Research Seminar November 7th: Alvin Goldman (Department of Philosophy, Rutgers University) God and Cognitive Science
Research Seminar November 7th: Alvin Goldman (Department of Philosophy, Rutgers University) God and Cognitive Science
03 November 2016
Some metaphysicians think that metaphysical questions (what things exist, and how do they relate to one another?) can be answered primarily via a priori theorizing. Others think that metaphysics can best be advanced by a combination of physical science plus theoretical reflection. Relatively few think that cognitive science (the science of the mind) can contribute to metaphysics (certainly not the metaphysics of the real, “external” world). Focusing on a single prominent example in metaphysics – the existence of God – I show how cognitive science can make contributions to this (and many other) metaphysical questions, via appropriate use of certain probabilities.