David Baggett – författare

The history of the moral argument for the existence of God is a fascinating tale. Like any good story, it is full of twists and unexpected turns, compelling conflicts, memorable and idiosyncratic characters, both central and ancillary players. The narrative is as labyrinthine and circuitous as it is linear, its point yet to be fully seen, and its ending yet to be written. What remains certain is the importance of telling it. The resources of history offer a refresher course, a teachable moment, a cautionary tale about the need to avoid making sacrosanct the trends of the times, and an often sobering lesson in why reigning assumptions may need to be rejected. This book lets the argument's advocates, many long dead, come alive again and speak for themselves. A historical study of the moral argument is a reminder that classical philosophers were unafraid to ask and explore the big questions of faith, hope, and love; of truth, goodness, and beauty; of God, freedom, and immortality. It gives students and scholars alike the chance to drill down into their ideas, contexts, and arguments. Only by a careful study of its history can we come to see its richness and the range of resources it offers.

The history of the moral argument for the existence of God is a fascinating tale. Like any good story, it is full of twists and unexpected turns, compelling conflicts, memorable and idiosyncratic characters, both central and ancillary players. The narrative is as labyrinthine and circuitous as it is linear, its point yet to be fully seen, and its ending yet to be written. What remains certain is the importance of telling it. The resources of history offer a refresher course, a teachable moment, a cautionary tale about the need to avoid making sacrosanct the trends of the times, and an often sobering lesson in why reigning assumptions may need to be rejected. This book lets the argument's advocates, many long dead, come alive again and speak for themselves. A historical study of the moral argument is a reminder that classical philosophers were unafraid to ask and explore the big questions of faith, hope, and love; of truth, goodness, and beauty; of God, freedom, and immortality. It gives students and scholars alike the chance to drill down into their ideas, contexts, and arguments. Only by a careful study of its history can we come to see its richness and the range of resources it offers.

The Good, the Right, and the Real: Is Value a Fact? argues for a strongly objective understanding of ethics. This book offers a cumulative case for robust moral objectivity, the combination of both prescriptivity and objectivity. It provides positive arguments to believe in morality realistically construed, from Moorean arguments to indispensability arguments; from partners in guilt arguments to C. S. Lewis's arguments in The Abolition of Man, and more. This book outlines critiques of such moral objectivity ranging from queerness objections and moral arguments against morality to debunking objections to moral knowledge. It offers critiques of several alternative views like those of Friedrich Nietzsche, error theory, classical expressivism, constructivism, and sensibility theory. In the process of endorsing a generous empiricism and expansive conception of rationality, it delves into evidential considerations that go beyond the purely philosophical. This book argues that a supernaturalist explanation of morality realistically construed should remain on the table of living possibilities worth careful exploration.

The Good, the Right, and the Real: Is Value a Fact? argues for a strongly objective understanding of ethics. This book offers a cumulative case for robust moral objectivity, the combination of both prescriptivity and objectivity. It provides positive arguments to believe in morality realistically construed, from Moorean arguments to indispensability arguments; from partners in guilt arguments to C. S. Lewis's arguments in The Abolition of Man, and more. This book outlines critiques of such moral objectivity ranging from queerness objections and moral arguments against morality to debunking objections to moral knowledge. It offers critiques of several alternative views like those of Friedrich Nietzsche, error theory, classical expressivism, constructivism, and sensibility theory. In the process of endorsing a generous empiricism and expansive conception of rationality, it delves into evidential considerations that go beyond the purely philosophical. This book argues that a supernaturalist explanation of morality realistically construed should remain on the table of living possibilities worth careful exploration.

This volume brings together an impressive range of leading scholars to deftly navigate the field of moral arguments for God's existence. To this end, it canvasses the fertile history of the moral argument, highlighting thinkers from before Immanuel Kant, Kant himself, and various post-Kantian thinkers up until the present day-including C. S. Lewis, perhaps the most important popularizer of the moral argument of the twentieth century. It then makes a case for moral realism and against realism's salient metaethical alternatives such as error theory, expressivism, and constructivism. In that context, both the problem of evil and debunking arguments against moral knowledge are also discussed at length. Then the volume discusses a range of important moral phenomena, realistically construed, that call for adequate explanation-issues of moral value, human dignity, objective moral duties, issues of moral accountability and forgiveness, matters of moral knowledge, and aspects of Kantian moral faith. Then a range of theistic ethical accounts are outlined and defended against objections, from divine command theory, theistic natural law, divine will and desire theories, and divine motivation theory. The penultimate section elucidates challenges facing naturalistic theories like Cornell realism and atheistic Platonism, including the task of providing an account for basic human rights and escaping from problematic implications of debunking. Finally, an assortment of finer-grained religious ethical accounts are laid out, including a Trinitarian analysis, a Jewish perspective, and an original argument that certain moral considerations point beyond theism to Christianity in particular.

