Author Topic: PSR and the Gap Problem  (Read 222 times)

Dominik

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PSR and the Gap Problem
« on: May 19, 2020, 11:05:37 am »
What is a quick interference from the PSR to the fact that the foundation is intelligent?

Atno

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Re: PSR and the Gap Problem
« Reply #1 on: May 22, 2020, 11:34:04 pm »
This is the main thing for me. I think the First Stage of cosmological arguments is pretty much undeniable; Second Stage is where debate is more interesting.

My favorite arguments are the following:

1- by the PPC (and those who accept PSR tend to accept PPC), the First Cause must have the perfections of all possible contingent things. That includes the perfections of Intelligence, Consciousness, Personhood, etc. So the First Cause is personal;

2- combine the cosmological argument with a broad range of teleological arguments. Basically, the cosmological argument tells us that there is a Foundational Cause of all reality. What is striking in this first stage is "that it is, not how it is" (the universe) as Wittgenstein would put it. But surely the "how it is" and "what it is" of contingent reality is also relevant. The First Cause has produced, and maintains in existence, an orderly universe, with regular natural laws, life, intelligent and conscious beings, beauty, a moral landscape, religious experiences, etc. Inductively or abductively it seems very plausible that the First Cause is personal;

3- Josh Rasmussen's argument from perfection and modal continuity. Look up Josh and Chris Weaver's "why is there anything" article. The basic idea is that it would be arbitrary and absurd for the Necessary Foundation to have any limitation in greatness or power (incl. Knowledge etc). We have defeasible reason to believe the First Cause is the greatest possible being.

Those are my 3 favorite arguments.