The Uncertainty Podcast

Episodi

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  #85 Does Buddhism Teach Annihilation? And Other Questions - Emily McRae 13.08.2026 1h 22min

  Emily McRae, professor of philosophy at the University of New Mexico, offers an overview of Buddhist philosophy. In particular, we discuss the different traditions within Buddhism - Theravada, Mahayana, Tibetan, and Zen - the doctrine of emptiness, the Four Noble Truths, and the ontology of Nirvana: annihilation, eternal bliss, or a state of mind in the here and now?Video of this interview is available on YouTube.To support the channel, do please oh please consider donating, either via PayPal or Buy Me a Coffee.Follow me on X because you’re awesome.EPISODE CHAPTERS:00:00:00 Introduction00:02:55 Moral ignorance in Buddhist philosophy00:06:47 What drew Emily to Buddhist philosophy?00:10:36 Analytic philosophy vs. Buddhist philosophy00:13:41 What kind of ethical theory is Buddhism?00:21:26 Is Buddhism a religion or a philosophy?00:24:37 The major schools of Buddhism00:29:56 Emptiness and the Buddhist theory of the self00:37:47 Why the Buddha refused to answer some questions00:43:02 The Four Noble Truths00:46:01 The first Noble Truth: suffering00:51:04 The second Noble Truth: the causes of suffering00:53:43 The third Noble Truth: the end of suffering00:56:10 What is nirvana?01:00:14 Does Buddhism ultimately teach annihilation?01:07:15 Buddhism vs. Christianity on desire01:12:18 The fourth Noble Truth: the Eightfold Path01:16:16 What reason is there to believe Buddhism is true? Get full access to Miles K. Donahue at mileskdonahue.substack.com/subscribe
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  #94 Everything Wrong with the Case for Eternal Hell - Randal Rauser 06.08.2026 1h 34min

  In my recent discussion with Ethan Muse, he made a case for the compatibility of God's perfect love and the doctrine of eternal conscious torment. Randal Rauser returns to the channel to respond. Are we far more wicked than we realize? Does any sin merit infinite punishment? What should we do if we struggle with fear of eternal hell? We discuss these questions and much else besides.Video of this interview is available on YouTube.To support the channel, do please oh please consider donating, either via PayPal or Buy Me a Coffee.Follow me on X because you’re awesome.EPISODE CHAPTERS:00:00:00 Introduction00:02:06 Randal’s approach to YouTube00:03:08 Initial reactions to Ethan Muse’s defense of hell00:08:34 Is the problem emotional or intellectual?00:16:07 The authority of the Catholic Church00:22:16 The three Christian views of hell00:25:00 Are human beings wicked enough to deserve hell?00:31:02 Does every sin merit infinite punishment?00:36:29 Moral culpability and ignorance00:43:08 Is rejecting God an infinitely serious sin?00:47:08 Will most people go to hell?00:53:19 Would creation be a net moral failure?00:56:30 Did Jesus teach eternal conscious torment?01:03:29 The central moral argument against eternal hell01:07:18 Do the noetic effects of sin undermine moral intuition?01:12:19 Should we trust the moral judgment of Catholic saints?01:20:48 Does moral disagreement undermine our intuitions?01:24:07 Different degrees of suffering in hell01:28:16 How should Christians cope with the fear of hell? Get full access to Miles K. Donahue at mileskdonahue.substack.com/subscribe
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  #93 Your Favorite Philosopher Answers All Your Questions - Miles K. Donahue 30.07.2026 34min