This volume brings together an impressive range of leading scholars to deftly navigate the field of moral arguments for God's existence. To this end, it canvasses the fertile history of the moral argument, highlighting thinkers from before Immanuel Kant, Kant himself, and various post-Kantian thinkers up until the present day-including C. S. Lewis, perhaps the most important popularizer of the moral argument of the twentieth century. It then makes a case for moral realism and against realism's salient metaethical alternatives such as error theory, expressivism, and constructivism. In that context, both the problem of evil and debunking arguments against moral knowledge are also discussed at length. Then the volume discusses a range of important moral phenomena, realistically construed, that call for adequate explanation-issues of moral value, human dignity, objective moral duties, issues of moral accountability and forgiveness, matters of moral knowledge, and aspects of Kantian moral faith. Then a range of theistic ethical accounts are outlined and defended against objections, from divine command theory, theistic natural law, divine will and desire theories, and divine motivation theory. The penultimate section elucidates challenges facing naturalistic theories like Cornell realism and atheistic Platonism, including the task of providing an account for basic human rights and escaping from problematic implications of debunking. Finally, an assortment of finer-grained religious ethical accounts are laid out, including a Trinitarian analysis, a Jewish perspective, and an original argument that certain moral considerations point beyond theism to Christianity in particular.

Moral arguments for God's existence have undergone something of a resurgence in recent years. For quite a while they were out of vogue for a variety of reasons, but recent advances in the philosophy of language and philosophical and natural theology have reinvigorated moral apologetics. This is the first book to consolidate these gains into one coherent treatment, which will rigorously demonstrate to a wide readership how effectively various objections to moral apologetics have been answered. The authors show how strides in answering the problem of evil, the Euthyphro Dilemma, and epistemic vacuity and arbitrariness challenges to theistic ethics make possible a compelling cumulative moral argument that can greatly contribute to the rational case for God's existence--and God's goodness. The authors hope to reach a readership of not just philosophers, apologists, and theologians, but bright college students up through graduate school and beyond. Christians and non-Christians alike, those interested in apologetics, moral theology, atheology, and morality and religious ethics should find the book a significant contribution to their field.

Moral arguments for God's existence have undergone something of a resurgence in recent years. For quite a while they were out of vogue for a variety of reasons, but recent advances in the philosophy of language and philosophical and natural theology have reinvigorated moral apologetics. This is the first book to consolidate these gains into one coherent treatment, which will rigorously demonstrate to a wide readership how effectively various objections to moral apologetics have been answered. The authors show how strides in answering the problem of evil, the Euthyphro Dilemma, and epistemic vacuity and arbitrariness challenges to theistic ethics make possible a compelling cumulative moral argument that can greatly contribute to the rational case for God's existence--and God's goodness. The authors hope to reach a readership of not just philosophers, apologists, and theologians, but bright college students up through graduate school and beyond. Christians and non-Christians alike, those interested in apologetics, moral theology, atheology, and morality and religious ethics should find the book a significant contribution to their field.

Naturalistic ethics is the reigning paradigm among contemporary ethicists; in God and Cosmos, Baggett and Walls argue that this approach is seriously flawed. This book canvasses a broad array of secular and naturalistic ethical theories in an effort to test their adequacy in accounting for moral duties, intrinsic human value, prospects for radical moral transformation, and the rationality of morality. In each case, the authors argue, although various secular accounts provide real insights and indeed share common ground with theistic ethics, the resources of classical theism and orthodox Christianity provide the better explanation of the moral realities under consideration. Among such realities is the fundamental insight behind the problem of evil, namely, that the world is not as it should be. Baggett and Walls argue that God and the world, taken together, exhibit superior explanatory scope and power for morality classically construed, without the need to water down the categories of morality, the import of human value, the prescriptive strength of moral obligations, or the deliverances of the logic, language, and phenomenology of moral experience. This book thus provides a cogent moral argument for God's existence, one that is abductive, teleological, and cumulative.

Naturalistic ethics is the reigning paradigm among contemporary ethicists; in God and Cosmos, Baggett and Walls argue that this approach is seriously flawed. This book canvasses a broad array of secular and naturalistic ethical theories in an effort to test their adequacy in accounting for moral duties, intrinsic human value, prospects for radical moral transformation, and the rationality of morality. In each case, the authors argue, although various secular accounts provide real insights and indeed share common ground with theistic ethics, the resources of classical theism and orthodox Christianity provide the better explanation of the moral realities under consideration. Among such realities is the fundamental insight behind the problem of evil, namely, that the world is not as it should be. Baggett and Walls argue that God and the world, taken together, exhibit superior explanatory scope and power for morality classically construed, without the need to water down the categories of morality, the import of human value, the prescriptive strength of moral obligations, or the deliverances of the logic, language, and phenomenology of moral experience. This book thus provides a cogent moral argument for God's existence, one that is abductive, teleological, and cumulative.

