Majesty of Reason Philosophy Podcast

Today Dr. Taylor Cyr gives a COMPREHENSIVE guide to the problem of divine foreknowledge and human freedom. Buckle up for some epic philosophy.Like the show? Help it grow! Consider becoming a patron (thanks!): https://www.patreon.com/majestyofreasonIf you wanna make a one-time donation or tip (thanks!): https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/josephcschmidOUTLINE0:00 Intro & Overview1:43 Background10:22 The argument18:01 Commentary on argument28:13 Popular responses30:03 Timelessness response39:20 Ockhamist response57:15 Dependence response1:33:05 Open theist response1:44:05 Sourcehood responses1:54:45 Tier list1:57:08 Concluding remarksLINKS(1) Taylor's website: https://taylorwcyr.com/(2) The Free Will Show ( @thefreewillshow2132 ): https://thefreewillshow.com/(3) Taylor and I respond to Huemer and Sapolsky: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xOvu5mmTrmg(4) My discussion with Patrick Todd on the open future and open theism: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HmrOIqCEvQM(5) My Free Will playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLxRhaLyXxXka4SMFOH-KH-hdJoTz6fG5F(6) My Springer book: (a) https://www.amazon.com/Existential-Inertia-Classical-Theistic-Proofs-ebook/dp/B0BNMHRW63 (b) https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-3-031-19313-2THE USUAL...Follow the Majesty of Reason podcast! https://open.spotify.com/show/4Nda5uNcGselvKphtKSKvHJoin the Discord and chat all things philosophy! https://dsc.gg/majestyofreasonMy website: https://josephschmid.comMy PhilPeople profile: https://philpeople.org/profiles/joseph-schmid

I’m joined by philosophers Eric Reitan and Adam Pelser to discuss the problem of heavenly grief for non-universalist views. Buckle up for one hell of a discussion! Like the show? Help it grow! Consider becoming a patron (thanks!): https://www.patreon.com/majestyofreason If you wanna make a one-time donation or tip (thanks!): https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/josephcschmid OUTLINE0:00 Intro and outline2:31 Universalism, traditionalism, annihilationism5:07 Problem of heavenly grief14:21 Craig’s solution: shielded awareness26:30 Impassibility solution34:18 Rooney’s solution37:06 Aquinas’ solution38:40 Lewis’ solutions43:51 Adam’s favored solution1:16:42 ConclusionRESOURCES(1) Eric's NEW book, "Troubled Paradise: Limited Salvation and the Problem of Heavenly Grief": https://www.amazon.com/Troubled-Paradise-Limited-Salvation-Heavenly/dp/1666765341(2) Eric’s PhilPeople profile (with lots of his papers): https://philpeople.org/profiles/eric-reitan(3) Eric’s book, “God’s Final Victory: A Comparative Philosophical Case for Universalism”, https://www.amazon.com/Gods-Final-Victory-Philosophical-Universalism/dp/1623568498/(4) Adam's website: https://www.adampelser.com/(5) Adam's paper, "Heavenly Sadness: On the Value of Negative Emotions in Paradise": https://www.academia.edu/28887253/Heavenly_Sadness_On_the_Value_of_Negative_Emotions_in_Paradise(6) Rasmussen and Reitan on universalism and hell: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sxQyKw04Ncg(7) Eric’s article on hard-heartedness and hell: https://drive.google.com/file/d/13f1VxRZ1YCB_wo0iOd5YKSo-f2bkWX4g/view?usp=sharing OTHER RESOURCES ON UNIVERSALISMTalbott’s “Inescapable Love of God”, https://www.amazon.com/Inescapable-Love-God-Second/dp/1625646909Parry and MacDonald’s “The Evangelical Universalist”, https://www.amazon.com/Evangelical-Universalist-Gregory-MacDonald/dp/149821553XRasmussen, “Could Everyone Eventually Be Saved?”, http://www.invadinghell.com/articles/could-all-be-saved.pdfRasmussen, “When Heaven Invades Hell”, https://www.amazon.com/When-Heaven-Invades-Joshua-Rasmussen/dp/1732383405Hartman’s article in Religious Studies, “​Free will and the moral vice explanation for hell’s finality”, https://philarchive.org/archive/HARFWA-5Keith DeRose, “Universalism and the Bible”, https://campuspress.yale.edu/keithderose/1129-2/Here are some resources on the dim prospects of offering theodicies without universalism:(a) Adams, Marilyn McCord (1993). “The Problem of Hell: A Problem of Evil for Christians,” in Reasoned Faith, ed. Eleonore Stump (Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press), 301–27.(b) Adams, Marilyn McCord (1999). Horrendous Evils and the Goodness of God (Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press).(c) Buckareff, Andrei A. and Allen Plug (2013). “Hell and the Problem of Evil,” in The Blackwell Companion to the Problem of Evil, ed. Justin McBrayer and Daniel Howard-Snyder (Oxford: Wiley-Blackwell), 128–43.(d) Collins, Robin (2013). “The Connection-Building Theodicy,” in The Blackwell Companion to the Problem of Evil, 222–35.(e) Hick, John (2010). Evil and the God of Love (Houndsmills: Palgrave Macmillan).THE USUAL...My PhilPapers Profile: https://philpeople.org/profiles/joseph-schmidMy website: https://www.josephschmid.com/Majesty of Reason PODCAST: https://open.spotify.com/show/4Nda5uNcGselvKphtKSKvH

