The Leibnizian Cosmological Argument

Does contingency give us reason to believe in God? The Leibnizian Cosmological Argument (LCA) answers in the affirmative. In this video, I explain Alex Pruss’ LCA from the Blackwell Companion to Natural Theology.

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Video Outline

1 Introduction, background, and argument 0:00
2 Principle of Sufficient Reason 4:49
3 PSR: OBJECTION TIME 49:14
4 Global Causal Principles 59:57
5 Toward a first cause 1:09:19
6 The Gap Problem 1:26:14

Presentation Outline

1 Introduction
2 Principle of Sufficient Reason (PSR)
-----2.1 Self-evidence
-----2.2 Koons-Pruss epistemological argument
-----2.3 Evolution (Induction in science)
-----2.4 Inference to best explanation
-----2.5 Precluding chaos
-----2.6 Nature of modality
----------2.6.1 Narrowly logical account of modality
----------2.6.2 Lewisian modal realism
----------2.6.3 Platonic account of modality
----------2.6.4 Aristotelian-essentialist account of modality
----------2.6.5 Aristotelian-causal account of modality
----------2.6.6 The argument
-----2.7 Philosophical argumentation
3 Objections to PSR
-----3.1 Modal imagination argument
-----3.2 Van Inwagen’s modal fatalism argument
-----3.3 Quantum mechanics
-----3.4 Contrastive explanation
4 Global Causal Principles (CPs)
-----4.1 Objection: causing the causing
5 Toward a first cause
-----5.1 The PSR
-----5.2 Objections
----------5.2.1 Can we even form BCCF?
----------5.2.2 HECP
----------5.2.3 Taxicab Problem
-----5.3 CP for wholly contingent states
6 The Gap Problem
-----6.1 Agency
-----6.2 Goodness
-----6.3 Divine Simplicity?
-----6.4 Gellman’s argument for uniqueness and omnipotence

Links

Pruss, “The Leibnizian Cosmological Argument”: http://alexanderpruss.com/papers/LCA....

Craig and Moreland, “The Blackwell Companion to Natural Theology”:
https://www.difa3iat.com/wp-content/u...

Baddorf, “Divine Simplicity, Aseity, and Sovereignty”: https://philpapers.org/archive/BADDSA...

Della Rocca, “PSR”: https://quod.lib.umich.edu/cgi/p/pod/...

Bernaf and Kodaj, “Evil and the god of indifference”: https://link.springer.com/article/10....

Reluctant Theologian Podcast: https://www.rtmullins.com/podcast

Against the BCCF:

Tomaszewski against BCCF [I happen to think this argument is well-nigh decisive]: https://www.academia.edu/18318327/The...

Levey against BCCF: http://www.pgrim.org/philosophersannu...

Re: some of my stuff on divine simplicity/CT

(1) Why Am I Agnostic?
(2) The Aloneness Argument Against Classi...
(3) Classical Theism and the Problem of E...
(4) Is God an Angsty Teen? | Dr. Ryan Mul...
(5) Answering Classical Theist Objections...
(6) Is Divine Simplicity True? Joe Schmid...
(7) https://docs.google.com/document/d/1U...
(8) Is Divine Simplicity Compatible with ...
(9) https://majestyofreason.wordpress.com...
(10) Dr. Ryan Mullins on Problems for Clas...
(11a) https://majestyofreason.wordpress.com...
(11b) https://majestyofreason.wordpress.com...

And, of course, the usual resources... :)

My book: https://www.amazon.com/Majesty-Reason...
My website: https://majestyofreason.wordpress.com/