In 'Harry Potter and Philosophy', 17 philosophical experts unlock some of Hogwarts' secret panels, and uncover surprising insights that are enlightening both for wizards and the most discerning muggles

The shower scene in Psycho; Cary Grant running for his life through a cornfield; “innocent” birds lined up on a fence waiting, watching — these seminal cinematic moments are as real to moviegoers as their own lives. But what makes them so? What deeper forces are at work in Hitchcock’s films that so captivate his fans? This collection of articles in the series that’s explored such pop-culture phenomena as Seinfeld and The Simpsons examines those forces with fresh eyes. These essays demonstrate a fascinating range of topics: Sabotage’s lessons about the morality of terrorism and counter-terrorism; Rope’s debatable Nietzschean underpinnings; Strangers on a Train’s definition of morality. Some of the essays look at more overarching questions, such as why Hitchcock relies so heavily on the Freudian unconscious. In all, the book features 18 philosophers paying a special homage to the legendary auteur in a way that’s accessible even to casual fans.

Tennis smashed onto the worldwide athletic scene soon after its modern rules and equipment were introduced in nineteenth-century England. Exciting, competitive, and uniquely accessible to people of all ages and talent levels, tennis continues to enjoy popularity, both as a recreational activity and a spectator sport.Life imitates sport in Tennis and Philosophy. Editor David Baggett approaches tennis not only as a game but also as a surprisingly rich resource for philosophical analysis. He assembles a team of champion scholars, including David Foster Wallace, Robert R. Clewis, David Detmer, Mark Huston, Tommy Valentini, Neil Delaney, and Kevin Kinghorn, to consider numerous philosophical issues within the sport. Profiles of tennis greats such as John McEnroe, Roger Federer, the Williams sisters, and Arthur Ashe are paired with pertinent topics, from the ethics of rage to the role of rivalry. Whether entertaining metaphysical arguments or examining the nature of beauty, these essays promise insightful discussion of one of the world's most popular sports.

Arguably the most famous and recognized detective in history, Sherlock Holmes is considered by many to be the first pop icon of the modern age. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's fictional detective has stood as a unique figure for more than a century with his reliance on logical rigor, his analytic precision, and his disregard of social mores. A true classic, the Sherlock Holmes character continues to entertain twenty-first-century audiences on the page, stage, and screen.In The Philosophy of Sherlock Holmes, a team of leading scholars use the beloved character as a window into the quandaries of existence, from questions of reality to the search for knowledge. The essays explore the sleuth's role in revealing some of the world's most fundamental philosophical issues, discussing subjects such as the nature of deception, the lessons enemies can teach us, Holmes's own potential for criminality, and the detective's unique but effective style of inductive reasoning. Emphasizing the philosophical debates raised by generations of devoted fans, this intriguing volume will be of interest to philosophers and Holmes enthusiasts alike.

An accessible and engaging journey through the philosophical themes and concepts of Ted LassoTed Lasso and Philosophy explores the hidden depths beneath the vibrant veneer of AppleTV's breakout, award-winning sitcom. Blending philosophical sophistication with winsome appreciation of this feel-good comedy, the collection features 20 original essays canvassing the breadth of the series and carefully considering the ideas it presents, including the goal of competition, the role of mental health, sportsmanship, revenge versus justice, the importance of friendship, the imperative of respect for persons, humility, leadership, identity, character growth, courage, journalistic ethics, belief, forgiveness, what love looks like, and just how evil tea is. In a nod to the show’s many literary allusions, the compilation concludes with a whimsical appendix that catalogs the books most significant to Ted Lasso's themes and characters. If football is life, as Dani Rojas fondly repeats, then this book’s a fitting primer. Covers the full breadth of the original Ted Lasso series, including the third seasonExplores every major character and all of the show's significant subplots and elementsWritten in the spirit of the show, with in-jokes that will appeal to Ted Lasso fansFeatures an introduction that guides readers through the book's materialsIncludes Beard's Bookshelf, a bibliography of the most significant books shown or alluded to in the seriesTed Lasso and Philosophy is for the curious, not judgmental. Sport is quite the metaphor, and we can't wait to unpack it with you.

In Reasonable Moral Faith, distinguished philosophers David Baggett and William Lane Craig present a comprehensive case for how moral evidence supports theistic belief. This rigorous yet accessible volume traces the rich intellectual history of moral arguments from ancient Greek philosophy to contemporary scholarship, providing students and scholars with essential background on this vital apologetic tradition. The authors then develop a robust defense of moral realism before constructing their innovative fivefold inductive moral argument for God's existence.Drawing on objective moral values, authoritative duties, moral knowledge, and Kantian moral faith, Baggett and Craig demonstrate how theism--and particularly Christianity--provides a compelling explanation for our moral experience. Their argument addresses fundamental human needs for forgiveness, transformation, and the ultimate alignment of virtue with happiness.Integrating insights from philosophy and theology, Reasonable Moral Faith offers a valuable resource for upper-level college students, seminarians, and scholars seeking to understand how ethical reflection can inform questions of ultimate reality. This work demonstrates the evidential power of morality for theistic belief.