Zain's Guide to Overthinking Everything

Descartes' Ontological Argument: From Radical Doubt to the Existence of a Supreme Being      Descartes’ argument is grounded in what is predicated of God. For example, the predicate of existence is derived from idea of a supremely perfect being and such a being must have the predicate of being a necessary existence. Descartes often compares his ontological argument to a geometric demonstration by arguing that necessary existence cannot be excluded from idea of God any more than having three sides can be excluded from the idea of a triangle. Therefore, the existence of God is ‘a priori’ for Descartes, or is axiomatic, or known without experience. It seems like it is a counterfactual dependence, or by definition. For example, if one has a pair of birds, it is by definition that if there is one bird, there must be another to complete the pair. In the same way, if there is a supremely perfect being, it must have the predicate of necessary existence otherwise there would be a ...

Exploring Kantian Ethics: The Moral Implications of Lies of Omission Recently, I've been contemplating a philosophical dilemma revolving around lies of omission, or  when someone intentionally withholds relevant information, leading the other person to believe something untrue , and whether they align with Kant's principles of deontological ethics (read my blog post on Kant for background information). As per lying, Kant believes one can never lie no matter the time or circumstance due to the categorical imperative: Act according to the maxim that you would wish all other rational people to follow, as if it were a universal law. If lying is made a universal law then society would collapse and therefore lying is immoral. Therefore, when the axe murderer asks Kant for his prey, Kant would have to tell the murderer (but maybe this is a gross oversimplification that will be explained later). However, what would Kant's position be on lies of omission (if it is even a thing?)? On...

Kalam Cosmological Argument - Unraveling the Origins of the Universe                In the annals of philosophical and theological discourse, the Kalam Cosmological Argument has transcended time as a formidable line of reasoning. With its roots tracing back to the works of renowned Islamic philosopher, Al-Ghazali, and later embraced and championed by modern Christian philosopher, William Lane Craig, this argument has withstood the test of centuries and continues to captivate minds seeking to comprehend the enigma of the universe's inception. Rooted in two fundamental premises, as we embark on this intellectual journey, we shall unravel the mysteries of existence and delve into the timeless wisdom of the past, blending it with contemporary insights to grasp the essence of this perplexing argument.   Premise 1: Whatever begins to exist has a cause. Premise 2: The universe began to exist. Conclusion: Therefore the universe has a cause. ...