Links for the Mind
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Wim Hof Interview
My daughter@Mikhaila Peterson and I had the pleasure of speaking with the remarkable@Wim Hof. The full episode is at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W8ALm... Attention: BEFORE attempting to follow the Wim Hof breathing exercise, please view this safety information - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IFSL_... - Don't take the method and techniques too lightly, they go deep and the effects can have a huge impact. - Don't do the breathing exercises in a swimming pool, before going underwater, beneath the shower or piloting any vehicle, without proper supervision. Always practice in a safe environment. - Keep in mind to do the exercises without forcing them, gradually build-up, and don't exceed your limits. Find more of Wim Hof in his book "The Wim Hof Method" and on his website https://www.wimhofmethod.com
Is a Person All Material?
-Alvin Plantinga
Are humans just material objects? Am I just my body? The fact that I can have different possibilities for my mind than I can have for my body, must mean that their are not identical. This invokes the first Law of Aristotle, the Law of Identity: A = A, notA = notA, A (is not) = to notA
Links for Apologetics
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Ontological Argument
The ontological argument is an argument intended to show that if God’s existence is even possible, then it follows that God exists. So, if this argument is sound, it puts the atheist in a very awkward position. The atheist must deny not merely that God exists, he must maintain that it is impossible that God exists. And that is certainly a radical claim that would require great justification. The ontological argument goes something like this: God is, by definition, the greatest conceivable being. Now, what would the greatest conceivable being be like? Well, he would be omnipotent, he would be omniscient, he would be all-good, and he would be necessary in his existence—he would exist in all possible worlds. Now, if such a being is possible, that means that a being like that exists in some possible world. But you see, if a being of that nature exists in even one possible world, then it exists in all of them, because that’s part of what it means to be the greatest conceivable being. But if it exists in all of them, then it exists in the actual world. Therefore, God exists. So, the argument is basically: if you think that God’s existence is possible, then it follows that God exists. So, do you think it’s possible that God exists? Well, I do. It seems to me that the concept of a being who is omnipotent, omniscient, morally perfect, and necessarily existent is a coherent concept that’s possibly instantiated, and therefore, I believe that God does exist.
Cosmological Argument
The kalam cosmological argument is an argument that can be simply formulated. Premise one: Whatever begins to exist has a cause. Things don’t come into being from nothing. Two: The universe began to exist. There’s good philosophical and scientific evidence that the universe is not eternal in the past, but had a beginning. And from that, it follows, three: Therefore, a cause of the universe exists. And then you do a conceptual analysis of what it is to be a cause of space and time, matter, and energy, and I think you’re able to show that a beginningless, uncaused, timeless, spaceless, immaterial, enormously powerful, personal creator of the universe exists, which is the core concept of God.
Reliability of the Bible
-Amy Orr Ewing
You don't honestly believe all that stuff in the Bible!' Challenged by her friends, and later as a student by theological teachers, Amy Orr-Ewing was determined to leave no stone unturned in her eagerness to prove that the Bible was unique and wholly reliable. Her passion drove her to complete an in-depth study of the answers to ten of the most frequently raised objections she encountered, including: * Isn't it all a matter of interpretation? * Can we know anything about history? * Are the original manuscripts reliable? * What about the canon? * What about other holy books? * Isn't the Bible sexist? * What about all the wars? * Isn't the Bible out of date on sex? * How can I know? Sensitively yet convincingly, the author addresses the issues and the arguments, showing that we have every reason to trust the Bible today. (Link to her book in title)
The Resurrection of Jesus
-Gary Habermas
The resurrection Jesus is the central event and key fact that solidifies Christianity. The Apostle Paul says that without it Christianity doesn’t exist. So, is there good evidence or proof this supernatural event? Dr. Gary Habermas and his minimal facts approach offers some keen insights.
Links for Transcendence
Essays, Presentations, and Lectures
JP Moreland on Dualism
JP claims that there are two tasks for any adequate philosophy of mind:
(1) articulate one’s position and explain why dualism is the commonsense view.
(2) defend one’s position.
I believe that there is an argument that simultaneously satisfies both desiderata in a non-ad-hoc way and, thus, the argument can thereby claim the virtue of theoretical simplicity in its favor.
In my paper, I present the crucial argument--an argument from self awareness that we are simple, spiritual substances--and defend its most crucial premise, and respond to two criticisms that have been raised against it.
This is access to this slides and essay concerning the topic.
Literature and the Transcendent
Jordan Peterson and Sir Roger Scruton deliver what I think may be the most important lecture on the necessity of literature and the transcendent in the 21st Century. I highly recommend this YouTube video be watched by everyone who is serious about thinking and flourishing in humanity.