Category Archives: Apologetics

Philosophers’ Carnival #122

Posted on March 14, 2011 by Maryann Spikes

Welcome to the 122nd fortnightly edition of Philosophers’ Carnival!  Without too much ado [ besides a plug for the Carnival’s new FB page ] I present to you a philosophers’ blog carnival that is (this round) predominantly about mostly Philosophy of Religion and mostly Ethics…with a smidge … Continue reading →

Posted in Carnival, Divine Essentialism, Euthyphro Dilemma, Faith, Golden Rule | 6 Comments

Hume’s is-ought, Plato’s true-justified, Euthyphro’s dilemma and Gettier’s problem

Posted on February 23, 2011 by Maryann Spikes

Hume‘s is-ought (fact-value) distinction is the same as Plato‘s true-justified distinction.  When is/true/fact and ought/justified/value are not kept distinct, the Euthyphro dilemma as applied to epistemology ensues:  Are we justified in believing (ought we believe) merely because our belief is true (can truth justify … Continue reading →

Posted in Apisticism, Divine Essentialism, Euthyphro Dilemma, Gettier Problem, Is-Ought Fallacy, Justified True Belief | Leave a comment

Atheism and agnosticism (really, apisticism) as belief

Posted on February 16, 2011 by Maryann Spikes

First I will grant that agnosticism (a better word for this being ‘apisticism’) is neutral in order to make the claim that atheism is a belief because it lacks the neutrality of apisticism. Then I will challenge the neutrality of … Continue reading →

Posted in Apisticism, Faith | 6 Comments

Does prayer change the future?

Posted on January 29, 2011 by Maryann Spikes

There are three ways of seeing prayer: First Way:  God changes the future when he answers our prayer. Second Way:  The future is set in stone but includes answered prayer. Third Way:  Prayer is futile because the future is set … Continue reading →

Posted in Predestination | Leave a comment

Answering Gettier

Posted on January 9, 2011 by Maryann Spikes

[ work in progress ] [ completed 1/15/11 ] Plato’s justified-true-belief definition of knowledge, maintained by critical realists, besides requiring that a belief be justified by evidence and true by correspondence, says 1) whether or not a belief is true … Continue reading →

Posted in Gettier Problem, Is-Ought Fallacy, Justified True Belief, Norris' Epistemology, Reviews and Interviews | 8 Comments

Norris, Gettier, Euthyphro, Hume and Plato: Is knowledge justified true belief?

Posted on January 5, 2011 by Maryann Spikes

[ Section on Gettier revised 1/7/11 ][ Mention of Euthyphro dilemma as applied to epistemology revised 2/23/11 ] When deciding whether knowledge is justified, true belief (Plato), a question arises: Is the truth of a belief 1) external to the … Continue reading →

Posted in Divine Essentialism, Euthyphro Dilemma, Gettier Problem, Is-Ought Fallacy, Justified True Belief, Norris' Epistemology, Reviews and Interviews | 3 Comments

The Bible as a Narrative

Posted on November 22, 2010 by Maryann Spikes

Reposting from December of 2009, to update on new project: http://biblenarrativeproject.blogspot.com/ Check it out *** Update 1/1/11:  The Bible Narrative Project is complete and the 2011 study began today at the beginning of Genesis and Job and will be working through the … Continue reading →

Posted in Apologetics, Apologetics Toolbox | Leave a comment

Replacing Agnosticism with Apisticism

Posted on November 21, 2010 by Maryann Spikes

This article argues we replace the word “agnosticism” (lack of knowing) with the word “apisticism” (lack of believing) on every belief scale.  The current debate between Myers and Coyne on the falsifiability of atheism is complicated by a misunderstanding of faith/belief as … Continue reading →

Posted in Apisticism, Faith, Gettier Problem, Is-Ought Fallacy, Justified True Belief | Leave a comment

Dawkins, Craig and others debate: "Does the universe have a purpose?"

Posted on November 20, 2010 by Maryann Spikes

Matt Ridley, Michael Shermer, Richard Dawkins VS Rabbi David Wolpe, William Lane Craig, Douglas Geivett @La Ciudad de las Ideas 2010 I was wondering when Dawkins would talk about the science of morality, but he only mentioned it at the … Continue reading →

Posted in Richard Dawkins, William Lane Craig | Leave a comment

Is-ought fallacy and knowledge as justified, true belief

Posted on November 12, 2010 by Maryann Spikes

The is-ought fallacy (Hume) is a real fallacy, and is why knowledge is justified, true belief (Plato). In order to be knowledge, a belief must both be justified by the evidence, and true by correspondence. If we consider justified a belief … Continue reading →

Posted in Is-Ought Fallacy, Justified True Belief | Leave a comment