Podcast
The Uncertainty Podcast
A philosophy Ph.D. student working his way, with the world's leading thinkers, through the problems of philosophy, religion, science, and the existential struggle with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) - similar to Alex O'Connor, but more American. Who wants to come along for the ride?
- Episodes
- 103
- Releases
- Weekly
- Typical length
- 1 hr 31 min
- On air since
- 2024
- Latest episode
- 5 days ago
Episodes
103 episodes, newest first
-
1 hr 49 min
#104 Against Angels, Miracles, & Hell: Refuting Bad Theology
Show notes
The brilliant Substacker Both Sides Brigade joins me for a discussion about three hot topics in our corner of the philosophy of religion internet: the omission theodicy, the miracle case for Catholicism, and the doctrine of eternal conscious torment.Check out Brian Cutter and Philip Swenson's defense of the archon abandonment theodicy, as well as Brian Cutter's paper on Hell and justice.
Video of this interview is available on YouTube.
To support the channel, do please oh please consider donating, either via PayPal or Buy Me a Coffee.
Follow me on X because you’re awesome.
EPISODE CHAPTERS:
00:00:00 Introduction
00:06:32 The Archon abandonment theodicy explained
00:12:09 Natural evil and the free will defense
00:16:42 The expected costs of Archon failure
00:26:35 Divine foreknowledge and God's failure to intervene
00:34:04 The epistemology of Catholic miracles
00:41:56 Padre Pio's stigmata and carbolic acid
00:46:07 Divine hiddenness and conflicting miracle evidence
00:53:19 The miracle of Calanda and the restored leg
00:59:46 Fátima and the miracle of the sun
01:08:29 Eternal conscious torment and its defenders
01:14:31 Can Catholic miracles justify eternal conscious torment?
01:24:19 The noetic effects of sin and moral skepticism
01:34:09 Can hell be good for those in it?
01:42:05 Can eternal punishment involve finite suffering?
Get full access to Miles K. Donahue at https://mileskdonahue.substack.com/subscribe
-
1 hr 37 min
#103 Catholicism, Popes, and Homosexuality: A Defense - Noah McKay
Show notes
Noah McKay, a philosophy Ph.D. student at Princeton, joins me to discuss his recent conversation to Catholicism, Catholic miracle evidence, whether the Bible predicts a succession of popes, and Catholic sexual ethics.
Video of this interview is available on YouTube.
To support the channel, do please oh please consider donating, either via PayPal or Buy Me a Coffee.
Follow me on X because you’re awesome.
EPISODE CHAPTERS:
00:00:00 Introduction
00:01:53 From Protestantism to Catholicism: the initial case
00:02:24 Craig Keener and the evidence for Christian miracles
00:04:35 Fine-tuning, the resurrection, and other arguments for Christianity
00:05:33 How Joe Schmid helped change his theological views
00:07:13 Marian apparitions, Eucharistic miracles, and Catholicism
00:11:18 Overcoming objections to Catholic theology and history
00:14:26 Why Noah initially rejected the papacy
00:16:24 The biblical case for papal authority
00:22:19 Scripture, tradition, and divine revelation
00:24:21 Does the papacy preserve Christian unity and truth?
00:30:11 Peter, Paul, and the case for apostolic succession
00:48:10 Can the Catholic Church really claim to preserve unity?
01:06:08 How strong is the evidence for Catholic miracles?
01:14:00 Can miracles override moral and philosophical objections?
01:19:07 Catholic sexual ethics, moral intuitions, and disagreement
01:32:37 What philosophical position is Noah most uncertain of?
Get full access to Miles K. Donahue at https://mileskdonahue.substack.com/subscribe
-
1 hr 22 min
#102 An Unheated Discussion on Science, Probability, and Induction - Mike Titelbaum
Show notes
Mike Titelbaum, author of the two-volume "Fundamentals of Bayesian Epistemology," dissects the use of probability in philosophy, philosophy of religion, science, and everyday life. We do, of course, discuss my recent discussion with John Norton and the material theory of induction.
