Summary Against Modern Thought: Providence’s Plan
Previous post. . HOW THE DISPOSITION OF PROVIDENCE HAS A RATIONAL PLAN 1 From the points set forth above it may be seen clearly that the things which are disposed…
View ArticleWhat Are P-Values?
Contributor William Raynor sets us a task: Hi Matt, …I’d still like to see if you can write a column about what an empirical p-value really is without mentioning the…
View ArticleSummary Against Modern Thought: How God Can Act Apart From Providence
Previous post. There are not objections about God “changing his mind”. Language in scripture can be metaphorical and figurative, just like in other literature. HOW GOD CAN ACT APART FROM…
View ArticleSummary Against Modern Thought: God Can Product Effects Without Proximate Causes
Previous post. Miracles are possible. This chapter is only an introduction. In two weeks, we get to the meat of miracles. THAT GOD CAN WORK APART FROM THE ORDER IMPLANTED…
View ArticleThe Moral Reason for Free Will — Guest Post by The Cranky Professor
Do human persons have free will? I would say so. And I will expound on a fairly common yet powerful argument for the existence of free will, viz., that moral…
View ArticleSummary Against Modern Thought: God Does Not Work Contrary To Nature
Previous post. More miracle prep work. Next week is the big week. THAT THINGS WHICH GOD DOES APART FROM THE ORDER OF NATURE ARE NOT CONTRARY TO NATURE 1 However,…
View ArticleComputers Finding Math Proofs Is Not A Good Idea
It is probably obvious that whether a proposition is (necessarily) true is different than proving, in some formal system, that it is true. It is also clear that if you…
View ArticleSummary Against Modern Thought: On Miracles
Previous post. It’s a miracle! ON MIRACLES 1 Things that are at times divinely accomplished, apart from the generally established order in things, are customarily called miracles; for we admire…
View ArticleSummary Against Modern Thought: God Alone Works Miracles
Previous post. If you think not, try it yourself. THAT GOD ALONE WORKS MIRACLES 1 It can be shown from the foregoing that God alone can work miracles. 2 In…
View ArticleSummary Against Modern Thought: Things Which Looks Miraculous But Aren’t
Previous post. Always seek for the genuine article. HOW SPIRITUAL SUBSTANCES DO CERTAIN WONDERFUL THINGS WHICH, HOWEVER, ARE NOT TRULY MIRACLES 1 It was Avicenna’s position that matter is much…
View ArticleSubjective Probability Is Objective
Because certain forms of Bayesian probability, particularly so-called subjective probability, are being taken up in quantum mechanics, it’s well to understand just what subjective probability is, if...
View ArticleSummary Against Modern Thought: The Works Of Psychics & Witches Aren’t...
Previous post. I used “witches” instead of “magicians” in the title, because, to us, a magician is a card sharp, but some still know of the supernatural feats of witches.…
View ArticleSummary Against Modern Thought: How Psychics & Witches Really Work
Previous post. We’re not talking abracadabra here, but the real workings of supernatural, somethings called paranormal, powers. WHERE THE PERFORMANCES OF THE MAGICIANS GET THEIR EFFICACY 1 Now, it...
View ArticleForget Randomization
I am only six months behind in answering thoughtful emails from readers. Here is one from Stephen Puryear: Dr. Briggs, please go back and elaborate on your ideas about why…
View ArticleSummary Against Modern Thought: The Power Of Psychics & Witches Is Not...
Previous post. We finally get to the question of morality and real magic. THAT THE INTELLECTUAL SUBSTANCE WHICH PROVIDES THE EFFICACY FOR MAGIC WORKS IS NOT MORALLY GOOD 1 We…
View ArticleSummary Against Modern Thought: Intellectual Substances Causing Magic Aren’t...
Previous post. This is mostly a dry, technical chapter. But as you read it your curiosity will be piqued. The kicker comes in the penultimate argument. THAT THE INTELLECTUAL SUBSTANCE…
View ArticleUniversal Skepticism Debunked — Guest Post by The Cranky Professor
Universal Skepticism and Its Problem with Pulling Goal Posts on Every Knowledge Claim Universal skepticism (otherwise known as absolute skepticism or global skepticism) is the view that real knowledge is…
View ArticleSummary Against Modern Thought: Sin In Demons
Previous post. Thanks to many generous readers, we have many new sources! We’re back! ARGUMENTS WHEREBY IT SEEMS TO BE PROVED THAT THERE CAN BE NO SIN IN DEMONS 1…
View ArticleSummary Against Modern Thought: How Demons Sin
Previous post. The way demons sin is constrained, and has to do with who they would follow. THAT SIN CAN OCCUR IN DEMONS, AND IN WHAT WAY 1 However, that…
View ArticleAll Of The Supposed Paradoxes About The Principle Of Indifference Are Bogus
Here is an example of a supposed paradox caused by using Keyne’s Principle of Indifference, which Stove and others (and myself) call the Statistical Syllogism (itself deduced from the symmetry…
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