  This week's interview features...me! I have finally gotten around to answering all the questions you sent me when we hit 3,000 subscribers. Yes, this video is v late. Yes, it is v worth the watch. Prepare for a more informal, cheeky side of me.Video of this interview is available on YouTube.To support the channel, do please oh please consider donating, either via PayPal or Buy Me a Coffee.Follow me on X because you’re awesome.EPISODE CHAPTERS:00:00:00 Introduction00:00:20 Which guest has challenged you the most?00:01:12 Are the fundamental constants independent?00:02:44 What are your hobbies outside philosophy?00:03:49 Were you ever an atheist?00:03:52 Why is there something rather than nothing?00:05:18 Have you ever considered becoming a model?00:05:22 How much do you think about modality?00:05:52 Have you ever had a religious experience?00:06:13 What are the best arguments for theism?00:07:27 What are the chances that universalism is true?00:08:16 Were you always smart?00:08:19 Paul Draper’s understated evidence objection00:10:50 Will theism grow among philosophers?00:11:43 An empirical approach to religion00:12:42 The aesthetic argument for God00:13:55 Will philosophy ever abandon materialism?00:15:08 How have your views on theism evolved?00:17:45 Is universalism true or theism false?00:18:44 What is your journal acceptance rate?00:18:57 What do you think about TAG?00:19:27 How can someone find their life’s purpose?00:20:00 Does universalism weaken the problem of evil?00:21:56 What makes you doubt Christianity?00:23:50 Has Paul Draper weakened your theism?00:25:34 Which dead philosophers would you speak to?00:27:46 Do theistic arguments depend on modality?00:29:30 Where do you hope to be in ten years?00:29:38 What if fine-tuning gave no support to theism?00:29:54 Why does God exist?00:31:02 Can you publish without a philosophy degree?00:31:19 What does it mean to exist?00:32:09 Are theistic arguments more technically vulnerable?00:34:32 Who are you? Get full access to Miles K. Donahue at mileskdonahue.substack.com/subscribe
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  #92 - A.I. Agents Are Here, and the Future Is Not Bright - Kevin Scharp 22.07.2026 55min

  Philosopher Kevin Scharp discusses his experience working with A.I. agents, and what it portends for the future.Video of this interview is available on YouTube.To support the channel, do please oh please consider donating, either via PayPal or Buy Me a Coffee.Follow me on X because you’re awesome.EPISODE CHAPTERS:00:00:00 Introduction00:01:10 What AI agents are00:03:22 Why AI agents remain under the radar00:06:07 Creating research-level AI agents00:08:44 How AI agents work00:11:06 Are AI agents conscious?00:17:59 Have AI agents already achieved AGI?00:21:40 Embodied agents and what comes next00:24:57 Automation, unemployment, and social unrest00:27:05 AI as an unprecedented capacity for harm00:28:46 Could governance and AI rights slow development?00:32:00 Has ChatGPT become less useful?00:39:34 AI, human extinction, and theism00:43:08 Does AI favor naturalism over theism?00:46:35 How to live under existential uncertainty00:49:31 Atheism, agnosticism, and changing your mind Get full access to Miles K. Donahue at mileskdonahue.substack.com/subscribe
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  #91 Philosophers Don't Want to Solve Philosophy (and other hot takes) - Lance S. Bush 12.07.2026 1h 27min

  Lance Bush returns to the channel to discuss the need for empirical research in philosophy, whether philosophers even want to find the answers to their questions, and, of course, phenomenal conservatism (which is true, btw).Video of this interview is available on YouTube.To support the channel, do please oh please consider donating, either via PayPal or Buy Me a Coffee.Follow me on X because you’re awesome.EPISODE CHAPTERS:00:00:00 Introduction00:03:12 Common mistakes in student writing00:06:54 Brevity and writing as a craft00:09:34 Why Lance pursued psychology over philosophy00:13:58 Studying moral language empirically00:20:03 What psychology reveals about philosophical practice00:24:59 A pragmatic theory of meaning00:31:22 Does philosophy differ from science?00:43:37 Why philosophers disagree00:47:40 Could philosophy ever be solved?00:56:31 Bias and the David Enoch debate01:00:31 Competing philosophical starting points01:05:58 Heterodox views and accusations of contrarianism01:08:43 Debate mistakes and the possibility of a rematch01:11:46 Michael Huemer and future conversations01:13:39 Phenomenal conservatism01:16:22 Epistemic blank checks01:20:03 Defeaters and the psychology of seemings01:24:57 Pragmatism and philosophical goals Get full access to Miles K. Donahue at mileskdonahue.substack.com/subscribe
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  #90 A Heated Debate on Hell, Catholicism, and Fine-Tuning - Ethan Muse 03.07.2026 1h 39min