Video of this interview is available on YouTube.
To support the channel, do please oh please consider donating, either via PayPal or Buy Me a Coffee.
Follow me on X because you’re awesome.
EPISODE CHAPTERS:
00:00:00 Introduction
00:01:11 What is Bayesianism?
00:05:21 Must credences have precise numerical values?
00:07:16 Imprecise credence and comparative confidence
00:14:27 Bayesianism and Norton’s material theory of induction
00:20:02 Can we assign probabilities to the universe’s initial conditions?
00:28:57 Fine-tuning and the principle of indifference
00:35:13 Objective versus subjective Bayesianism
00:39:20 Must rational beliefs obey the probability axioms?
00:47:01 Incommensurability and alternative models of credence
00:55:06 Can Bayesianism evaluate evidence for God?
00:59:08 How probability theory illuminates evidential support
01:03:03 Everyday probability versus mathematical probability
01:07:55 Does subjective Bayesianism entail skepticism?
01:19:46 What is Titelbaum most uncertain about?
Get full access to Miles K. Donahue at https://mileskdonahue.substack.com/subscribe
-
1 hr 2 min
#101 We Must Save Science from Quantum Mechanics - Emily Adlam
Show notes
Emily Adlam discusses the problems facing several interpretations of quantum mechanics: principal among them, the probability problem. Prepare for discussion of self-locating credences, branch-counting, and whether a mechanism deposits consciousness throughout the branching wavefunction of the universe.
Video of this interview is available on YouTube.
To support the channel, do please oh please consider donating, either via PayPal or Buy Me a Coffee.
Follow me on X because you’re awesome.
EPISODE CHAPTERS:
00:00:00 Introduction
00:01:52 The problem of recovering empirical confirmation
00:04:47 The many-worlds interpretation
00:07:01 The measurement problem
00:08:42 The probability problem in many-worlds
00:12:06 The decision-theoretic approach to probability
00:16:33 Self-locating evidence and Everettian quantum mechanics
00:19:20 Pure vs. superficial self-locating credence
00:25:08 Can the Born rule constrain self-locating credence?
00:30:15 Interpretations vs. theories of quantum mechanics
00:34:51 Can we save science from quantum mechanics?
00:44:30 What happened to the Copenhagen interpretation?
00:46:45 What do physicists believe about quantum mechanics?
00:48:27 The anthropic argument for God
00:56:22 Multiverses, fine-tuning, and self-locating evidence
Get full access to Miles K. Donahue at https://mileskdonahue.substack.com/subscribe
-
1 hr 5 min
#100 A Heated Discussion on Science, Probability, and Induction - John Norton
Show notes
In the hundredth episode of this podcast, I discuss the use, and misuse, of probability in science and philosophy with John Norton. Prepare for a contentious conversation about fundamental issues in probability theory, induction, and cosmic fine-tuning. This one does not disappoint.
Video of this interview is available on YouTube.
To support the channel, do please oh please consider donating, either via PayPal or Buy Me a Coffee.
Follow me on X because you’re awesome.
EPISODE CHAPTERS:
00:00:00 Introduction
00:00:30 Formal vs. material theories of induction
00:04:58 Does material induction make induction redundant?
00:11:15 Bayesianism vs. the material theory
00:16:47 Can we say evolution is “probably” true?
00:19:23 Evidential support without probabilities
00:23:16 Can Bayesianism capture inference to the best explanation?
00:25:00 The outcome space dispute
00:29:47 Probability and the danger of false precision
00:31:03 The simulation argument and misapplied probability
00:35:39 The doomsday argument and self-locating evidence
00:38:33 Objective vs. subjective Bayesianism
00:43:36 The bootstrapping problem for probability
00:50:53 Probability in cosmology and the multiverse
00:57:59 Does inflation make our universe more probable?
01:00:19 What is John Norton most uncertain about?
