:55 Would the apostles recognize modern Christianity? 01:07:14 The gospels writers borrowed from Paul 01:14:25 Are evangelical NT scholars taken seriously? 01:25:56 Confirmation bias in NT scholarship | |||
| The Universe Designed Itself - No God Needed | #45 Dr. Philip Goff | 10 août 2025 | 01:24:15 | |
Philip Goff joins me to discuss panpsychism, cosmopsychism, and how these theories of consciousness have the potential to explain one of the most striking discoveries of modern science: the fine-tuning of the universe for intelligent life. Check out Philip's book, Why?: The Purpose of the Universe. To support the channel, do please oh please consider donating via PayPal or Buy Me a Coffee. Feel free to follow me on Instagram or Twitter. EPISODE CHAPTERS 00:00:00 Introduction 00:01:05 What is panpsychism? 00:14:46 Panpsychism vs. idealism 00:17:49 Why we should be panpsychists 00:34:35 The combination problem 00:40:12 From panpsychism to cosmopsychism 00:48:40 The fine-tuning of the universe 00:56:28 Cosmopsychism vs. theism 01:10:45 What is the purpose of the universe? 01:16:40 Debating William Lane Craig | |||
| The Law of Non-Contradiction is Wrong - Here's Why | #44 Dr. Jc Beall | 03 août 2025 | 01:46:42 | |
Dr. Jc Beall, professor of philosophy at Notre Dame, explains "glut theory," the view that some contradictory statements can both be true - or, equivalently, that true theories can be inconsistent. To support the channel, do please oh please consider donating. Feel free to follow me on Instagram or Twitter. EPISODE CHAPTERS 00:00:00 Introduction 00:03:25 What is dialetheism? 00:15:12 Languages vs. meta-languages 00:23:47 Examples of true contradictions 00:25:02 #1 - The liar paradox 00:31:23 #2 - Contradictions in the law 00:40:11 #3 - Paradoxes of motion 00:45:00 Not every contradiction is true 00:52:40 Why should glut theorists care about consistency? 01:07:13 My argument against dialetheism 01:16:39 Contradictions within Christianity 01:23:30 Can both atheism and Christianity be true? 01:26:34 Is glut theory itself both true and false? 01:32:07 Glut theory and Eastern religions 01:39:49 Things logicians wish everyone would know 01:42:44 Godel's incompleteness theorems | |||
| Why Cosmology Might Kill Environmentalism | #43 Dr. Neil Manson | 27 juil. 2025 | 01:14:18 | |
Neil Manson explains the hidden tension between environmental ethics and findings in cosmology over the last thirty years: if life exists throughout the universe, then we lose one main argument for caring what happens to life here on Earth. Check out Neil Manson's paper, "Anthropocentrism, Exo-Planets, and the Cosmic Perspective". To support the channel, do please oh please consider donating. Feel free to follow me on Instagram or Twitter. EPISODE CHAPTERS 00:00:00 Introduction 00:00:45 Cosmological science today 00:10:25 Anthropocentrism, defined 00:15:16 Two kinds of anthropocentrism: biological and personal 00:30:46 Consequentialism 00:32:15 The cosmic perspective and non-anthropocentrism 00:40:47 Objection: Some infinities are better than other infinities 00:56:59 Why we should reject nonanthropocentrism 01:01:48 Should we seek to preserve nature? 01:18:25 Towards a stewardship model of environmentalism | |||
| Why You Should Be an Effective Altruist | #42 Matthew Adelstein | 20 juil. 2025 | 00:52:50 | |
Matthew returns to the podcast to discuss effective altruism and its philosophical underpinnings. Check out Matthew's YouTube channel. To support the channel, do please oh please consider donating. Feel free to follow me on Instagram or Twitter. | |||
| Why Divine Hiddenness Doesn't Prove Atheism | #41 Dr. Max Baker-Hytch | 13 juil. 2025 | 01:15:16 | |
