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Craig on Thomism and divine simplicity, Part II
Let’s continue our critical look at William Lane Craig’s treatment of Thomism and the doctrine of divine simplicity in Volume IIa of his Systematic Philosophical Theology. In the first part of this...
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Craig on Thomism and divine simplicity, Part I
In an earlier article, I discussed William Lane Craig’s treatment of the kalām cosmological argument in Volume IIb of his Systematic Philosophical Theology. Let’s now take a look at Volume IIa, which...
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Craig on finitism and presentism
The kalām cosmological argument for God’s existence holds that the universe must have had a beginning. (Not all versions of the cosmological argument make this claim. For example, the versions I...
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Just war doctrine and Congress’s war powers
As I have argued since it began, President Trump’s war on Iran fails to meet several of the conditions of traditional just war doctrine. Not the least of these is the “lawful authority” condition....
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Berkeley’s God
In my latest article at Postliberal Order, I discuss how the novel metaphysical assumptions that modern philosophy brought to the traditional project of establishing the existence and nature of God...
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Abortion and partisan politics
This week, Massachusetts’ Democratic governor Maura Healey signed a law removing existing restrictions on late-term abortion, thereby legalizing it to the moment of birth. The move has prompted...
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Anthony Kenny (1931-2026)
Sir Anthony Kenny died on August 3. Of philosophers of his generation, Kenny was among those I most admired. He made important contributions to the philosophy of mind, philosophy of religion, and...
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Summer web surfing
Several new articles from David Oderberg: “Hylemorphism as a Generalized Research Programme”; “In Defence of Panmoralism”; and “Turning the Tables on the Table Deniers: Metaphysical Mythmaking About...
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The evil and incoherence of targeting civilian infrastructure
President Trump has renewed his threats to destroy Iranian civilian infrastructure such as power stations and bridges, which could result in a humanitarian disaster. By longstanding principles of just...
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Anscombe on human dignity
My essay “Misunderstanding “Human Dignity,’” which discusses some illuminating things Elizabeth Anscombe had to say about the subject, appears today at Postliberal Order.
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Review of Smith
My review of James K. A. Smith’s book Make Your Home in This Luminous Dark: Mysticism, Art, and the Path of Unknowing appears in the August/September issue of First Things.
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Nguyen on Immortal Souls
In New Blackfriars, Br. Francis Dominic Nguyen kindly reviews my book Immortal Souls: A Treatise on Human Nature. From the review: “Feser engages in a fresh dialogue between ancient and modern...
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Chesterton on patriotism
In his classic book Orthodoxy, G. K. Chesterton famously said that the doctrine of original sin is the part of Christian theology that can really be proved. What he had in mind, I think, is the part...
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The Journal of Natural Law
The second issue of the new Journal of Natural Law is out soon. It includes, among other things, a debate between Melissa Moschella and Robert Koons on the New Natural Law Theory, and articles on...
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What is the mechanical world picture?
Early modern philosophy and science are often said to have put a “mechanical” or “mechanistic” conception of nature at the center of Western thought. Robert Boyle referred to it as “the mechanical...
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Leo XIV contra the new Babel: Reflections on the pope’s landmark encyclical
Last week, Pope Leo XIV issued Magnifica Humanitas, the first encyclical of his pontificate. It has received much attention, both positive and negative and in both Catholic and secular media. Much of...
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Nagel on Stroud on the possibility of metaphysics
Much of modern philosophy has been hypnotized by the idea that causality, necessity, and value are not features of objective reality but merely features the human mind projects onto reality. David...
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No, the U.S. has not been at war with Iran for 47 years
After the United States and Israel attacked Iran at the end of February of this year, the war’s defenders suddenly began to claim (and incessantly to repeat) that the U.S. has already been at war with...
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The transmission theory of authority
Scholastic thinkers like Cardinal Cajetan, St. Robert Bellarmine, and Francisco Suárez developed what is sometimes called a “transmission theory” of governmental authority. It holds that such...
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