Get full access to Miles K. Donahue at https://mileskdonahue.substack.com/subscribe
-
1 hr 27 min
#99 An Oxford Philosopher Investigates the Meaning of Life - Tim Mawson
Show notes
Tim Mawson, professor of philosophy at Oxford, discusses the contours of the newly emerging philosophical investigation into the meaning of life. What does it mean to say that life's meaning is subjective versus objective? Would life be meaningful if we were immortal? And what difference does God make, and not make, to whether life means anything?
Video of this interview is available on YouTube.
To support the channel, do please oh please consider donating, either via PayPal or Buy Me a Coffee.
Follow me on X because you’re awesome.
EPISODE CHAPTERS:
00:00:00 Introduction
00:02:55 Open theism and God's relationship to time
00:11:09 Returning to the meaning of life
00:12:06 Why philosophers neglected the meaning of life
00:15:48 What does it mean for life to have meaning?
00:19:20 Objectivism, subjectivism and hybrid theories
00:28:23 Objective meaning, subjective states and purpose
00:35:00 Can there be no meaning to life?
00:39:47 What can God add to life's meaning?
00:43:25 Vocation, purpose and meaningfulness
00:50:50 Does God give some people more meaningful lives?
00:59:20 Death, immortality and the meaning of life
01:00:25 Would eternal life become unbearably boring?
01:07:48 Does infinite time destroy urgency?
01:13:23 Would praising God forever become boring?
01:18:14 What God cannot add to life's meaning
01:21:55 Can God's existence make a life less meaningful?
01:24:18 What is the meaning of life?
Get full access to Miles K. Donahue at https://mileskdonahue.substack.com/subscribe
-
2 hr 13 min
#98 Every Argument for God, Refuted - Kevin Scharp
Show notes
Kevin Scharp comes back on the podcast to discuss William Lane Craig’s eight-part case for the existence of God: contingency, cosmology, mathematics, fine-tuning, consciousness, morality, miracles, and experience.
Video of this interview is available on YouTube.
To support the channel, do please oh please consider donating, either via PayPal or Buy Me a Coffee.
Follow me on X because you’re awesome.
EPISODE CHAPTERS:
00:00:00 Introduction
00:01:20 Behind the scenes: Kevin vs. William Lane Craig
00:14:11 Craig on probability & inference to the best explanation
00:23:07 Divine psychology and fine-tuning
00:27:06 Argument #1 - Contingency
00:43:30 Does everything need an explanation?
00:49:48 Argument #2 - Kalam cosmological argument
00:51:35 Actual infinity and Hilbert’s Hotel
01:03:06 Argument #3 - Fine-tuning
01:09:53 What does the Big Bang actually tell us?
01:11:53 Divine psychology
01:27:08 Argument #4 - Applicability of mathematics
01:35:08 Argument #5 - Consciousness
01:40:47 Does consciousness really get us to God?
01:45:41 Argument #6 - Morality
01:54:43 Argument #7 - The resurrection of Jesus
01:58:27 Miracles and the laws of nature
02:08:25 Argument #8 - Experience of God
Get full access to Miles K. Donahue at https://mileskdonahue.substack.com/subscribe
-
1 hr 35 min
#97 Why Belief in the Soul Makes Sense - Ralph Stefan Weir
Show notes
Ralph Weir answers all my questions about the mind-body problem, how we define "physical," whether I can conceive of philosophical zombies, and where panpsychism fits into all this.
Video of this interview is available on YouTube.
To support the channel, do please oh please consider donating, either via PayPal or Buy Me a Coffee.
Follow me on X because you’re awesome.
EPISODE CHAPTERS:
00:00:00 Introduction
00:02:35 How Ralph got into philosophy of mind
00:05:52 Eliminativism: do mental states exist?
00:09:00 What is illusionism?
00:10:56 What is phenomenal consciousness?
00:17:53 What are qualia?
00:21:33 What does “physical” actually mean?
00:29:03 Is panpsychism a form of physicalism?
00:35:45 Mapping the mind-body problem
00:45:16 Property dualism vs. substance dualism
00:53:10 What is the strongest case against physicalism?
01:00:32 Philosophical zombies and modal skepticism
01:10:23 Can science settle the mind-body problem?