Dr. Max Baker-Hytch of Oxford University discusses Schellenberg's argument for atheism stemming from nonresistant nonbelief, nonbelief in God that results through no fault of one's own. Check out Max's paper, "On Sin-based Responses to Divine hiddenness". To support the channel, do please oh please consider donating. Feel free to follow me on Instagram or Twitter. EPISODE CHAPTERS 00:00:00 Introduction 02:04 Do you struggle with divine hiddenness? 05:00 Schellenberg's argument 14:22 Are there nonresistant nonbelievers? 21:05 Would God prevent nonresistant nonbelief? 27:43 Step #1 - God would always be open to relationship 39:32 Step #2 - Openness entails no nonresistant nonbelief 45:28 Relationship without belief. 52:25 Alex O'Connor as a nonresistant nonbeliever 59:52 Related Problem #1 - Demographics of nonbelief 01:09:15 Related Problem #2 - Religious disagreement | |||
| Philosophy's Newest Argument for God, Defended | #40 Dr. Brian Cutter | 06 juil. 2025 | 01:27:57 | |
Dr. Brian Cutter outlines the argument from psychophysical harmony for theism and responds to Graham Oppy's recent critique. Check out Crummett and Cutter's article defending the argument from psychophysical harmony: To support the channel, do please oh please consider donating. Feel free to follow me on Instagram or Twitter. EPISODE CHAPTERS 00:00:00 Introduction 00:00:22 The argument, summarized. 00:06:10 Does evolution explain harmony? 00:14:42 Probability of harmony on naturalism 00:20:46 Objection #1 - Infinite range of possible laws. 00:24:52 Objection #2 - Principle of indifference. 00:35:08 Probability of harmony on theism. 00:45:08 Replying to Graham Oppy's objections. 00:50:39 What if the mind and brain are identical? 01:14:36 Other explanations for harmony. 01:24:35 The role of historical context. | |||
| Can a Historian Prove the Resurrection? | #39 Dr. Mike Licona | 29 juin 2025 | 01:28:29 | |
Dr. Mike Licona, professor of New Testament Studies at Houston Christian University, joins me to discuss the philosophy of history, whether a historian can determine if an event like the resurrection of Jesus happened, and then, if they can, whether the evidence is in fact sufficient to conclude that two-thousand years ago, Jesus rose from the dead.Check our Dr. Licona's book, "The Resurrection of Jesus: A New Historiographical Approach." To support the channel, do please oh please consider donating. Feel free to follow me on Instagram or Twitter. EPISODE CHAPTERS 00:00:00 Introduction 00:01:15 Is the resurrection history or theology? 00:05:29 Methodological naturalism 00:24:46 Shouldn't we always prefer a natural explanation? 00:37:05 Bias in conservative New Testament scholarship 00:42:57 The historical case for the resurrection. 00:47:05 Was Jesus' tomb found empty? 00:49:53 What did the early disciples believe? 00:56:32 Did Paul teach a "spiritual" resurrection? 01:04:55 Alternative #1 - Someone stole the body. 01:08:48 Alternative #2 - The disciples hallucinated. 01:19:23 Alternatives #3 - Aliens raised Jesus from the dead. | |||
| The Best Argument for Reincarnation | #38 Dr. Michael Huemer | 22 juin 2025 | 01:16:28 | |
Michael Huemer returns to the podcast to discuss his philosophical argument for reincarnation. If time is infinite, then the probability that you have lived multiple times - indeed, an infinite number of times - is 100%. I am not so sure about this argument. Check out Huemer's published version of the reincarnation argument, as well as his Substack. To support the channel, do please oh please consider donating. Feel free to follow me on Instagram or Twitter. EPISODE CHAPTERS 00:00:00 Introduction 00:04:25 The argument. 00:06:53 Poincare recurrence theorem. 00:17:42 Arguments for an infinite past. 00:28:10 Objection: infinite space and cosmic clones. 00:46:07 What does it feel like to reincarnate? 00:54:31 Should we look forward to our future lives? 01:08:19 Philosophical problems with Heaven. | |||
| A Vigorous Debate on the Fine-Tuning Argument | #37 Troy Dana | 15 juin 2025 | 01:19:02 | |
