The Teleological and Kalam Cosmological Arguments Revisited.

• Superior document: Palgrave Frontiers in Philosophy of Religion Series
• Author: Loke, Andrew.
• Place / Publishing House: Cham : : Springer International Publishing AG,, 2022.; ©2022.
• Year of Publication: 2022
• Edition: 1st ed.
• Language: English
• Series: Palgrave Frontiers in Philosophy of Religion Series
• Physical Description: 1 online resource (398 pages)

Table of Contents

• The Teleological and Kalam Cosmological Arguments Revisited
• Acknowledgements
• Contents
• List of Figures
• 1: Introducing the Quest for an Explanation
• 1.1 Introduction
• 1.2 A Review of the Discussion
• 1.3 Problems with Scientism
• 1.4 Problems with Verificationism
• 1.5 In Defence of the Possibility of a Priori Metaphysical Knowledge
• 1.6 Reply to the Evolutionary Objection Against Metaphysical Knowledge
• 1.7 Reply to Empiricist Objections
• 1.8 Conclusion and Overview of Following Chapters
• Bibliography
• 2: Causation and Laws of Nature
• 2.1 Introduction
• 2.2 Defining the Key Terms of the Causal Principle
• 2.3 Causation, Fundamental Physics, and Laws of Nature
• 2.4 Considerations of Quantum Indeterminancy
• Bibliography
• 3: Arguments for the Causal Principle
• 3.1 Introduction
• 3.2 Objection: The Initial State of Reality (ISOR) is the Only Thing That Begins Uncaused
• 3.3 Against 1.1.1. Brute Fact
• 3.4 Against 1.1.2. Abstract Entities
• 3.5 Against 1.1.3.1 S is a Property of x
• 3.6 Concerning 1.1.3.2.1
• 3.7 Concerning 1.1.3.2.2. S is a Property of y
• 3.8 Concerning 1.1.3.2.3. S is a Property of the Circumstances of y
• 3.8.1 Objection: Current Spatial Considerations Prevent Things from Beginning to Exist Uncaused Now
• 3.8.2 Objection Based on the Distinction between Different Senses of Beginning to Exist
• 3.8.3 Objection: Pre-existing Things Such as a Pre-existent Law of Nature Might Prevent Things from Beginning to Exist Uncaused Now
• 3.8.4 A Second Form of Modus Tollens Argument
• 3.9 Objection Concerning the Distinction between Could and Would
• 3.10 Objection: The Causal Principle is Inconsistent with Libertarian Freedom
• 3.11 Objection Based on Lack of Directionality
• 3.12 Epistemological Objections
• 3.13 Conclusion
• Bibliography.
• 4: Fine-Tuning and Order of our Universe
• 4.1 Introduction
• 4.2 Fine-Tuning and Orderliness
• 4.2.1 Fine-Tuning
• 4.2.2 Orderliness
• 4.2.2.1 Introduction
• 4.2.2.2 Objection: Human Creation
• 4.2.2.3 Platonic Objection
• 4.2.3 Summary
• 4.3 A Logically Exhaustive List of Categories of Possibilities
• 4.4 Chance Hypothesis
• 4.4.1 The Argument from Selection Bias and Chaos
• 4.4.2 Anthropic Principle
• 4.4.3 Improbable Event Happens
• 4.4.4 The Problem of Normalizing Probabilities
• 4.4.5 Multiple Universes
• 4.4.5.1 Introducing Various Types of Multiverse Hypothesis
• 4.4.5.2 Insufficient Evidence for the Atheistic Multiverse Hypothesis
• 4.4.5.3 Arguments against the Atheistic Multiverse Hypothesis
• 4.5 Regularity
• 4.6 Combination of Regularity and Chance
• 4.7 Conclusion
• Bibliography
• 5: Arguments for a First Cause
• 5.1 Introduction
• 5.2 Scientific Issues
• 5.3 Introducing the Philosophical Arguments Against an Infinite Regress of Causes and Events
• 5.4 Argument Against Traversing an Actual Infinite
• 5.5 The Argument from the Viciousness of Dependence Regress
• 5.6 Can a First Cause Be Avoided by a Causal Loop?
• 5.7 Conclusion
• Bibliography
• 6: What the First Cause Is
• 6.1 Introduction
• 6.2 The First Cause Is Uncaused, Beginningless, and Initially Changeless
• 6.3 Transcendent and Immaterial
• 6.4 The First Cause Has Libertarian Freedom
• 6.4.1 How Could the First Cause Bring about the First Event from an Initially Changeless State
• 6.4.2 Should We Call It Libertarian Freedom?
• 6.4.3 Is the First Event Random?
• 6.4.4 Libertarian Freedom and Time
• 6.4.5 Contradiction with Classical Theism
• 6.5 The First Cause Has Tremendous Power
• 6.6 Conclusion
• Bibliography
• 7: Ultimate Design
• 7.1 Introduction
• 7.2 Against the 'Uncaused' Hypothesis.
• 7.3 In defence of Design
• 7.4 Reply to Hume's Classic Objections
• 7.5 Addressing an Objection to Argument by Exclusion
• 7.6 Response to Difficulties Concerning Determining the Prior Probability that God Design the Universe
• 7.7 Reply to Objections Concerning the Range of Explanatory Latitude
• 7.8 Conclusion
• Bibliography
• 8: Ultimate Designer
• 8.1 Summary of Important Conclusions from Previous Chapters
• 8.2 Concerning the God-of-the-Gaps Objection
• 8.3 Limitations of the KCA-TA and responses
• 8.4 Significance of the Conclusion of KCA-TA
• Bibliography
• Bibliography
• Index.