01:18:20 Mental causation and physical anomalies
01:22:31 Does the evidence favor physicalism?
01:34:07 Which philosophical view is Ralph most uncertain about?
Get full access to Miles K. Donahue at https://mileskdonahue.substack.com/subscribe
-
1 hr 39 min
#96 Does God Exist? - Michael Huemer vs. Joshua Rasmussen
Show notes
You do NOT want to miss this debate on the perennial question that human beings have wondered about for thousands of years: does God exist? Josh presents both a cumulative case for theism, as well as his signature argument from arbitrary limits. Mike presents his novel argument against God's infinite attributes.
Video of this interview is available on YouTube.
To support the channel, do please oh please consider donating, either via PayPal or Buy Me a Coffee.
Follow me on X because you’re awesome.
EPISODE CHAPTERS:
00:00:00 Introduction
00:01:48 Joshua Rasmussen’s opening statement
00:17:05 Michael Huemer’s opening statement
00:33:26 Moderated discussion begins
00:35:43 Infinity and the nature of God
00:45:18 What grounds an eternal reality?
00:48:13 God, consciousness, and omniscience
00:54:18 Platonism, infinity, and the digits of π
01:01:18 Can God have unlimited power?
01:07:29 Does theism best explain reality?
01:14:08 Fine-tuning and the multiverse
01:20:27 Does a multiverse actually explain life?
01:26:39 Suffering and the problem of evil
01:32:56 Closing statements
Get full access to Miles K. Donahue at https://mileskdonahue.substack.com/subscribe
-
1 hr 22 min
#95 Does Buddhism Teach Annihilation? And Other Questions - Emily McRae
Show notes
Emily McRae, professor of philosophy at the University of New Mexico, offers an overview of Buddhist philosophy. In particular, we discuss the different traditions within Buddhism - Theravada, Mahayana, Tibetan, and Zen - the doctrine of emptiness, the Four Noble Truths, and the ontology of Nirvana: annihilation, eternal bliss, or a state of mind in the here and now?
Video of this interview is available on YouTube.
To support the channel, do please oh please consider donating, either via PayPal or Buy Me a Coffee.
Follow me on X because you’re awesome.
EPISODE CHAPTERS:
00:00:00 Introduction
00:02:55 Moral ignorance in Buddhist philosophy
00:06:47 What drew Emily to Buddhist philosophy?
00:10:36 Analytic philosophy vs. Buddhist philosophy
00:13:41 What kind of ethical theory is Buddhism?
00:21:26 Is Buddhism a religion or a philosophy?
00:24:37 The major schools of Buddhism
00:29:56 Emptiness and the Buddhist theory of the self
00:37:47 Why the Buddha refused to answer some questions
00:43:02 The Four Noble Truths
00:46:01 The first Noble Truth: suffering
00:51:04 The second Noble Truth: the causes of suffering
00:53:43 The third Noble Truth: the end of suffering
00:56:10 What is nirvana?
01:00:14 Does Buddhism ultimately teach annihilation?
01:07:15 Buddhism vs. Christianity on desire
01:12:18 The fourth Noble Truth: the Eightfold Path
01:16:16 What reason is there to believe Buddhism is true?
Get full access to Miles K. Donahue at https://mileskdonahue.substack.com/subscribe
-
1 hr 35 min
#94 Everything Wrong with the Case for Eternal Hell - Randal Rauser
Show notes
In my recent discussion with Ethan Muse, he made a case for the compatibility of God's perfect love and the doctrine of eternal conscious torment. Randal Rauser returns to the channel to respond. Are we far more wicked than we realize? Does any sin merit infinite punishment? What should we do if we struggle with fear of eternal hell? We discuss these questions and much else besides.
Video of this interview is available on YouTube.
To support the channel, do please oh please consider donating, either via PayPal or Buy Me a Coffee.
Follow me on X because you’re awesome.
EPISODE CHAPTERS:
00:00:00 Introduction
00:02:06 Randal’s approach to YouTube
00:03:08 Initial reactions to Ethan Muse’s defense of hell
00:08:34 Is the problem emotional or intellectual?
