Does contingency give us reason to believe in God? The Leibnizian Cosmological Argument (LCA) answers in the affirmative. In this video, I explain Alex Pruss’ LCA from the Blackwell Companion to Natural Theology. Like the show? Help it grow! Consider becoming a patron (thanks!): https://www.patreon.com/majestyofreason If you wanna make a one-time donation or tip (thanks!): https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/josephcschmid Video Outline 1 Introduction, background, and argument 0:00 2 Principle of Sufficient Reason 4:49 3 PSR: OBJECTION TIME 49:14 4 Global Causal Principles 59:57 5 Toward a first cause 1:09:19 6 The Gap Problem 1:26:14 Presentation Outline 1 Introduction 2 Principle of Sufficient Reason (PSR) -----2.1 Self-evidence -----2.2 Koons-Pruss epistemological argument -----2.3 Evolution (Induction in science) -----2.4 Inference to best explanation -----2.5 Precluding chaos -----2.6 Nature of modality ----------2.6.1 Narrowly logical account of modality ----------2.6.2 Lewisian modal realism ----------2.6.3 Platonic account of modality ----------2.6.4 Aristotelian-essentialist account of modality ----------2.6.5 Aristotelian-causal account of modality ----------2.6.6 The argument -----2.7 Philosophical argumentation 3 Objections to PSR -----3.1 Modal imagination argument -----3.2 Van Inwagen’s modal fatalism argument -----3.3 Quantum mechanics -----3.4 Contrastive explanation 4 Global Causal Principles (CPs) -----4.1 Objection: causing the causing 5 Toward a first cause -----5.1 The PSR -----5.2 Objections ----------5.2.1 Can we even form BCCF? ----------5.2.2 HECP ----------5.2.3 Taxicab Problem -----5.3 CP for wholly contingent states 6 The Gap Problem -----6.1 Agency -----6.2 Goodness -----6.3 Divine Simplicity? -----6.4 Gellman’s argument for uniqueness and omnipotence Links Pruss, “The Leibnizian Cosmological Argument”: http://alexanderpruss.com/papers/LCA.html Craig and Moreland, “The Blackwell Companion to Natural Theology”: https://www.difa3iat.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/William_Lane_Craig__J._P._Moreland_The_BlackwellBookZZ.org_-2.pdf Baddorf, “Divine Simplicity, Aseity, and Sovereignty”: https://philpapers.org/archive/BADDSA.pdf Della Rocca, “PSR”: https://quod.lib.umich.edu/cgi/p/pod/dod-idx/psr.pdf?c=phimp;idno=3521354.0010.007;format=pdf Bernaf and Kodaj, “Evil and the god of indifference”: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11153-020-09747-x Reluctant Theologian Podcast: https://www.rtmullins.com/podcast Against the BCCF: Tomaszewski against BCCF [I happen to think this argument is well-nigh decisive]: https://www.academia.edu/18318327/The_Principle_of_Sufficient_Reason_Defended_There_Is_No_Conjunction_of_All_Contingently_True_Propositions Levey against BCCF: http://www.pgrim.org/philosophersannual/36articles/levey-theparadox.pdf Re: some of my stuff on divine simplicity/CT (1) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YTsSW7UeZpY (2) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3hCRGwNtW80 (3) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MK46WgOxF1k (4) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OPuE_Jlyogk (5) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X_lqqWSNtLs (6) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rX6di0Au5Kg (7) https://docs.google.com/document/d/1U5RnORtOMsd6vPpzj_eaSVDGa0YvC16MdnJAH2jZTgQ/edit (8) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pcZFfaqQKj4 (9) https://majestyofreason.wordpress.com/2020/04/01/a-plethora-problems-reconsidered-discussing-classical-theism/ (10) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=watXa8KXJIE&list=PLxRhaLyXxXkaOkBgQVpNOKmJt3JMzMT4S (11a) https://majestyofreason.wordpress.com/2020/09/05/a-simple-confessional-argument-against-classical-theism/ (11b) https://majestyofreason.wordpress.com/2020/09/09/a-simple-confessional-argument-once-again/ And, of course, the usual resources... :) My book: https://www.amazon.com/Majesty-Reason-Critical-Thinking-Philosophy-ebook/dp/B086G7KS52 My website: https://majestyofreason.wordpress.com/