Alex Pruss and Josh Rasmussen join me in person for a CORDIAL and CALM DISCUSSION on whether God is real.Like the show? Help it grow! Consider becoming a patron (thanks!): https://www.patreon.com/majestyofreasonIf you wanna make a one-time donation or tip (thanks!): https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/josephcschmidRESOURCES(1) Pruss' website: http://alexanderpruss.com/(2) Pruss' blog: https://alexanderpruss.blogspot.com/(3) Rasmussen's PhilPeople profile: https://philpeople.org/profiles/joshua-rasmussenTHE USUAL...Follow the Majesty of Reason podcast! https://open.spotify.com/show/4Nda5uNcGselvKphtKSKvHJoin the Discord and chat all things philosophy! https://dsc.gg/majestyofreasonMy website: https://josephschmid.comMy PhilPeople profile: https://philpeople.org/profiles/joseph-schmid

Amos Wollen joins me to assess Natural Law Theory. We talk about sex, bubblegum, and everything in between.OUTLINE0:00 Intro1:37 Preamble3:26 Classical NLT and Perverted Faculty Argument7:54 Attributivism17:18 Intrinsic teleology and theism29:00 Egoism objection and animal ethics37:04 Reductios42:10 Bubblegum1:03:53 Smoking1:04:18 Pica and purging1:10:28 Bleach and bright lights1:11:13 Lying1:14:22 Intellectual powers and falsity pills1:18:39 Animal ethics (again)1:21:56 New NLT1:29:57 Against gay sex1:33:03 (Appropriate) Pleasure as intrinsically good1:35:07 Pursuing ‘illusions’1:39:28 Disintegration argument1:51:31 Is Marriage a basic good?1:57:04 One body?2:06:34 Reductios2:13:22 Final remarks2:18:51 OutroRESOURCES(1) Amos' PhilPapers profile: https://philpeople.org/profiles/amos-wollen(2) Amos' substack, "Going Awoll": https://wollenblog.substack.com/(3) Amos' YouTube channel:  @going_awoll (4) Discussion on NLT and sexuality between Dustin Crummett and Brian Besong: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dPen831EkYg&pp=ygUfYnJpYW4gYmVzb25nIHZzIGR1c3RpbiBjcnVtbWV0dA%3D%3D(5) Amos' first discussion with Brian Besong on NLT: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oltLyImVkd0(6) Amos' second discussion with Brian Besong on NLT: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q4Frt7U50Y4(7) My first discussion with Brian Besong on NLT: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=07MaWJFzuwM(8) My second discussion with Brian Besong on NLT: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LC-34AJqO_A(9) Applied Ethics playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLxRhaLyXxXkaYPueOwJRE0CPj6xyIWfxb

Alex Pruss and Josh Rasmussen join me at the Pacific APA to discuss causal finitism, Benardete paradoxes, and infinite lotteries... oh my!Like the show? Help it grow! Consider becoming a patron (thanks!): https://www.patreon.com/majestyofreasonIf you wanna make a one-time donation or tip (thanks!): https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/josephcschmidOUTLINE0:00 Alex’s opening16:33 Josh’s opening30:37 Joe’s opening49:41 Open discussionRESOURCES(1) My abbreviated handout: https://drive.google.com/file/d/12NhspObDIouCIEVYOKjtnbf-wsg2qZhx/view?usp=sharing(2) Do you want my EXTENSIVE, 14-page, 6500-word handout? Become a patron! :)(3) Josh's handout: https://worldviewdesign.substack.com/p/the-infinite-liar-paradox(4) Pruss' website: http://alexanderpruss.com/(5) Pruss' blog: https://alexanderpruss.blogspot.com/(6) Pruss' book: https://www.amazon.com/Infinity-Causation-Paradox-Alexander-Pruss/dp/0198810334(7) My work on Benardete Paradoxes and Causal Finitism: https://majestyofreason.wordpress.com/2024/05/28/responses-to-the-grim-reaper-kalam/(8) My Kalam playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLxRhaLyXxXkZzH2YffI32ViTZ73Tu8jSRTHE USUAL...Follow the Majesty of Reason podcast! https://open.spotify.com/show/4Nda5uNcGselvKphtKSKvHJoin the Discord and chat all things philosophy! https://dsc.gg/majestyofreasonMy website: https://josephschmid.comMy PhilPeople profile: https://philpeople.org/profiles/joseph-schmid

