tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5074683.post2789752484212701338..comments2024-03-23T07:33:30.972+00:00Comments on Quodlibeta: Three booksJameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01594220073836613367noreply@blogger.comBlogger12125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5074683.post-52582613879259368892009-12-21T21:23:00.533+00:002009-12-21T21:23:00.533+00:00Jim, thanks for the clarification. I've final...Jim, thanks for the clarification. I've finally got around to reading the Nietzsche essay you mentioned. I confess that I was baffled - I didn't see anything familiar to me as an atheist and humanist, and in general it seemed like a weakly argued screed rather than a carefully-shaped philosophical argument.<br /><br />I guess I'll defer my application to become part of the new <a href="http://saveandromeda.com/allsystems/lifeforms/nietzscheans.htm" rel="nofollow">Nietzschean race</a>. For now.<br /><br />To anyone who thinks Nietzsche represents "the only viable alternative", I would reiterate my recommendation of Richard Norman's <i>On Humanism</i>. Also worth a look is Julian Baggini's <i>What's It All About?</i>. Both of these books were discussed in a humanist philosophy book group I was a member of a few years ago - I think they are representative of the philosophical outlook of at least a good portion of self-identified atheists/humanists.Timothy Millshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00373801153623991221noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5074683.post-9698965711416178792009-11-19T17:22:54.854+00:002009-11-19T17:22:54.854+00:00Apologies, I deleted my earlier comment by acciden...Apologies, I deleted my earlier comment by accident. My point was that Sceptic is being overly hard on Swinburne. He has his critics (I'm not wildly keen) but his ideas are taken seriously by most of his peers. Sceptic gives a false impression.<br />That was all...<br />http://jonathanwrightblog.wordpress.com/ushashttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10533868274619755323noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5074683.post-700906716835790392009-11-15T17:06:16.942+00:002009-11-15T17:06:16.942+00:00This comment has been removed by the author.ushashttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10533868274619755323noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5074683.post-46416319261266283172009-11-02T16:12:45.298+00:002009-11-02T16:12:45.298+00:00Outside Christian circles, his use of logic is sho...<b>Outside Christian circles, his use of logic is shown to be deeply flawed and he has been taken to task for the totally inappropriate use of logic in cases such as the historical evidence for the resurrection.</b><br /><br />Is this implying that christians don't want to accept that Swinburne's logic is demonstrably flawed? That's a lot to buy.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5074683.post-83040229527381066112009-11-01T20:43:58.969+00:002009-11-01T20:43:58.969+00:00Sceptic, I'm sceptical of your repudiation of ...Sceptic, I'm sceptical of your repudiation of Swinburne. In my experience he's generally considered one of the top philosophers around.<br /><br />Tim, I think Matko's description of Nietzsche as the only viable alternative (to Christianity or Platonism) is based on Nietzsche's own take on these things. He claimed that without God all metaphysics goes out the window -- "metaphysics" meaning any sense of about-ness, and this would include any true-false statement. Thus atheist's who argue at any level are essentially using Christian/Platonic tools to attack Christianity/Platonism.<br /><br />Of course you can reject Nietzsche's take on this. From an analytic point of view it's hard to see how Nietzsche could formulate any kind of statement if all statements are invalid. But if you want, check out his essay <a href="http://www.e-scoala.ro/biblioteca/friedrich_nietzsche.html" rel="nofollow">"On Truth and Lies in a Nonmoral Sense"</a>.Jim S.https://www.blogger.com/profile/15538540873375357030noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5074683.post-70869796809938146412009-10-30T18:06:02.294+00:002009-10-30T18:06:02.294+00:00The Ancestors Tale is by far the best of Dawkins&#...The Ancestors Tale is by far the best of Dawkins's book. It's an excellent narrative and he doesn't do too much preaching. <br /><br />You should defiantly read Nietzsche, especially something like 'On the genealogy of morality'.Humphreyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11936974517695558399noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5074683.post-58951015998447669982009-10-30T11:09:32.898+00:002009-10-30T11:09:32.898+00:00A fascinating challenge. I don't tend to try ...A fascinating challenge. I don't tend to try to persuade people, but I am very interested in helping people to understand my position.