Sunday, April 18, 2010

Two Arguments

1. I've mentioned the Simplicity Argument before. Roughly, the idea is that a thought (of the color blue for example) cannot be subdivided into constituent parts. However, the neurons, molecules, and atoms that are involved in someone thinking of the color blue can be subdivided. Therefore, thoughts -- and by extension, thought -- cannot be reduced to the physical processes involved in thinking. Therefore, there must be a non-physical aspect of the human being which is unified and indestructable. Some of the Argument's proponents have started a website on it here, and have kindly linked to my review of the book The Achilles of Rationalist Arguments which deals with the Simplicity Argument as it developed in early Modern philosophy.

2. Another interesting argument, although one I'm much more skeptical of, is the Argument from Evolution. That link takes you to a blog that presents an argument to the effect that biological evolution is not only compatible with Christianity, but is actually evidence for Christianity. Click on over to check it out and vote on how convincing you find it. The guy who came up with it also blogs here. There are other arguments from evolution out there -- Plantinga has one, Craig has another -- so I was expecting it to be a reiteration of something I'd already heard; but it looks original (at least I've never heard of it before).

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Thanks Jim. I kinda skimmed through the argument from evolution blog, but I do recall reading this general argument in Peter Kreeft's "Handbook of Christian Apologetics"(at least I think I did!) I don't know if I would/could frame it as an argument, but I am certainly in awe at the evolutionary process. Despite coming into my theological search as an atheist thinking evolution and theism were incompatible, it has actually helped me make a case for belief.