Troy Dana joins me to debate the fine-tuning argument for God, as well as his anti-design fine-tuning argument. Check out Troy's YouTube channel, along with Troy's written version of his anti-design argument. To support the channel, do please oh please consider donating. Feel free to follow me on Instagram or Twitter. EPISODE CHAPTERS 00:00:00 Introduction. 00:00:57 Overview of the FTA. 00:04:49 Troy's anti-design FTA. 00:13:40 Likelihood of fine-tuning given bare design. 00:25:09 Discovering the digits of pi in the cosmic microwave background. 00:33:11 Double counting the evidence? 00:40:37 Bayesianism breaks down in cosmic contexts? 00:44:43 Return of awesome theistic evidence. 01:00:36 We'll pursue this in writing. 01:01:24 Troy's second anti-design argument. 01:11:10 Prior probability of theism. | |||
| How Nietzsche Disproved Free Will | #36 Keegan Kjeldson | 08 juin 2025 | 01:56:15 | |
Keegan Kjeldson, YouTuber and musician, joins me to discuss how Nietzsche would have responded to philosopher Michael Huemer's argument for free will. Check out Keegan's awesome YouTube channel. To support the channel, do please oh please consider donating. Feel free to follow me on Instagram or Twitter. | |||
| Is Philosophy a Waste of Time? | #35 Joe Schmid | 01 juin 2025 | 01:15:23 | |
Joe and I take a more personal turn in this video, discussing the importance of philosophy, what got us into the discipline, and whether studying Immanuel Kant your whole life is really worth it. Check out Joe's YouTube channel, Majesty of Reason. To support the channel, do please oh please consider donating. Feel free to follow me on Instagram or Twitter. EPISODE CHAPTERS 00:00:00 Introduction 00:01:02 What's the value of philosophy? 00:03:35 Are some areas of philosophy pointless? 00:15:17 Joe Schmid: A Personal History 00:25:27 Miles Donahue: A Personal History 00:31:25 Why is Joe an agnostic? 00:40:34 The FTA Objection 1 - Epistemically illuminated region 00:49:34 The FTA Objection 2 - Theism's predictive problem 01:03:57 The FTA Objection 3 - The Multiverse 01:10:20 Question Lightning Round | |||
| The Gnostic Gospels Don't Undermine Christianity | #34 Dr. Darrell L. Bock | 25 mai 2025 | 01:05:09 | |
Dr. Darrell L. Bock, research professor of New Testament Studies at Dallas Theological Seminary, discusses the gnostic gospels and their relationship to early Christian belief and the historical Jesus. To support the channel, do please oh please consider donating. Feel free to follow me on Instagram or Twitter. EPISODE CHAPTERS 00:00 Introduction 00:18 What makes the gnostic gospels so interesting? 01:41 What is gnosticism? 05:15 What did the gnostics think about Jesus? 13:04 The Gospel of Thomas 17:06 The Gospel of Judas 18:31 The Gospel of Peter 20:22 The Gospel of Phillip 24:00 How did the New Testament books get selected? 29:22 The Niece Creed and its history 37:58 What role did Constantine play? 47:04 Bart Ehrman's views on early Christianity | |||
| Could ChatGPT Ever Be Conscious? | #33 Dr. Ned Block | 18 mai 2025 | 00:56:27 | |
Dr. Ned Block, professor of philosophy and psychology at NYU, joins me to discuss theories of consciousness, functionalism, the difference between access and phenomenal consciousness, the limitations of current Large Language Models, and how far away artificial general intelligence is from our current capacities. To support the channel, do please oh please consider donating. Feel free to follow me on Instagram or Twitter.EPISODE CHAPTERS 00:00 Introduction 00:22 Hard vs. easy problems of consciousness 07:39 Reductive vs. non-reductive physicalism 12:19 The Chinese nation thought experiment 19:14 Can ChatGPT fool you into thinking it's a human? The Turing test 28:31 Rules vs. patterns-based reasoning 34:16 Blockhead thought experiment 37:53 Phenomenal vs. access consciousness 44:09 What is artificial intelligence? 46:27 The limits of LLMs 49:48 Does thinking require a brain? 50:34 Narrow vs. general AI 51:57 Is AI about to surpass human intelligence? | |||
| Two Oxford Students Solve All of Philosophy | #32 Sam Thomas | 11 mai 2025 | 02:09:20 | |