Dr. Josh Rasmussen joins me to discuss the interaction problem, the causal exclusion problem, and the pairing problem. Your existence might be on the line.Like the show? Help it grow! Consider becoming a patron (thanks!): https://www.patreon.com/majestyofreasonIf you wanna make a one-time donation or tip (thanks!): https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/josephcschmidOUTLINE0:00 Intro2:07 Problems of mental causation4:28 Interaction problem24:19 Causal exclusion problem1:05:09 Pairing problem1:13:43 Decombination problem1:20:38 Final commentsRESOURCES(1) Josh's PhilPeople profile: https://philpeople.org/profiles/joshua-rasmussen(2) Josh's YouTube channel:  @WorldviewDesignChannel (3) Josh's co-authored paper, "No Pairing Problem": https://andrewmbailey.com/PairingForthcoming.pdf(4) Josh's book, "Who Are You Really?": https://www.ivpress.com/who-are-you-really(5) One self view resources: (a) https://nautil.us/is-everyone-the-same-person-1193378/ (b) https://philarchive.org/rec/ZUBOST(6) Philosophy of mind playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLxRhaLyXxXkaqPW8ZSTTi1u2oKkRfN1ynTHE USUAL...Follow the Majesty of Reason podcast! https://open.spotify.com/show/4Nda5uNcGselvKphtKSKvHJoin the Discord and chat all things philosophy! https://dsc.gg/majestyofreasonMy website: https://josephschmid.comMy PhilPeople profile: https://philpeople.org/profiles/joseph-schmid

Here I interview Brian Cutter in person to talk about arguments against physicalism. Do they work?Like the show? Help it grow! Consider becoming a patron (thanks!): https://www.patreon.com/majestyofreasonIf you wanna make a one-time donation or tip (thanks!): https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/josephcschmidOUTLINE0:00 Intro0:15 Physicalism3:10 Non-physicalism5:50 Many-subjects argument30:20 Sensory awareness arguments36:31 Conceivability arguments51:48 Inconceivability argument56:58 Knowledge argument1:08:07 Explanatory gap arguments1:12:51 Arguments from personal identity1:20:07 Mereological nihilism argument1:28:38 Just too different!1:32:07 Other arguments1:33:06 The best argument against dualism?1:46:17 ConclusionRESOURCES(1) Cutter, "The Many-Subjects Argument against Physicalism", https://philpapers.org/rec/CUTTMA-5(2) Cutter, "Three Roads from Sensory Awareness to Dualism", https://philpapers.org/rec/CUTTRF(3) Cutter, "The Inconceivability Argument", https://journals.publishing.umich.edu/ergo/article/id/2268/(4) Cutter, "The modal argument improved", https://philpapers.org/rec/CUTTMA-4(5) Cutter & Crummett, "Psychophysical Harmony: A New Argument for Theism", https://philarchive.org/archive/CUTPHA(6) My other live interview with Brian Cutter: https://youtu.be/1oEp_UVCm8M?si=oE-mED-EiO-jtBrd(7) Cutter's PhilPeople profile with his papers: https://philpeople.org/profiles/brian-cutter(8) Bailey and Rasmussen, "A new puppet puzzle", https://andrewmbailey.com/PuppetPuzzle.pdf(9) Rasmussen, "Building Thoughts From Dust: A Cantorian Puzzle", https://joshualrasmussen.com/articles/building-thoughts-from-dust.pdf(10) Rasmussen and Bailey, "How to Build a Thought", https://andrewmbailey.com/HowToBuild.pdf(11) Rasmussen's popular explanation of the counting argument: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hw7ynh8w-tU(12) Blackwell Companion to Substance Dualism (2018): https://www.amazon.com/Blackwell-Companion-Substance-Companions-Philosophy/dp/1119375266(13) The Waning of Materialism (2010): https://academic.oup.com/book/12724(14) Chalmers, "The Conscious Mind", https://personal.lse.ac.uk/ROBERT49/teaching/ph103/pdf/Chalmers_The_Conscious_Mind.pdf(15) Searle, "Mind: A Brief Introduction", https://coehuman.uodiyala.edu.iq/uploads/Coehuman%20library%20pdf/English%20library%D9%83%D8%AA%D8%A8%20%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A7%D9%86%D9%83%D9%84%D9%8A%D8%B2%D9%8A/linguistics/SEARLE,%20John%20-%20Mind%20A%20Brief%20Introduction.pdf(16) My Springer book: (a) https://www.amazon.com/Existential-Inertia-Classical-Theistic-Proofs/dp/3031193148/ (b) https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-3-031-19313-2THE USUAL...Follow the Majesty of Reason podcast! https://open.spotify.com/show/4Nda5uNcGselvKphtKSKvHJoin the Discord and chat all things philosophy! https://dsc.gg/majestyofreasonMy website: https://josephschmid.comMy PhilPeople profile: https://philpeople.org/profiles/joseph-schmid

