Browsing Philosophic Exchange by Subject "Philosophy Of Religion"

Now showing items 1-10 of 10

    • Can Science Disprove the Existence of God?
      van Inwagen, Peter; University of Notre Dame (2004-01-01)
      In order for science to establish that God does not exist, it would be necessary to determine which observations we would make if there were a God, and which observations we would make if there were not a God. However, these claims about what we would observe if God does or does not exist, are philosophical claims, not scientific claims. Therefore science alone could not disprove the existence of God.

    • Comment on Dewart's Language and Religion
      Catan, John; The College at Brockport (1972-01-01)
      Professor Dewart’s thesis is every bit as much a metaphysical view as the one that he opposes. It is also unfalsifiable.

    • God and Evil
      Rowe, L.; Purdue University (1997-01-01)
      If God is all-powerful, all-knowing and perfectly good, then why is there so much horrendous evil in the world? This paper discusses this perennial problem.

    • God, Evil, and the Contemplation of Infinitely Many Options
      Zimmerman, Dean; Rutgers University (2006-01-01)
      This essay examines the problem of evil, and then develops a free will theodicy. Then the paper considers some themes in distinctively Christian theodicy building, in more detail.

    • Language and Religion
      Dewart, Leslie; University of Toronto (1972-01-01)
      Throughout much of the history of western philosophy, philosophers have assumed that speech is an outward sign of an inner, mental experience. However, in recent times, this assumption has been replaced by a growing realization that language plays a more active role in shaping our experience of reality. This realization opens up the possibility of a resolution of the apparent conflict between science and religion, through a transformation of the language that we use in relating to reality.

    • Linguistic Relativity: A Response to Professor Dewart
      Smith, Jr., Henry Lee; State University of New York at Buffalo (1972-01-01)
      Language defines our experience. We receive impressions of the world through the distorting lenses of our linguistic systems, and we also project relationships that are not already there in the world. Thus, it is true that we can gain new insight into science and religion if we attend to our language. We can even hope for a future integration of the two.

    • Religious Knowledge
      Hawthorne, John; Oxford University (2007-12-01)
      This paper will examine two strategies by which religious believers might attempt to defend the rationality of religious belief. The first strategy is a “fine tuning argument.” The main shortcoming of that strategy is that it ignores the crucial issue of the appropriate prior probabilities. The second strategy is what might be called a “trust” strategy. According to this strategy, a belief that is based on trusting someone who knows something is thereby also an instance of knowledge. This strategy might suffice in some respects, but it involves reliance on a mechanism that is doubtful as a prototype for all of our beliefs.

    • Self-Trust and the Diversity of Religions
      Zagzebski, Linda; University of Oklahoma (2006-01-01)
      The diversity of religions poses two, distinct challenges for belief in a particular religion. The first challenge is based upon an epistemic egalitarianism, according to which all normal human beings are roughly equal in their ability to get knowledge. I argue that this challenge is based on some mistaken assumptions. The second challenge arises from our admiration of people of other faiths. I argue that this second challenge is very serious, since it is rooted in our trust of ourselves.

    • The ‘Faith’ of an Atheist
      Antony, Louise; The Ohio State University (2002-01-01)
      For many religious believers, belief in God is as fundamental as my belief in my own body. That is because the believer thinks that belief in God is a necessary condition for living a meaningful life. This paper argues that belief in God is not necessary for living a meaningful life. Morality, meaning, and love are all independent of God. All that is required for a meaningful life is a sustaining belief that humankind is worth something. This kind of faith is available to an atheist.

    • Tradition and Innovation: Metaphor in Philosophy and Philosophy of Religion
      Duhan Kaplan, Laura; University of North Carolina at Charlotte (2003-01-01)
      Philosophy aspires to be a radical discipline, with the power to critique existing social structures. However, the practice of philosophy as a discipline seems to be quite conservative, especially insofar as the terms of the discipline are established by a canon of philosophers from the past. How can philosophy be at once conservative and critical in these ways? The answer is that philosophers reinterpret the language they inherit in ways that both honor its older meanings and introduce new ones.