Sam Thomas, my philosophy bestie hailing from Oxford, England, joins me to go through the results of the 2020 PhilPapers survey of professional philosophers. We offer our opinions on many major philosophical issues. Check out the 2020 PhilPapers survey. To support the channel, do please oh please consider donating. Feel free to follow me on Instagram or Twitter. EPISODE CHAPTERS 00:00:00 Introduction 00:01:15 A Priori Knowledge 00:11:22 Aim of Philosophy 00:22:01 Eating Animals 00:32:50 Experience Machine 00:43:17 External World Skepticism 00:52:11 The Trolly Problem 01:06:23 God's Existence 01:29:38 Meaning of Life 01:41:37 Chinese Room 01:48:55 Immortality 02:00:20 Philosophical Progress | |||
| Philosophy's Newest Argument for God Fails | #31 Dr. Graham Oppy | 04 mai 2025 | 01:22:52 | |
Dr. Graham Oppy, perhaps academia's leading atheist philosopher of religion, joins me to analyze a newly proposed argument for God's existence: the argument from psychophysical harmony. Check out Psychophysical Harmony: A New Argument for Theism by Cutter and Crummett. To support the channel, do please oh please consider donating. Feel free to follow me on Instagram or Twitter. EPISODE CHAPTERS 00:00:00 Introduction 00:00:52 Defining psychophysical harmony 00:14:06 The argument 00:14:48 Prior probability of theism and naturalism 00:39:19 Likelihood of harmony on theism and naturalism 00:46:56 Can evolution explain harmony? 00:56:20 What if mind is identical to brain? | |||
| You Have Free Will. Deal With It | #30 Dr. Michael Huemer | 27 avr. 2025 | 01:35:53 | |
Dr. Michael Huemer, professor of philosophy at U.C. Boulder, returns to the podcast to defend the case for (libertarian) free will.Check our Dr. Huemer's fantastic Substack. To support the channel, do please oh please consider donating. Feel free to follow me on Instagram or Twitter. EPISODE CHAPTERS: 00:00:00 Introduction 00:00:22 What is free will? 00:08:40 Huemer's proof of free will 00:23:20 Is the proof question-begging? 00:34:51 The mystery objection 00:49:56 The luck objection 01:05:02 Alex O'Connor's objection to free will 01:13:22 The neuroscience objection 01:22:05 Why do most scientists and philosophers deny libertarian free will? | |||
| Is Naturalism Self-Refuting? | #29 Dr. Evan Fales | 20 avr. 2025 | 01:39:06 | |
Dr. Evan Fales, professor of philosophy at Iowa University, discusses Alvin Plantinga's famous "evolutionary argument against naturalism," and whether Plantinga has successfully shown that naturalism - the view that there is no person such as God or anything like God - cannot be rationally affirmed. To support the channel, do please oh please consider donating. Feel free to follow me on Instagram or Twitter. Episode Chapters 00:00:00 Introduction 00:00:51 What is naturalism? 00:11:18 What is evolution? 00:21:24 Plantinga's central claim 00:38:00 Intentionality of mental states 01:07:11 Defeaters for theism | |||
| Can You Split the Mind? | #28 Dr. Josh Rasmussen | 13 avr. 2025 | 01:51:26 | |
Dr. Josh Rasmussen, professor of philosophy at Baylor university, discusses the implications of the Apple Original TV show, "Severance", for two philosophical debates: (1) personal identity, and (2) the relationship between mind and body. To support the channel, do please oh please consider donating. Feel free to follow me on Instagram or Twitter. Episode Chapters 00:00:00 Introduction 00:02:16 Topic 1 - Personal identity 00:06:17 Psychological accounts 00:18:17 Animalism accounts 00:41:18 Soul accounts 00:44:28 Primitive identity 00:51:31 Topic 2 - The mind-body problem 01:11:26 Substance monism 01:16:12 Consciousness after death 01:26:25 Is materialism simpler than substance monism? 01:34:20 Derek Parfit "Split Brain" Thought Experiment | |||
| Christians Must Divorce from Trump | #27 Dr. Randal Rauser | 06 avr. 2025 | 01:03:45 | |