  Ethan Muse and I spar over the problem of evil, cosmic fine-tuning, infallible popes, and the doctrine of eternal conscious torment.Video of this interview is available on YouTube.To support the channel, do please oh please consider donating, either via PayPal or Buy Me a Coffee.Follow me on X because you’re awesome.EPISODE CHAPTERS:00:00:00 Introduction00:01:44 Rutgers, philosophy, and Catholic apologetics00:05:08 Ethan’s path into philosophy00:09:52 The goal of doing philosophy00:13:52 Ethan’s conversion to Catholicism00:17:55 Doubts, confidence, and the problem of evil00:23:45 Miracle evidence and outweighing evil00:25:04 Fine-tuning and theism00:28:48 Frequency data, design, and Bayesianism00:33:43 Mini-verses and apparent design00:38:20 What fine-tuning means00:41:04 Apparent design and fragile harmony00:46:38 The infrared bullseye analogy00:51:29 Design, stalking horses, and naturalism00:59:56 Priors, bare theism, and Bayesian machinery01:04:53 Papal infallibility and alleged counterexamples01:11:36 Eternal hell and Catholic doctrine01:19:46 Moral intuition against eternal torment01:22:42 Saints, sin, and moral authority01:30:12 Moral progress and Catholic tradition01:32:57 Moral disagreement and final thoughts Get full access to Miles K. Donahue at mileskdonahue.substack.com/subscribe
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  #89 Michael Huemer's New Argument for Atheism 25.06.2026 1h 53min

  Michael Huemer, philosopher at U.C. Boulder, joins me for a wide-ranging discussion of arguments for and against the existence of God, with special focus on his new argument for atheism: the impossibility of an infinite God. Check out Mike’s book, Knowledge, Value, and Reality: A Mostly Common Sense Guide to Philosophy.Video of this interview is available on YouTube.To support the channel, do please oh please consider donating, either via PayPal or Buy Me a Coffee.Follow me on X because you’re awesome.EPISODE CHAPTERS:00:00:00 Introduction00:01:42 Huemer’s research on consciousness00:05:42 Could LLMs be conscious?00:08:11 Physicalism and consciousness00:14:36 Why physicalism became so popular00:17:16 Metaphysics and scientific evidence00:21:01 Could God be empirically detected?00:23:37 Why Huemer is agnostic00:25:48 Philip Goff’s limited God00:27:23 Can a limited God explain evil?00:36:03 Divine psychology and skeptical theism00:38:37 Can theism make predictions?00:46:54 Scientific confirmation and theistic arguments00:51:59 Which theistic arguments fail?00:53:14 The ontological argument00:58:06 The modal ontological argument01:01:03 Necessary beings and modal intuitions01:07:23 The Kalam cosmological argument01:08:54 Could time have a beginning?01:12:22 Can God create time?01:18:22 Cosmology and the Big Bang01:23:48 Actual and potential infinities01:26:00 Huemer’s new argument for atheism01:29:28 Divine infinity and omniscience Get full access to Miles K. Donahue at mileskdonahue.substack.com/subscribe
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  #88 Can There be Evidence for God? | Eight Philosophers Debate 11.06.2026 2h 39min

  Is it even possible to have empirical evidence for God's existence? What if the stars realigned to spell out "I exist! Sincerely, God." Wouldn't THAT count as evidence for God? It seems that the answer is yes. But then, various objections to arguments for God seem to imply that even this extravagant, awesome evidence for God would not be any evidence whatsoever for theism. To many philosophers, that implication implies that these objections prove too much, and must therefore fail. In this debate, eight philosophers go head-to-head over these fascinating questions.Video of this interview is available on YouTube.To support the channel, do please oh please consider donating, either via PayPal or Buy Me a Coffee.Follow me on X because you’re awesome.EPISODE CHAPTERS00:00:00 Introduction00:02:10 Miles Donahue’s opening statement00:07:46 Brian Cutter’s opening statement00:13:16 Noah McKay’s opening statement00:18:30 Travis Dumsday’s opening statement00:23:30 Paul Draper’s opening statement00:29:15 Alex Malpass’s opening statement00:35:18 Nathan Bray’s opening statement00:40:41 Kevin Scharp’s opening statement00:47:15 Miles Donahue’s cross-examination01:03:22 Alex Malpass’s cross-examination01:20:15 Brian Cutter’s cross-examination01:33:41 Nathan Bray’s cross-examination01:49:03 Paul Draper’s cross-examination02:01:21 Travis Dumsday’s cross-examination02:10:54 Kevin Scharp’s cross-examination02:24:49 Noah McKay’s cross-examination Get full access to Miles K. Donahue at mileskdonahue.substack.com/subscribe
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  #87 Yes, You Can be Gay and Christian - Matthew Vines 04.06.2026 1h 14min