00:16:07 The authority of the Catholic Church
00:22:16 The three Christian views of hell
00:25:00 Are human beings wicked enough to deserve hell?
00:31:02 Does every sin merit infinite punishment?
00:36:29 Moral culpability and ignorance
00:43:08 Is rejecting God an infinitely serious sin?
00:47:08 Will most people go to hell?
00:53:19 Would creation be a net moral failure?
00:56:30 Did Jesus teach eternal conscious torment?
01:03:29 The central moral argument against eternal hell
01:07:18 Do the noetic effects of sin undermine moral intuition?
01:12:19 Should we trust the moral judgment of Catholic saints?
01:20:48 Does moral disagreement undermine our intuitions?
01:24:07 Different degrees of suffering in hell
01:28:16 How should Christians cope with the fear of hell?
Get full access to Miles K. Donahue at https://mileskdonahue.substack.com/subscribe
-
35 min
#93 Your Favorite Philosopher Answers All Your Questions - Miles K. Donahue
Show notes
This week's interview features...me! I have finally gotten around to answering all the questions you sent me when we hit 3,000 subscribers. Yes, this video is v late. Yes, it is v worth the watch. Prepare for a more informal, cheeky side of me.
Video of this interview is available on YouTube.
To support the channel, do please oh please consider donating, either via PayPal or Buy Me a Coffee.
Follow me on X because you’re awesome.
EPISODE CHAPTERS:
00:00:00 Introduction
00:00:20 Which guest has challenged you the most?
00:01:12 Are the fundamental constants independent?
00:02:44 What are your hobbies outside philosophy?
00:03:49 Were you ever an atheist?
00:03:52 Why is there something rather than nothing?
00:05:18 Have you ever considered becoming a model?
00:05:22 How much do you think about modality?
00:05:52 Have you ever had a religious experience?
00:06:13 What are the best arguments for theism?
00:07:27 What are the chances that universalism is true?
00:08:16 Were you always smart?
00:08:19 Paul Draper’s understated evidence objection
00:10:50 Will theism grow among philosophers?
00:11:43 An empirical approach to religion
00:12:42 The aesthetic argument for God
00:13:55 Will philosophy ever abandon materialism?
00:15:08 How have your views on theism evolved?
00:17:45 Is universalism true or theism false?
00:18:44 What is your journal acceptance rate?
00:18:57 What do you think about TAG?
00:19:27 How can someone find their life’s purpose?
00:20:00 Does universalism weaken the problem of evil?
00:21:56 What makes you doubt Christianity?
00:23:50 Has Paul Draper weakened your theism?
00:25:34 Which dead philosophers would you speak to?
00:27:46 Do theistic arguments depend on modality?
00:29:30 Where do you hope to be in ten years?
00:29:38 What if fine-tuning gave no support to theism?
00:29:54 Why does God exist?
00:31:02 Can you publish without a philosophy degree?
00:31:19 What does it mean to exist?
00:32:09 Are theistic arguments more technically vulnerable?
00:34:32 Who are you?
Get full access to Miles K. Donahue at https://mileskdonahue.substack.com/subscribe
-
56 min
#92 - A.I. Agents Are Here, and They’re Genuinely Frightening - Kevin Scharp
Show notes
Philosopher Kevin Scharp discusses his experience working with A.I. agents, and what it portends for the future.
Video of this interview is available on YouTube.
To support the channel, do please oh please consider donating, either via PayPal or Buy Me a Coffee.
Follow me on X because you’re awesome.EPISODE CHAPTERS:
00:00:00 Introduction
00:01:10 What AI agents are
00:03:22 Why AI agents remain under the radar
00:06:07 Creating research-level AI agents
00:08:44 How AI agents work
00:11:06 Are AI agents conscious?
00:17:59 Have AI agents already achieved AGI?
00:21:40 Embodied agents and what comes next
00:24:57 Automation, unemployment, and social unrest
00:27:05 AI as an unprecedented capacity for harm
00:28:46 Could governance and AI rights slow development?