Many have watched with alarm as American evangelicals - a particular sect of Protestant Christianity - have largely embraced President Donald Trump, despite the (seeming) inconsistency between his rhetoric on the one hand, and biblical principles on the other. Dr. Randal Rauser joins me for a third time to discuss the connections between evangelicalism, President Donald Trump, and the Republican party in general - contending, ultimately, that Christians must embrace a different vision of Christianity, one that cannot connect itself with President Trump. Do please oh please consider donating to the channel to support to discuss interesting topics with interesting people. For more from Randal, check out his blog. As always, follow me in X-formerly-Twitter and Instagram. Chapter Timestamps 00:00:00 Introduction 00:00:43 Defining "Evangelical" 00:05:00 Evangelicals Vs. Fundamentalists 00:10:07 The Role of Dispensationalism 00:12:33 Statistics about Evangelicals and Trump 00:13:35 Why Evangelicals Support Trump 00:20:40 Three Reasons Evangelicals Don't Take Issue with Trump 00:28:44 "It's what he does that matters, not what he says." 00:37:39 Single-issue voting: abortion 00:54:44 A New Vision of Christianity This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit mileskdonahue.substack.com/subscribe | |||
| Atheists Can Be Moral Realists Too | #26 Dr. Erik Wielenberg | 30 mars 2025 | 01:42:04 | |
Erik Wielenberg, professor of philosophy at DePauw University, discusses godless normative realism, his attempt to craft an objective morality without appeal to God. We also debate divine command theory, the attempt to do the precise opposite: ground ethics in God's nature, and in His commands. To support the channel, do please oh please consider donating. For more information about Dr. Wielenberg and a list of his publications, check out his PhilPeople page. As always, feel free to follow me on Instagram and X-formerly-Twitter. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit mileskdonahue.substack.com/subscribe | |||
| Why Christianity's View on Salvation Makes Sense | #25 Dr. William Lane Craig | 23 mars 2025 | 00:59:53 | |
William Lane Craig - Christian philosopher, theologian, and apologist - joins me to discuss the Christian doctrine of salvation. I, per usual, throw all my questions at him along the way. Why did God create the world? Could God have saved the world without requiring Jesus to die on the cross? Can a Mormon be saved? Why does salvation require propositional belief? Dr. Craig addresses all these questions and more. To support the channel, do please oh please consider donating. Check out Dr. Craig's YouTube channel. The book on Molinism that Dr. Craig mentions is Luis de Molina: The Life and Theology of the Founder of Middle Knowledge. As always, you can follow me on Instagram or Twitter. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit mileskdonahue.substack.com/subscribe | |||
| Richard Carrier's Arguments for Atheism Fail | #24 Matthew Adelstein | 16 mars 2025 | 01:43:05 | |
Matthew Adelstein, YouTuber, philosophy student, and prolific Substacker, sits down to discuss Richard Carrier's arguments for atheism and why they fail to convince. IMPORTANT LINKS Matthew's YouTube channel. Matthew's written response to some of Carrier's arguments: https://substack.com/@benthamsbulldog... Carrier's paper, "Bayesian Counter-Apologetics: Ten Arguments for God Destroyed". My dialogue with Carrier on many of these same points. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit mileskdonahue.substack.com/subscribe | |||
| Fine-Tuning is Evidence for God | #23 Dr. Tom Rudelius | 09 mars 2025 | 01:19:39 | |
Dr. Thomas Rudelius, early universe cosmologist and professor of physics at Durham University, sits down with me to discuss whether cosmology indicates that the universe began to exist, what it might mean for spacetime to "emerge" from a deeper reality, and whether the fine-tuning of the laws of physics indicates design behind the universe. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit mileskdonahue.substack.com/subscribe | |||
| Morality is Not a Matter of Opinion | #22 Dr. Michael Huemer | 23 févr. 2025 | 01:16:56 | |
Dr. Michael Huemer and I discuss ethical intuitionism, the view that there are moral truths, and that we know these truths via intellectual intuition. For more about Dr. Huemer, click here. To purchase Dr. Huemer's book, 'Ethical Intuitionism', click here. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit mileskdonahue.substack.com/subscribe | |||
| A Reply to Richard Carrier on the Resurrection | #21 Dr. Craig Blomberg | 16 févr. 2025 | 01:12:39 | |