  Matthew Vines, author of God and the Gay Christian: The Biblical Case in Support of Same-Sex Relationships, joins me to discuss the revised version of this now classic texts. Has Matt has changed his mind on any major issues? What, in the end, would Matt conclude if he determined that the Bible did prohibit same-sex relationships? Listen to find out!Video of this interview is available on YouTube.To support the channel, do please oh please consider donating, either via PayPal or Buy Me a Coffee.Follow me on X because you’re awesome.EPISODE CHAPTERS:00:00:00 Introduction00:00:05 What changed in God and the Gay Christian00:03:28 Endnotes, footnotes, and writing for different audiences00:05:02 How Matthew Vines’s views have changed00:05:51 Romans 1 and female same-sex relations00:07:48 Arsenokoitai, Malakoi, and Paul’s meaning00:10:22 Same-sex marriage in the biblical world00:13:45 To whom is the book written?00:15:06 Expressive individualism and affirming theology00:19:37 How the American church has changed00:20:23 Affirming churches without guardrails00:25:45 Conservative backlash and slippery slopes00:27:55 Being between Christian and queer spaces00:29:11 Queer theory, polyamory, and sexual orientation00:30:55 Transgender Christians and biblical interpretation00:34:48 Gender dysphoria, transition, and Christian ethics00:39:08 What if the Bible prohibited same-sex marriage?00:49:44 Moral intuition, inerrancy, and Jesus01:00:05 Biblical authority, inspiration, and inerrancy01:08:21 Where evangelical churches may be headed Get full access to Miles K. Donahue at mileskdonahue.substack.com/subscribe
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  #86 From Toad Venom to Jesus: Cross-Examining Philip Goff 28.05.2026 1h 23min

  I discuss and debate the merits of drug-induced experiences for one's religious beliefs, the difference panpsychism makes, the distinction between God's essence and energies, and giant purple platypuses floating over New York City.Video of this interview is available on YouTube.To support the channel, do please oh please consider donating, either via PayPal or Buy Me a Coffee.Follow me on X because you’re awesome.EPISODE CHAPTERS00:00:00 Introduction00:00:32 What is 5-MeO-DMT?00:02:07 Why Philip Goff tried toad venom00:05:02 What the experience was like00:07:13 Can you experience yourself not existing?00:13:00 Was ego death terrifying?00:17:03 William Lane Craig’s reaction00:19:57 What is a structureless claim?00:22:52 The content of mystical experience00:25:39 Does 5-MeO-DMT support panpsychism?00:33:15 Why trust a drug-induced experience?00:40:08 Experience versus interpretation00:43:54 Is Goff projecting panpsychism onto the experience?00:46:03 What would defeat the experience?00:51:25 How does this fit with Christianity?00:57:19 Divine essence, energies, and simplicity01:04:19 Why Christianity specifically?01:08:26 Why not deism or another religion?01:14:23 Does Goff believe in an afterlife?01:16:43 Near-death experiences and consciousness01:18:37 What is Goff most uncertain of? Get full access to Miles K. Donahue at mileskdonahue.substack.com/subscribe
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  #85 What Is a Woman? - Talia Mae Bettcher And Tomas Bogardus 21.05.2026 1h 47min