Today Dr. Dan Korman and Noah McKay join me to discuss evolutionary debunking arguments. Can our moral beliefs survive skeptical threats?Like the show? Help it grow! Consider becoming a patron (thanks!): https://www.patreon.com/majestyofreasonIf you wanna make a one-time donation or tip (thanks!): https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/josephcschmidOUTLINE0:00 Intro1:40 Debunking arguments6:22 Three kinds of debunking arguments14:43 Telic debunking argument22:05 Explanationist pushback38:51 Swampman pushback59:51 New function pushback1:16:45 Dan’s favored approach1:25:01 Concluding thoughtsRESOURCES(1) Dan’s website (with his papers): https://danielzkorman.weebly.com/(2) Noah’s website (with his papers): https://noahdmckay.wordpress.com/(3) Dan’s paper, "Debunking Arguments", https://philarchive.org/archive/KORDA-2(4) Dan’s paper, “An explanationist Account of Genealogical Defeat“, https://philpapers.org/rec/KORAEA-4(5) Noah’s paper, “Can Rational Reflection Save Moral Knowledge from Debunking?”, https://philpapers.org/rec/MCKCRR(6) Noah’s paper, “Moral knowledge and the existence of God”, https://philpapers.org/rec/MCKMKA(7) My Metaethics playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLxRhaLyXxXkbIsKrv640jcBmNCFbU-ZQy(8) My Springer book: (a) https://www.amazon.com/Existential-Inertia-Classical-Theistic-Proofs-ebook/dp/B0BNMHRW63 (b) https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-3-031-19313-2THE USUAL...Follow the Majesty of Reason podcast! https://open.spotify.com/show/4Nda5uNcGselvKphtKSKvHJoin the Discord and chat all things philosophy! https://dsc.gg/majestyofreasonMy website: https://josephschmid.comMy PhilPeople profile: https://philpeople.org/profiles/joseph-schmid

Trent Horn ( @TheCounselofTrent ) recently made a video defending very conservative views on sexual ethics. Dr. Dustin Crummett joins me to respond.OUTLINE0:00 Intro1:30 Trent’s video2:23 Disgust and morality4:52 Consent6:26 Natural law theory7:59 Perverted faculty argument13:53 Skepticism about Aristotelian teleology14:51 Natural teleology doesn’t deliver their judgments15:54 Morality isn’t about natural teleology16:32 Counterexamples21:04 Wrong source of normative reasons23:32 Another counterexample?29:57 Alternative accounts of function31:54 Dustin’s sexual ethics42:54 The moral significance of sex47:39 Homosexuality was crazy!51:18 Dendrophilia and Necrophilia54:36 Moral disgust?58:01 Contempt for people who misuse sex1:01:13 Sexual exclusivity and monogamy1:07:01 Monogamy and natural law theory1:12:02 Sex and friendship1:16:29 Monogamy again1:20:12 Infertility and impotence1:34:32 The right to be conceived through sex?1:40:51 Trent’s summary1:50:16 ConclusionRESOURCES(1) Dustin’s website (with links to his papers): https://dustincrummett.com/(2) Dustin's YouTube channel:  @dustin.crummett (3) The discussion on natural law theory and sexuality between Dustin and Brian Besong: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dPen831EkYg&pp=ygUfYnJpYW4gYmVzb25nIHZzIGR1c3RpbiBjcnVtbWV0dA%3D%3D(4) Responses to Trent Horn playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLxRhaLyXxXkaUBJZkQ5kYe9i2bUqjtQYV(5) Applied Ethics playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLxRhaLyXxXkaYPueOwJRE0CPj6xyIWfxb(6) Sexual Ethics in a Secular Age: Is There Still a Virtue of Chastity?: https://www.routledge.com/Sexual-Ethics-in-a-Secular-Age-Is-There-Still-a-Virtue-of-Chastity/Silverman/p/book/9780367522773(7) The Palgrave Handbook of Sexual Ethics: https://www.amazon.com/The-Palgrave-Handbook-of-Sexual-Ethics/dp/303087785X(8) John Corvino's book, "What's Wrong with Homosexuality?": https://www.amazon.com/Whats-Wrong-Homosexuality-Philosophy-Action-ebook/dp/B00AWOTA7S/(9) Corvino and Gallagher, "Debating Same-Sex Marriage": https://www.amazon.com/Debating-Same-Sex-Marriage-Point-Counterpoint-ebook/dp/B007ZQBO0W/(10) Corvino's YouTube channel:  @johncorvino (11) Corvino's PhilPeople profile (with links to his papers on the ethics of homosexuality): https://philpeople.org/profiles/john-corvino

