Ep. #178 – Is There a God? w/ Dr. Kenneth L. Pearce
Summary
Is there a God? What contingency argument did Kenneth Pearce defend in a recent debate book with Graham Oppy? How does Pearce understand classical theism? Does theism explain more than atheism can? We cover these topics and more as we examine Dr. Kenneth Pearce’s arguments in Is There a God?: A Debate.
Guest Bio
Dr. Kenneth L. Pearce earned his Ph.D in philosophy from the University of Southern California. historian of modern philosophy and philosopher of religion in Trinity College Dublin, Ireland. His historical work focuses on issues at the intersection of metaphysics, theology, and philosophy of science in 17th and 18th century philosophy, especially the work of George Berkeley. Also, in contemporary philosophy of religion, he’s interested in a variety of metaphysical issues related to divine and human freedom and God’s relation to the created world. Recently, he contributed to the dialogue/debate book in an exchange with Dr. Graham Oppy called Is There a God? A Debate, which we’ll consider in today’s podcast.
Topics
- How did Dr. Pearce get interested in studying philosophy?
- Firstly, how did this book project come about?
- Secondly, what is classical theism?
- Thirdly, how do you defend the premises in your argument?
- Do you think theism can explain more than naturalism can?
- Why does the ontological argument show up in your opening?
- Would you say that theists are committed to brute facts too, just like atheists?
- Does your argument cause problems for creaturely free will?
Resources
Is There a God? A Debate by Graham Oppy and Kenneth L. Pearce
Kennypearce.net (Dr. Kenneth Pearce’s website)
Dr. Pearce’s university webpage
Related Episodes
Ep. #111 – How to Think about God w/ Pat Flynn
Reality Has an Ultimate Foundation w/ Dr. Rasmussen (part 2) – Ep. #52
Exploring the Ultimate Foundation w/ Dr. Rasmussen (part 3) – Ep. #53