  Talia Mae Bettcher and Tomas Bogardus join me to debate the question, "What is a woman?". Is gender biologically grounded, socially constructed, or something else entirely? If you're looking for a cordial and substantive exchange from two thinkers who fundamentally disagree on these issues, look no further.Video of this interview is available on YouTube.To support the channel, do please oh please consider donating, either via PayPal or Buy Me a Coffee.Follow me on X because you’re awesome.EPISODE CHAPTERS00:00:00 Introduction00:01:17 Bogardus opening statement00:02:03 Dictionaries and ordinary usage00:03:41 The ambiguity view00:07:09 The resistant concept of woman00:08:12 Circularity and self-identification00:11:23 The relevance objection to ambiguity00:13:47 Non-human men and women00:16:17 Bettcher opening statement00:18:29 Woman as a philosophical question00:19:44 Folk concepts and biological definitions00:22:13 Folk concepts vs. theoretical concepts00:24:45 Adult, human, and female00:28:14 Open discussion begins00:28:57 Bettcher on the ambiguity thesis00:30:28 Family resemblance and trans womanhood00:35:16 Political concepts and same-sex marriage00:52:25 Are folk concepts biological?00:57:47 Souls, bodies, and female identity01:04:31 Twin Earth, Superman, and non-human men01:13:13 Stone lions, Batman, and conceptual analysis01:26:44 The husbandry argument01:29:44 Sex, function, and biology01:34:35 Why the question matters01:39:44 Closing statements Get full access to Miles K. Donahue at mileskdonahue.substack.com/subscribe
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  #84 Continental Philosophy: Genius or Gibberish? - Keegan Kjeldson 15.05.2026 1h 49min

  Keegan Kjeldson of the Untimely Reflections YouTube channel returns to the podcast to discuss the merits of continental philosophy. While he is largely in favor and I am not, we both agree that Hegel is abysmally obscure.Video of this interview is available on YouTube.To support the channel, do please oh please consider donating, either via PayPal or Buy Me a Coffee.Follow me on X because you’re awesome.EPISODE CHAPTERS00:00:00 Introduction00:00:18 Hegel vs Plantinga: obscurity and clarity00:03:07 Keegan’s defense of continental philosophy00:08:38 Why continental philosophy feels impenetrable00:11:15 Spinoza and intuitive knowledge00:14:25 Nietzsche, style, and philosophical insight00:18:07 Logical positivism and ethics00:22:21 What is metaethics?00:27:17 Utilitarianism and moral intuitions00:30:17 Do arguments bottom out in intuition?00:36:39 What is philosophy for?00:44:41 Moral realism and objective moral truth00:48:59 Judith Butler and the charge of gibberish00:54:10 Clear continental thinkers00:55:57 Heidegger and justified obscurity01:02:00 Is clarity always a virtue?01:06:49 Can poetry give us rational grounds?01:12:52 Moral knowledge vs moral persuasion01:15:29 Motivated reasoning in ethics01:25:21 Ethics, emotion, and objectivity01:28:14 The Nazi example and moral realism01:32:26 Abortion, personhood, and moral disagreement01:38:44 Objective truth in morality and science01:41:17 Has humanity made moral progress? Get full access to Miles K. Donahue at mileskdonahue.substack.com/subscribe
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  #83 Answering (Almost) Every Objection to the Fine-Tuning Argument 07.05.2026 1h 50min

  The great, the one, the only Joseph C. Schmid returns to the podcast to offer a comprehensive reply to (almost) every objection to the fine-tuning argument for theism. Ever worried about puddles? Inverse gamblers? Stalking horses? Boltzmann Brains? Alex Malpass? Well, fear no more: we define, describe, and dispel (or defend!) all these concerns and more. Not gonna lie guys, this is one of my favorite discussions so far. Hats off to Joe for being 10/10 great.Video of this interview is available on YouTube.To support the channel, do please oh please consider donating, either via PayPal or Buy Me a Coffee.Follow me on X because you’re awesome.EPISODE CHAPTERS00:00:00 Introduction00:00:45 #1 The puddle analogy refutes the FTA00:05:49 #2 Other forms of life are possible!00:08:58 #3 The multiverse explains fine-tuning00:53:08 #4 Electrons in love01:16:06 #5 We couldn't have observed a non-fine-tuned universe01:21:09 #6 Maybe the constants are metaphysical necessary!01:33:38 #7 Our universe is hostile to life01:42:00 #8 Alex Malpass and the stalking horse objection01:47:54 #9 We cannot get a grip on divine psychology Get full access to Miles K. Donahue at mileskdonahue.substack.com/subscribe
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  #82 Does William Lane Craig Get Cosmology Wrong? - Dan Linford 30.04.2026 1h 19min

