I’ll be delivering a talk and Q&A on “What Have the Romans Ever Done for Us?” for the Michigan Atheists at The Birmingham Temple Congregation for Humanistic Judaism (28611 W 12 Mile Rd., Farmington Hills, Michigan) on Sunday, April 1, from 5 PM...
Does atheism have a rational foundation? If we are just atoms in motion, how can anything be right or wrong? What is reason and why trust it? What is true? What should I believe, about myself and the world I live in? What should our politics be? What should our values...
Feser keeps trying. And keeps failing. Indeed, he is now making things worse, by demonstrating he doesn’t even understand what is going on here. To catch you up: I wrote a critique of his book. He wrote a reply. I wrote a response to that reply showing how he...
As several requested, I’ve changed the date of my upcoming pubmeet in Laguna Beach, California, to Thursday, March 15th. It’s still to be at Hennessey’s Tavern on 213 Ocean Ave. (Laguna Beach, CA) from 7-9pm. See you there!
I’ll be doing an event in New York in May. And traveling with one of my girlfriends. We’re interested in knowing if anyone has a guest room to put us up for three nights. In any borough. We will have our own car. Evenings of May 18, 19, and 20 (a Friday...
I had a good laugh when Feser fans claimed he “destroyed” my critique this week, and at first thought, “Oh gosh, did I get something wrong I need to correct?” And then I read his reply. Face, meet palm. Holy cow. His response is wildly inept....
I’m doing pubmeets in March on the following dates. Come join me for a drink and conversation and get a signed book or two (or several)! Know anyone who’d love to join us? Let ’em know! 7 March (Wednesday) • The Library Pub (5142 N 90th St.) • Omaha,...
I had a fascinating & amicable discussion about the science and philosophy of free will. Cameron Reilly sides with Sam Harris (“there is no free will because it’s incompatible with determinism”) and I with Daniel Dennett (“there is a kind...
This kind of argument has been tried again and again and again. I’ve discussed every one. (See Okay, So What about the Historicity of Spartacus?) It’s always of this form: P1. We should not doubt [x] existed. P2. The evidence for Jesus is better than for...
My last article refuting Feser’s armchair metaphysical arguments for God briefly asserted that modern scientific Superstring Theory actually answers all his requirements for a godless substrate for all reality, and answers the Principle of Sufficient Reason, and...
I just completed a three-part series exposing the laughable science illiteracy of Alvin Plantinga’s “Two Dozen or So” arguments for God. I’ve now had several requests to take on Edward Feser’s Five Proofs of the Existence of God (2017)....
In March I’m doing a tour across the Western U.S. that will take me to several destinations. And in April I’m doing another, to attend Atheistock. It would be so helpful to have places to crash at some stops on the way. If you or anyone you know is...
Part 3. I just addressed Plantinga’s ontological and metaphysical arguments (A through I) and his epistemological arguments (J through Q). Here I conclude with his moral and other arguments (R through Z; and finally, his whopper of all arguments, the Argument...
Part 2. I just addressed Plantinga’s ontological and metaphysical arguments (A through I). Here I cover his epistemological arguments (J through Q). Next I’ll cover his moral and other arguments (R through Z). I’ll link those in when they go up. For...
Famously, Christian apologist Alvin Plantinga once posted a lecture guide online outlining dozens of arguments for the existence of God (which was built-out a little bit in a book, and will evolve soon into an edited volume of its own). I’m often pointed to it...
Years back George Dvorsky wrote a popular article at io9 titled “8 Great Philosophical Questions We’ll Never Solve.” It’s interesting because all eight are triggers for the same cognitive biases sustaining irrational theistic belief. Is it true...
Richard Carrier is the author of many books and numerous articles online and in print. His avid readers span the world from Hong Kong to Poland. With a Ph.D. in ancient history from Columbia University, he specializes in the modern philosophy of naturalism and humanism, and the origins of Christianity and the intellectual history of Greece and Rome, with particular expertise in ancient philosophy, science and technology. He is also a noted defender of scientific and moral realism, Bayesian reasoning, and historical methods.