Dr. Craig Blomberg, professor emeritus of New Testament at Denver Seminary, responds to Richard Carrier's critique of the historical argument for the resurrection of Jesus. To donate to the channel (super big pretty please please please), click here. To watch my interview with Carrier, click here. Blomberg's written debate on the resurrection, 'Resurrection: Fact or Faith?', accessible here. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit mileskdonahue.substack.com/subscribe | |||
| The Case Against the Resurrection of Jesus | #20 Dr. Richard Carrier | 09 févr. 2025 | 01:42:22 | |
Dr. Richard Carrier, author of 'On The Historicity of Jesus: Why We Might Have Reason for Doubt', returns to the podcast to discuss his problems with the proffered historical case for the resurrection of Jesus, focusing on William Lane Craig. To access Richard Carrier's blog, click here. To support the podcast (pretty please), click here. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit mileskdonahue.substack.com/subscribe | |||
| The Case Against Christianity | #19 James Fodor | 02 févr. 2025 | 01:58:33 | |
James Fodor, author and YouTuber, joins me to debate the case for and against Christianity. To access James's YouTube channel, click here. To support my efforts at having interesting conversations with interesting people, click here. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit mileskdonahue.substack.com/subscribe | |||
| Science (Might Not) Care about the Truth | #18 Dr. Barry Loewer | 27 janv. 2025 | 01:45:28 | |
Dr. Barry Loewer, professor of philosophy at Rutgers University, joins me to discuss the merits of scientific anti-realism, the view, roughly, that our best scientific theories do not attempt to capture the truth about the world. We also talk about the relationship between science and philosophy. It's good stuff. To support my efforts to explore interesting topics with interesting people, consider donating here. For a list of Dr. Loewer's publications, click here. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit mileskdonahue.substack.com/subscribe | |||
| A Masterclass in Cosmology | #17 Dr. Niayesh Afshordi | 20 janv. 2025 | 01:30:43 | |
Dr. Afshordi is an astrophysicist at the University of Waterloo, specializing in cosmology, quantum gravity, and the physics of gravity. We discuss dark matter, dark energy, quantum gravity, the fine-tuning of the universe, and the multiverse. If you like my work and want to support me as I explore lots of cool things with lots of cool people, do please consider donatinghere. To pre-order Dr. Afshordi's book, Battle of the Big Bang, clickhere. For more on Dr. Afshordi and his research, check out his websitehere. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit mileskdonahue.substack.com/subscribe | |||
| We've Got Hell Completely Wrong | #16 Dr. Randal Rauser | 13 janv. 2025 | 01:18:39 | |
Dr. Randal Rauser joins me once again, this time to discuss the tradition Christian doctrine of eternal conscious torment (ECT), and his objections to this view. We also discuss issues arising for alternatives to ECT, like annihilationism and universalism, ending with three objections to the doctrine of Heaven. For more of Randal's work, check out his blog here. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit mileskdonahue.substack.com/subscribe | |||
| William Lane Craig Misrepresents Science | #14 Phil Halper | 29 déc. 2024 | 01:40:40 | |
Phil Halper joins me to discuss his forthcoming book, Battle of the Big Bang: New Tales of Our Cosmic Origins, and whether William Lane Craig misrepresents the empirical evidence for a beginning of the universe. If you enjoy what I do and want to continue seeing interesting people on the channel, super pretty please consider donating, click here. To pre-order Phil's book, click here. To watch Phil's documentary critiquing the kalam cosmological argument, click here. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit mileskdonahue.substack.com/subscribe | |||