  Dan Linford returns to the channel to offer his reply to my recent discussion with William Lane Craig, wherein he replied to critiques of his case for a cosmic beginning. We discuss probability theory, the BGV theorem, emergence of spacetime, and the relevance of quantum gravity to our scientific inferences about a beginning of the universe.Video of this interview is available on YouTube.To support the channel, do please oh please consider donating, either via PayPal or Buy Me a Coffee.Follow me on X because you’re awesome.EPISODE CHAPTERS00:00:00 Introduction00:01:24 Craig's modest claim00:10:27 How to calculate the probability of a conclusion00:15:21 The probabilistic fallacy in Craig's scientific case00:21:56 Craig - "I'm ruling out classes of models"00:26:33 Exceptions to the BGV theorem00:29:22 Do theories of time make a difference?00:42:28 Inference to the best explanation and low probability00:51:25 Craig's inconsistency: temporally finite models of the universe00:59:18 Why we need a quantum theory of gravity01:12:04 The emergence of spacetime Get full access to Miles K. Donahue at mileskdonahue.substack.com/subscribe
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  #81 Are There Objective Moral Truths? - David Enoch vs. Lance Bush 23.04.2026 1h 29min

  David Enoch and Lance Bush face off over the question of whether objective moral truths exist. They debate the intuitiveness of moral realism, whether most people are moral realists, question-begging, radical skepticism, and much else besides.Video of this interview is available on YouTube.To support the channel, do please oh please consider donating, either via PayPal or Buy Me a Coffee.Follow me on X because you’re awesome.EPISODE CHAPTERS00:00:00 Introduction00:00:38 David's opening statement00:13:21 Lance's opening statement00:26:05 "I don't give a damn if most people aren't moral realists"00:31:59 Who is begging the question on whom?00:35:55 Is realism the intuitive position?00:40:35 Is Lance a radical skeptic?00:43:39 Realists misattribute metaethical claims to most people00:57:48 "People in general are idiots"01:02:06 Does ordinary moral discourse support realism?01:10:42 What are the costs of realism and anti-realism?01:18:15 On the strengths and weaknesses of analytic philosophy01:22:33 What do you mean when you say something is “wrong,” Lance? Get full access to Miles K. Donahue at mileskdonahue.substack.com/subscribe
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  #80 Something Exists; Therefore, God Exists - Josh Rasmussen 16.04.2026 1h 30min

  Joshua Rasmussen explains his cosmological argument for God's existence: the existence of contingent things requires an explanation, and God fits the bill. Roughly stated, for sure, but that's the idea.Video of this interview is available on YouTube.To support the channel, do please oh please consider donating, either via PayPal or Buy Me a Coffee.Follow me on X because you’re awesome.EPISODE CHAPTERS00:00:00 Introduction00:00:57 Why the question matters00:10:29 Is ultimate reality beyond logic?00:14:55 Contingent vs. necessary things00:20:44 Stage #1 - From contingent things to a necessary being00:26:38 What is an "explanation"?00:36:23 Why should there be an explanation of all contingent things?00:47:37 Should we trust what intuition tells us?00:55:56 Conflicting empirical generalizations - a la Joe Schmid01:04:04 Stage #2 - From a necessary being to God01:12:52 Even a limitless God requires explanation01:23:37 Graham Oppy's necessary initial state of nature Get full access to Miles K. Donahue at mileskdonahue.substack.com/subscribe
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  #79 Did the Universe Begin? William Lane Craig Cross-Examined 09.04.2026 55min