Today Dr. Justin Mooney gives a comprehensive survey of the problem of evil.Like the show? Help it grow! Consider becoming a patron (thanks!): https://www.patreon.com/majestyofreasonIf you wanna make a one-time donation or tip (thanks!): https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/josephcschmidOUTLINE0:00 Intro2:50 Presentation begins3:52 What is the problem of evil?10:09 Main topics in the literature12:00 Kinds of inference13:07 Logical arguments from evil22:36 Evidential arguments from evil35:47 Kinds of evil54:18 Other arguments from evil1:03:44 Theodicies and defenses1:06:50 Conditions for a successful theodicy1:14:44 Free will theodicies1:33:26 Soul-making theodicies1:39:46 Karma and rebirth theodicies1:49:27 Global value theodicies1:53:27 Other theodicies1:59:15 Epistemic defenses1:59:57 Skeptical theism2:11:56 The anomaly defense2:19:41 Appealing to counter-evidence2:26:59 Meta-Theodicy2:27:26 Constraints on successful theodicy2:35:40 Gratuitous evil compatible with theism?2:38:37 Sufferer-centered theodicies2:41:05 Other topics in meta-theodicy2:43:07 Recommended resources2:44:54 Concluding remarksRESOURCES(1) Justin's website: https://www.justinmooney.net/(2) Justin's 120-page bibliography on the problem of evil: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1dprquqrzQxJsmOArxEoBDaMx15T9T--P8dagUqX6kQI/edit?tab=t.0#heading=h.x1uym8fk8fq3(3) My video with Dr. Perry Hendricks on skeptical theism: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DDqi5U44f7E(4) Poston, "Social evil": http://tedposton.org/Documents/Socialevil.pdf(5) Crummett, “The problem of evil and the suffering of creeping things": https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11153-017-9619-0(6) My Problem of Evil playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLxRhaLyXxXkY98E3QMwBvHcYqWtIhizko(7) Jordan's ( @TheAnalyticChristian ) Problem of Evil playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLlVH-ThCazKk0YOU-K-AWIphUjToiBBC6(8) Other versions of the problem of evil (and links to papers) can be found in Dr. Felipe Leon's list of 200 (or so) arguments for atheism: https://exapologist.blogspot.com/2023/03/200-or-so-arguments-for-atheism.html(9) VIEWER DISCRETION ADVISED: The unspeakable atrocities of unit 731: https://youtu.be/xLcNvGaSvCo?si=BNWdz0VXLcNd4TGL(10) VIEWER DISCRETION ADVISED: The horrors inflicted on Junko Furuta: https://youtu.be/YGSN2MTmzDQ?si=xi_2NObfCkYNOkCk(11) My Springer book: (a) https://www.amazon.com/Existential-Inertia-Classical-Theistic-Proofs-ebook/dp/B0BNMHRW63 (b) https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-3-031-19313-2THE USUAL...Follow the Majesty of Reason podcast! https://open.spotify.com/show/4Nda5uNcGselvKphtKSKvHJoin the Discord and chat all things philosophy! https://dsc.gg/majestyofreasonMy website: https://josephschmid.comMy PhilPeople profile: https://philpeople.org/profiles/joseph-schmid