00:32:00 Has ChatGPT become less useful?
00:39:34 AI, human extinction, and theism
00:43:08 Does AI favor naturalism over theism?
00:46:35 How to live under existential uncertainty
00:49:31 Atheism, agnosticism, and changing your mind
Get full access to Miles K. Donahue at https://mileskdonahue.substack.com/subscribe
-
1 hr 28 min
#91 Philosophers Don't Want to Solve Philosophy (and other hot takes) - Lance S. Bush
Show notes
Lance Bush returns to the channel to discuss the need for empirical research in philosophy, whether philosophers even want to find the answers to their questions, and, of course, phenomenal conservatism (which is true, btw).
Video of this interview is available on YouTube.
To support the channel, do please oh please consider donating, either via PayPal or Buy Me a Coffee.
Follow me on X because you’re awesome.
EPISODE CHAPTERS:
00:00:00 Introduction
00:03:12 Common mistakes in student writing
00:06:54 Brevity and writing as a craft
00:09:34 Why Lance pursued psychology over philosophy
00:13:58 Studying moral language empirically
00:20:03 What psychology reveals about philosophical practice
00:24:59 A pragmatic theory of meaning
00:31:22 Does philosophy differ from science?
00:43:37 Why philosophers disagree
00:47:40 Could philosophy ever be solved?
00:56:31 Bias and the David Enoch debate
01:00:31 Competing philosophical starting points
01:05:58 Heterodox views and accusations of contrarianism
01:08:43 Debate mistakes and the possibility of a rematch
01:11:46 Michael Huemer and future conversations
01:13:39 Phenomenal conservatism
01:16:22 Epistemic blank checks
01:20:03 Defeaters and the psychology of seemings
01:24:57 Pragmatism and philosophical goals
Get full access to Miles K. Donahue at https://mileskdonahue.substack.com/subscribe
-
1 hr 39 min
#90 A Heated Debate on Hell, Catholicism, and Fine-Tuning - Ethan Muse
Show notes
Ethan Muse and I spar over the problem of evil, cosmic fine-tuning, infallible popes, and the doctrine of eternal conscious torment.
Video of this interview is available on YouTube.
To support the channel, do please oh please consider donating, either via PayPal or Buy Me a Coffee.
Follow me on X because you’re awesome.
EPISODE CHAPTERS:
00:00:00 Introduction
00:01:44 Rutgers, philosophy, and Catholic apologetics
00:05:08 Ethan’s path into philosophy
00:09:52 The goal of doing philosophy
00:13:52 Ethan’s conversion to Catholicism
00:17:55 Doubts, confidence, and the problem of evil
00:23:45 Miracle evidence and outweighing evil
00:25:04 Fine-tuning and theism
00:28:48 Frequency data, design, and Bayesianism
00:33:43 Mini-verses and apparent design
00:38:20 What fine-tuning means
00:41:04 Apparent design and fragile harmony
00:46:38 The infrared bullseye analogy
00:51:29 Design, stalking horses, and naturalism
00:59:56 Priors, bare theism, and Bayesian machinery
01:04:53 Papal infallibility and alleged counterexamples
01:11:36 Eternal hell and Catholic doctrine
01:19:46 Moral intuition against eternal torment
01:22:42 Saints, sin, and moral authority
01:30:12 Moral progress and Catholic tradition
01:32:57 Moral disagreement and final thoughts
Get full access to Miles K. Donahue at https://mileskdonahue.substack.com/subscribe
-
1 hr 53 min
#89 Michael Huemer's New Argument for Atheism
Show notes
Michael Huemer, philosopher at U.C. Boulder, joins me for a wide-ranging discussion of arguments for and against the existence of God, with special focus on his new argument for atheism: the impossibility of an infinite God. Check out Mike’s book, Knowledge, Value, and Reality: A Mostly Common Sense Guide to Philosophy.
Video of this interview is available on YouTube.
To support the channel, do please oh please consider donating, either via PayPal or Buy Me a Coffee.
Follow me on X because you’re awesome.
