Ep. #32 – An Interview with Dr. Edward Feser

by John DeRosa · Published March 17, 2019 · Updated December 22, 2019

Summary

Dr. Edward Feser joins us to discuss Catholicism, God, and Science. In the first segment, he gives insight into what led him to Catholicism. Next, he interacts with Simon Blackburn’s critique of his book Five Proofs of the Existence of God and answers an objection raised by the hosts of the Real Atheology podcast. Lastly, he provides a detailed overview of what to expect in his forthcoming book Aristotle’s Revenge.

Guest Bio

Dr. Edward Feser is a writer and philosopher who teaches at Pasadena City College. His primary research interests are in the philosophy of mind, moral and political philosophy, and philosophy of religion. He also writes on politics, from a conservative point of view; and on religion, from a traditional Roman Catholic perspective. He is the author of many books including Five Proofs of the Existence of God and the forthcoming book Aristotle’s Revenge.

Show Outline

In the first segment, Dr. Feser provides insight into what led him to Catholicism. Particularly, he discusses how he became more sympathetic to Christianity after becoming convinced that God exists. Additionally, he notes the power of arguments for the Resurrection and the Trilemma surrounding Jesus’ identity.

Regarding Catholicism, he notes that he was drawn several things including: (1) the deep intellectual and philosophical tradition (2) a belief that there sola Scriptura was not right and (3) it was the Catholic Church alone that held the line on the moral issue of contraception.

In the next segment, he explains why scientism is false. Also, he mentions one dumb objection to theistic arguments that will not die. Additionally, he explains what he means by “the balancing act” in his response to Simon Blackburn’s critique of his book Five Proofs. He also responds to some objections to the Principle of Sufficient Reason.

In the final section, Dr. Feser provides a detailed overview of his new book Aristotle’s Revenge. It’s a book that he’s been working on for a long time, and I’m sure it will repay careful study!