Tag: Metaphysics
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Metaphysics of Extraterrestrial Intelligence
Whereas questions regarding the rationality of Artificial Intelligence (AI) belong more properly to the philosophy of mind known as epistemology, questions regarding the rationality of Extraterrestrial Intelligence (ETI) belong more properly to the philosophy of being known as metaphysics. Epistemology is the study of knowledge, or how we know what we know. Metaphysics is the…
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Metaphysics of Michael and All Angels
Materialism is the belief that all of reality is material and no spiritual beings exist like God, angels, nor human souls. In the book Metaphysics (Fifth Edition) by Peter van Inwagen, he states, “The only rational beings whose existence is uncontroversial are human beings. The following, if they exist, are rational beings: God, angels, [and]…
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Christian Metaphysics – Part 4: Postmodernism
This summary on Christian metaphysics and Postmodernism is from the Introduction to Four Views on Christian Metaphysics. Postmodernism is a more recent approach to metaphysics than either the dualistic realism of Platonism and Aristotelianism or the monism of idealism. Postmodernism can be broadly characterized as a marked shift in how metaphysics was understood up through…
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Christian Metaphysics – Part 3: Idealism
This summary on Christian metaphysics and Idealism is from the Introduction to Four Views on Christian Metaphysics. Idealism is very distinct from both Platonism and Aristotelianism in that it is (like materialism) distinctively not dualistic. Idealism is a form of monism. There is only one kind of substance, not two. While there are a variety…
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Christian Metaphysics – Part 2: Aristotelianism
This summary on Christian metaphysics and Aristotelianism is from the Introduction to Four Views on Christian Metaphysics. Aristotelianism shares with Platonic metaphysics aspects of its dualism and its realism. However, it maintains some distinctions from Platonism regarding the relation between the two parts of reality, physical and non-physical reality. For example, Aristotelians agree with Platonists…
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Christian Metaphysics – Part 1: Platonism
This summary on Christian metaphysics and Platonism is from the Introduction to Four Views on Christian Metaphysics. Platonism as an approach to metaphysics is a form of dualistic realism. First, it maintains dualism. There are two parts to reality, physical and non-physical reality. Further, for Christian forms of Platonism, there is a dependency of the…
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Christian Metaphysics – Terms & Definitions
In the book Four Views on Christian Metaphysics, edited by Timothy M. Mosteller, four individual contributors share their views. 1) Paul M. Gould shares his view on Christian metaphysics and Platonism. 2) Timothy L. Jacobs shares his view on Christian metaphysics and Aristotelianism. 3) James S. Spiegel shares his view on Christian metaphysics and Idealism.…
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Physics, Metaphysics, and the Incarnation
Meta is Greek for “beyond.” Metaphysics literally means “beyond physics.” But whereas physics is the study of physical things, metaphysics is the philosophical study of everything. It is more than the study of nonphysical things. Metaphysics is more than the study of spiritual or supernatural things. It goes “beyond” physics and deals with being itself…
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Semiotics and Philosophy of Language
Semiotics is the study of signs/symbols and their use or interpretation in artificially constructed languages and natural languages. Similar to semiotics, the philosophy of language follows the traditional division of 1) syntax, 2) semantics, and 3) pragmatics. While syntax is the grammar of a language, semantics is the meaning of words and the relation of…