  William Lane Craig, Christian philosopher and apologist, returns to the channel to defend his use of cosmology in support of the kalam cosmological argument. In particular, we focus on recent critiques of his work from Daniel Linford, Phil Halper, Niayesh Afshordi, and others.Video of this interview is available on YouTube.To support the channel, do please oh please consider donating, either via PayPal or Buy Me a Coffee.Follow me on X because you're awesome.EPISODE CHAPTERS00:00 Introduction00:06 Craig's case for a cosmic beginning02:55 "We don't have a quantum theory of gravity"09:24 Has Craig misunderstood probabilities?15:44 Can you give a parody argument against a beginning?20:23 Finite past vs. beginning to exist24:08 The emergence of spacetime28:05 The Malament-Manchak theorem35:42 The BGV theorem and its limits42:08 The generalized second law of thermodynamics44:26 Sean Carroll's model of an eternal universe47:58 Why don't all cosmologists agree about a beginning?50:39 Does your scientific case require your philosophical case? Get full access to Miles K. Donahue at mileskdonahue.substack.com/subscribe
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  #78 Did Jesus' Resurrection Actually Happen? - Robyn Faith Walsh 02.04.2026 1h 14min

  Robyn Faith Walsh, professor of New Testament at the University of Miami, discusses how people in antiquity would have understood the concept of "resurrection", whether Jesus or Paul was the true founder of Christianity and what Paul meant when he said that we will be raised with "spiritual bodies", and what facts the historian can establish concerning the events before and after Jesus' death.Video of this interview is available on YouTube.To support the channel, do please oh please consider donating, either via PayPal or Buy Me a Coffee.Follow me on X-formerly-Twitter.EPISODE CHAPTERS00:00:00 Introduction00:00:07 Can historians verify miracles?00:06:37 Did the ancients take their myths literally?00:08:31 What did Paul think about the resurrection?00:19:22 Did Paul preach a spiritual resurrection?00:25:56 Do historians take the case for the resurrection seriously?00:44:18 Fact #1: Was Jesus crucified?00:46:56 Fact #2: Was Jesus buried in a tomb?00:52:10 Fact #3: Was Jesus' tomb found empty?00:54:35 Fact #4: Did Jesus' followers report appearances of Jesus alive?01:00:00 Fact #5: The origin of the Christian faith01:06:07 Was Paul the real founder of Christianity?01:08:00 How to be objective when studying Jesus Get full access to Miles K. Donahue at mileskdonahue.substack.com/subscribe
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  #77 Does Fine-Tuning Point to God? - Alex Malpass vs. Miles K. Donahue 26.03.2026 1h 21min

  Alex Malpass and I sit down to hash out our differences surrounding the fine-tuning argument for theism. The debate is a veritable blood bath of ruthless repartee and, at times, intellectual genius - and we hope you enjoy.Video of this interview is available on YouTube.To support the channel, do please oh please consider donating, either via PayPal or Buy Me a Coffee.Follow me on X-formerly-Twitter.EPISODE CHAPTERS00:00:00 Introduction00:00:36 Miles's opening statement00:06:56 Alex's opening statement00:19:36 Does the stalking-horse objection prove too much?00:31:11 Can you prove aliens didn't raise Jesus from the dead?00:46:03 Is theism more likely than augmented naturalism?00:55:53 What if our universe is a computer simulation?00:57:11 Even an omnipotent God couldn't make belief rational.01:00:00 "I don't think you're an idiot, Alex!"01:03:05 Is theism a simple hypothesis?01:15:00 Miles's closing statement01:17:48 Alex's closing statement Get full access to Miles K. Donahue at mileskdonahue.substack.com/subscribe
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  #76 Do These Objections Refute Free Will? - Michael Huemer 19.03.2026 18min

  Michael Huemer returns to the channel to answer YOUR best objections to his case for free will. While I originally styled this as a "bonus" episode, it is not a bonus. It's the main weekly thing. Forgive me. The road to hell is paved with good intentions.Video of this interview is available on YouTube.Check out our original discussion about free will.To support the channel, do please oh please consider donating, either via PayPal or Buy Me a Coffee.Follow me on X-formerly-Twitter.EPISODE CHAPTERS00:00:00 Introduction00:00:21 Objection #1 - You've got the wrong definition of "free will".00:03:10 Objection #2 - Free will is incoherent.00:07:48 Objection #3 - Free will leads to an infinite regress.00:09:06 Objection #4 - Philosophers can't agree on what "free will" even means.00:13:38 Objection #5 - Mike's argument is question-begging. Get full access to Miles K. Donahue at mileskdonahue.substack.com/subscribe