EPISODE CHAPTERS:
00:00:00 Introduction
00:01:42 Huemer’s research on consciousness
00:05:42 Could LLMs be conscious?
00:08:11 Physicalism and consciousness
00:14:36 Why physicalism became so popular
00:17:16 Metaphysics and scientific evidence
00:21:01 Could God be empirically detected?
00:23:37 Why Huemer is agnostic
00:25:48 Philip Goff’s limited God
00:27:23 Can a limited God explain evil?
00:36:03 Divine psychology and skeptical theism
00:38:37 Can theism make predictions?
00:46:54 Scientific confirmation and theistic arguments
00:51:59 Which theistic arguments fail?
00:53:14 The ontological argument
00:58:06 The modal ontological argument
01:01:03 Necessary beings and modal intuitions
01:07:23 The Kalam cosmological argument
01:08:54 Could time have a beginning?
01:12:22 Can God create time?
01:18:22 Cosmology and the Big Bang
01:23:48 Actual and potential infinities
01:26:00 Huemer’s new argument for atheism
01:29:28 Divine infinity and omniscience
Get full access to Miles K. Donahue at https://mileskdonahue.substack.com/subscribe
-
2 hr 39 min
#88 Can There be Evidence for God? | Eight Philosophers Debate
Show notes
Is it even possible to have empirical evidence for God's existence? What if the stars realigned to spell out "I exist! Sincerely, God." Wouldn't THAT count as evidence for God? It seems that the answer is yes. But then, various objections to arguments for God seem to imply that even this extravagant, awesome evidence for God would not be any evidence whatsoever for theism. To many philosophers, that implication implies that these objections prove too much, and must therefore fail. In this debate, eight philosophers go head-to-head over these fascinating questions.
Video of this interview is available on YouTube.
To support the channel, do please oh please consider donating, either via PayPal or Buy Me a Coffee.
Follow me on X because you’re awesome.
EPISODE CHAPTERS
00:00:00 Introduction
00:02:10 Miles Donahue’s opening statement
00:07:46 Brian Cutter’s opening statement
00:13:16 Noah McKay’s opening statement
00:18:30 Travis Dumsday’s opening statement
00:23:30 Paul Draper’s opening statement
00:29:15 Alex Malpass’s opening statement
00:35:18 Nathan Bray’s opening statement
00:40:41 Kevin Scharp’s opening statement
00:47:15 Miles Donahue’s cross-examination
01:03:22 Alex Malpass’s cross-examination
01:20:15 Brian Cutter’s cross-examination
01:33:41 Nathan Bray’s cross-examination
01:49:03 Paul Draper’s cross-examination
02:01:21 Travis Dumsday’s cross-examination
02:10:54 Kevin Scharp’s cross-examination
02:24:49 Noah McKay’s cross-examination
Get full access to Miles K. Donahue at https://mileskdonahue.substack.com/subscribe
-
1 hr 14 min
#87 Yes, You Can be Gay and Christian - Matthew Vines
Show notes
Matthew Vines, author of God and the Gay Christian: The Biblical Case in Support of Same-Sex Relationships, joins me to discuss the revised version of this now classic texts. Has Matt has changed his mind on any major issues? What, in the end, would Matt conclude if he determined that the Bible did prohibit same-sex relationships? Listen to find out!
Video of this interview is available on YouTube.
To support the channel, do please oh please consider donating, either via PayPal or Buy Me a Coffee.
Follow me on X because you’re awesome.
EPISODE CHAPTERS:
00:00:00 Introduction
00:00:05 What changed in God and the Gay Christian
00:03:28 Endnotes, footnotes, and writing for different audiences
00:05:02 How Matthew Vines’s views have changed
00:05:51 Romans 1 and female same-sex relations
00:07:48 Arsenokoitai, Malakoi, and Paul’s meaning
00:10:22 Same-sex marriage in the biblical world
00:13:45 To whom is the book written?
