The Uncertainty Podcast

Tim Mawson, professor of philosophy at Oxford, discusses the contours of the newly emerging philosophical investigation into the meaning of life. What does it mean to say that life's meaning is subjective versus objective? Would life be meaningful if we were immortal? And what difference does God make, and not make, to whether life means anything?Video of this interview is available on YouTube.To support the channel, do please oh please consider donating, either via PayPal or Buy Me a Coffee.Follow me on X because you’re awesome.EPISODE CHAPTERS:00:00:00 Introduction00:02:55 Open theism and God's relationship to time00:11:09 Returning to the meaning of life00:12:06 Why philosophers neglected the meaning of life00:15:48 What does it mean for life to have meaning?00:19:20 Objectivism, subjectivism and hybrid theories00:28:23 Objective meaning, subjective states and purpose00:35:00 Can there be no meaning to life?00:39:47 What can God add to life's meaning?00:43:25 Vocation, purpose and meaningfulness00:50:50 Does God give some people more meaningful lives?00:59:20 Death, immortality and the meaning of life01:00:25 Would eternal life become unbearably boring?01:07:48 Does infinite time destroy urgency?01:13:23 Would praising God forever become boring?01:18:14 What God cannot add to life's meaning01:21:55 Can God's existence make a life less meaningful?01:24:18 What is the meaning of life? Get full access to Miles K. Donahue at mileskdonahue.substack.com/subscribe

Kevin Scharp comes back on the podcast to discuss William Lane Craig’s eight-part case for the existence of God: contingency, cosmology, mathematics, fine-tuning, consciousness, morality, miracles, and experience.Video of this interview is available on YouTube.To support the channel, do please oh please consider donating, either via PayPal or Buy Me a Coffee.Follow me on X because you’re awesome.EPISODE CHAPTERS:00:00:00 Introduction00:01:20 Behind the scenes: Kevin vs. William Lane Craig00:14:11 Craig on probability & inference to the best explanation00:23:07 Divine psychology and fine-tuning00:27:06 Argument #1 - Contingency00:43:30 Does everything need an explanation?00:49:48 Argument #2 - Kalam cosmological argument00:51:35 Actual infinity and Hilbert’s Hotel01:03:06 Argument #3 - Fine-tuning01:09:53 What does the Big Bang actually tell us?01:11:53 Divine psychology01:27:08 Argument #4 - Applicability of mathematics01:35:08 Argument #5 - Consciousness01:40:47 Does consciousness really get us to God?01:45:41 Argument #6 - Morality01:54:43 Argument #7 - The resurrection of Jesus01:58:27 Miracles and the laws of nature02:08:25 Argument #8 - Experience of God Get full access to Miles K. Donahue at mileskdonahue.substack.com/subscribe

Ralph Weir answers all my questions about the mind-body problem, how we define "physical," whether I can conceive of philosophical zombies, and where panpsychism fits into all this.Video of this interview is available on YouTube.To support the channel, do please oh please consider donating, either via PayPal or Buy Me a Coffee.Follow me on X because you’re awesome.EPISODE CHAPTERS:00:00:00 Introduction00:02:35 How Ralph got into philosophy of mind00:05:52 Eliminativism: do mental states exist?00:09:00 What is illusionism?00:10:56 What is phenomenal consciousness?00:17:53 What are qualia?00:21:33 What does “physical” actually mean?00:29:03 Is panpsychism a form of physicalism?00:35:45 Mapping the mind-body problem00:45:16 Property dualism vs. substance dualism00:53:10 What is the strongest case against physicalism?01:00:32 Philosophical zombies and modal skepticism01:10:23 Can science settle the mind-body problem?01:18:20 Mental causation and physical anomalies01:22:31 Does the evidence favor physicalism?01:34:07 Which philosophical view is Ralph most uncertain about? Get full access to Miles K. Donahue at mileskdonahue.substack.com/subscribe

You do NOT want to miss this debate on the perennial question that human beings have wondered about for thousands of years: does God exist? Josh presents both a cumulative case for theism, as well as his signature argument from arbitrary limits. Mike presents his novel argument against God's infinite attributes.Video of this interview is available on YouTube.To support the channel, do please oh please consider donating, either via PayPal or Buy Me a Coffee.Follow me on X because you’re awesome.EPISODE CHAPTERS:00:00:00 Introduction00:01:48 Joshua Rasmussen’s opening statement00:17:05 Michael Huemer’s opening statement00:33:26 Moderated discussion begins00:35:43 Infinity and the nature of God00:45:18 What grounds an eternal reality?00:48:13 God, consciousness, and omniscience00:54:18 Platonism, infinity, and the digits of π01:01:18 Can God have unlimited power?01:07:29 Does theism best explain reality?01:14:08 Fine-tuning and the multiverse01:20:27 Does a multiverse actually explain life?01:26:39 Suffering and the problem of evil01:32:56 Closing statements Get full access to Miles K. Donahue at mileskdonahue.substack.com/subscribe

Emily McRae, professor of philosophy at the University of New Mexico, offers an overview of Buddhist philosophy. In particular, we discuss the different traditions within Buddhism - Theravada, Mahayana, Tibetan, and Zen - the doctrine of emptiness, the Four Noble Truths, and the ontology of Nirvana: annihilation, eternal bliss, or a state of mind in the here and now?Video of this interview is available on YouTube.To support the channel, do please oh please consider donating, either via PayPal or Buy Me a Coffee.Follow me on X because you’re awesome.EPISODE CHAPTERS:00:00:00 Introduction00:02:55 Moral ignorance in Buddhist philosophy00:06:47 What drew Emily to Buddhist philosophy?00:10:36 Analytic philosophy vs. Buddhist philosophy00:13:41 What kind of ethical theory is Buddhism?00:21:26 Is Buddhism a religion or a philosophy?00:24:37 The major schools of Buddhism00:29:56 Emptiness and the Buddhist theory of the self00:37:47 Why the Buddha refused to answer some questions00:43:02 The Four Noble Truths00:46:01 The first Noble Truth: suffering00:51:04 The second Noble Truth: the causes of suffering00:53:43 The third Noble Truth: the end of suffering00:56:10 What is nirvana?01:00:14 Does Buddhism ultimately teach annihilation?01:07:15 Buddhism vs. Christianity on desire01:12:18 The fourth Noble Truth: the Eightfold Path01:16:16 What reason is there to believe Buddhism is true? Get full access to Miles K. Donahue at mileskdonahue.substack.com/subscribe