<br /><br />To that end, I would include a good book on humanism, such as Richard Norman's <i>On Humanism</i>.<br /><br />If my interlocutor didn't accept evolution, I would be tempted to include Dawkins' <i>The Ancestor's Tale</i>. (I recommend it even to people who accept evolution, because it's an awesome pilgrimage through the details of our biological history.) However, I suspect that just the author's name would be a roadblock to persuasion. So I'd probably try something by Carl Sagan (<i>Demon-Haunted World</i>) instead.<br /><br />And I'd recommend a practical book on skeptical thinking, which is more important to me in terms of persuading others than religious belief or non-belief, though the two are of course related. Probably Ben Goldacre's <i>Bad Science</i>.<br /><br />(Matko, I'm surprised that you suggest that Nietzsche is "the only viable alternative". While I don't know Nietzsche, I guarantee you that if you approach persuasion with that attitude, you are unlikely to succeed. At least, you won't persuade anyone who has experience in the actual, modern atheist community.)Timothy Millshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00373801153623991221noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5074683.post-85535489121922584492009-10-28T13:46:12.883+00:002009-10-28T13:46:12.883+00:00Try Anthony Kenny, What I Believe and The Unknown ...Try Anthony Kenny, What I Believe and The Unknown God -at a philosophical level way beyond Swinburne. Many of the essays in Philosophers without Gods, Meditations on Atheism and the Secular Life (Ed. Louise Antony) are also excellent and there is a good range of essays in Philosophers and God, already cited.scepticnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5074683.post-24604983944049471362009-10-28T13:10:49.868+00:002009-10-28T13:10:49.868+00:00Hi Sceptic
Out of interest, which books would you...Hi Sceptic<br /><br />Out of interest, which books would you recommend for theism (or atheism)?Humphreyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11936974517695558399noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5074683.post-69427240245174802362009-10-28T09:36:35.515+00:002009-10-28T09:36:35.515+00:00I don't think Swinburne is a good choice. Outs...I don't think Swinburne is a good choice. Outside Christian circles, his use of logic is shown to be deeply flawed and he has been taken to task for the totally inappropriate use of logic in cases such as the historical evidence for the resurrection. I think that this had its effect. In Cornwell and McGhee's Philosophers and God, published this year (Continuum) there is only one reference to him and that in a footnote. Many people consider it a deep mystery why he is taken as seriously as he is, and OUP has even been taken to task for publishing him.Scepticnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5074683.post-52942483693251293992009-10-27T21:38:57.422+00:002009-10-27T21:38:57.422+00:00I second the Handbook of Christian Apologetics. I...I second the Handbook of Christian Apologetics. I'd add Kreeft's Christianity for Modern Pagans (based on Pascal's Pensees) And finally, C.S. Lewis's The Great Divorce.Jameshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01594220073836613367noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5074683.post-82095172808006048532009-10-27T21:27:32.800+00:002009-10-27T21:27:32.800+00:00Only giving three books is highly limiting, but I&...Only giving three books is highly limiting, but I'll try:<br /><br />Richard Swinburne's <i>Existence of God</i> - for establishing that there is a God.<br /><br />Richard Swinburne's <i>Resurrection of God Incarnate</i> - By this, I establish that the God that made us is the Christian God.<br /><br />Daniel Howard-Snyder's <i>Evidential Argument from Evil</i>. - Problem of Evil is the greatest obstacle for people to come to Christ. Howard-Synder shows you can believe in the God of classical theism despite horrendous and despicable evils inhabiting our world.<br /><br />Addendum (next titles are optional supplements or can be used for replacements of aforementioned titles):<br /><br />Søren Kierkegaard's <i>Sickness Unto Death</i> - Analytic philosophy or religion can bring you so far. You need complete and utter disarmament. The Dane strikes at the very core.<br /><br />John Earman's Hume's <i>Abject Failure: The Argument Against Miracles</i> - To finally blast Hume's argument to oblivion. <br /><br />Anything from Nietzsche - To show the only viable alternative.<br /><br />Thomas Aquinas' <i>Summa Theologica</i> - I just added this because I'm catholic. 0=)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com