00:15:06 Expressive individualism and affirming theology
00:19:37 How the American church has changed
00:20:23 Affirming churches without guardrails
00:25:45 Conservative backlash and slippery slopes
00:27:55 Being between Christian and queer spaces
00:29:11 Queer theory, polyamory, and sexual orientation
00:30:55 Transgender Christians and biblical interpretation
00:34:48 Gender dysphoria, transition, and Christian ethics
00:39:08 What if the Bible prohibited same-sex marriage?
00:49:44 Moral intuition, inerrancy, and Jesus
01:00:05 Biblical authority, inspiration, and inerrancy
01:08:21 Where evangelical churches may be headed
Get full access to Miles K. Donahue at https://mileskdonahue.substack.com/subscribe
-
1 hr 23 min
#86 From Toad Venom to Jesus: Cross-Examining Philip Goff
Show notes
I discuss and debate the merits of drug-induced experiences for one's religious beliefs, the difference panpsychism makes, the distinction between God's essence and energies, and giant purple platypuses floating over New York City.
Video of this interview is available on YouTube.
To support the channel, do please oh please consider donating, either via PayPal or Buy Me a Coffee.
Follow me on X because you’re awesome.
EPISODE CHAPTERS
00:00:00 Introduction
00:00:32 What is 5-MeO-DMT?
00:02:07 Why Philip Goff tried toad venom
00:05:02 What the experience was like
00:07:13 Can you experience yourself not existing?
00:13:00 Was ego death terrifying?
00:17:03 William Lane Craig’s reaction
00:19:57 What is a structureless claim?
00:22:52 The content of mystical experience
00:25:39 Does 5-MeO-DMT support panpsychism?
00:33:15 Why trust a drug-induced experience?
00:40:08 Experience versus interpretation
00:43:54 Is Goff projecting panpsychism onto the experience?
00:46:03 What would defeat the experience?
00:51:25 How does this fit with Christianity?
00:57:19 Divine essence, energies, and simplicity
01:04:19 Why Christianity specifically?
01:08:26 Why not deism or another religion?
01:14:23 Does Goff believe in an afterlife?
01:16:43 Near-death experiences and consciousness
01:18:37 What is Goff most uncertain of?
Get full access to Miles K. Donahue at https://mileskdonahue.substack.com/subscribe
-
1 hr 47 min
#85 What Is a Woman? - Talia Mae Bettcher And Tomas Bogardus
Show notes
Talia Mae Bettcher and Tomas Bogardus join me to debate the question, "What is a woman?". Is gender biologically grounded, socially constructed, or something else entirely? If you're looking for a cordial and substantive exchange from two thinkers who fundamentally disagree on these issues, look no further.
Video of this interview is available on YouTube.
To support the channel, do please oh please consider donating, either via PayPal or Buy Me a Coffee.
Follow me on X because you’re awesome.
EPISODE CHAPTERS
00:00:00 Introduction
00:01:17 Bogardus opening statement
00:02:03 Dictionaries and ordinary usage
00:03:41 The ambiguity view
00:07:09 The resistant concept of woman
00:08:12 Circularity and self-identification
00:11:23 The relevance objection to ambiguity
00:13:47 Non-human men and women
00:16:17 Bettcher opening statement
00:18:29 Woman as a philosophical question
00:19:44 Folk concepts and biological definitions
00:22:13 Folk concepts vs. theoretical concepts
00:24:45 Adult, human, and female
00:28:14 Open discussion begins
00:28:57 Bettcher on the ambiguity thesis
00:30:28 Family resemblance and trans womanhood
00:35:16 Political concepts and same-sex marriage
00:52:25 Are folk concepts biological?
00:57:47 Souls, bodies, and female identity
01:04:31 Twin Earth, Superman, and non-human men
01:13:13 Stone lions, Batman, and conceptual analysis
01:26:44 The husbandry argument
01:29:44 Sex, function, and biology
01:34:35 Why the question matters
01:39:44 Closing statements
Get full access to Miles K. Donahue at https://mileskdonahue.substack.com/subscribe
Philosophy lists
More Philosophy shows picked out from the charts
More in Philosophy
Placed highest on Apple Podcasts' Philosophy chart right now