^TagThomas Aquinas

from hypothesis to results:research & experiments on repeat

^{Type
post

Author
Michael Egnor
Date
December 4, 2022

Categorized
Philosophy, Religion

Tagged
Anselm of Canterbury, Edward Feser, Featured, God as hypothesis, Return of the God Hypothesis (book), Stephen C. Meyer, Thomas Aquinas}

Is God Just a “Hypothesis” Like the Big Bang?

_{Michael Egnor

December 4, 2022

5

Philosophy, Religion}

Our friend and interlocutor Edward Feser takes exception to the title of Stephen Meyer ’s recent book, The Return of the God Hypothesis. Dr. Feser writes: With all due respect, the phrase “the God hypothesis” gets my hackles up. If X is something on which the world might merely “hypothetically” depend then X isn’t God. An argument gets to God only if it establishes the reality of an X on which the world couldn’t fail to depend. Hence arguments that present theism as a “hypothesis” are – qua arguments for theism – time-wasters at best and indeed cause positive harm insofar as they yield a distorted conception of God and his relation to the world. That is not to rule Read More ›

This experimental painting features swirls of black, grey, purple, and white paints.

^{Type
podcast

Author
Michael Egnor
Date
September 29, 2022

Tagged
Anthropology, Boethius, Cartesian dualism, cartesianism, Consciousness, Dualism, free will, Joshua Farris, Michael Egnor, Quantum Mechanics, seizures, Seizures and the brain, Split brain, Split brain research, The Prime Mover Argument, theology, Thomas Aquinas, Transgender}

The Nature of Mind, Body, and Soul

_{Michael Egnor

September 29, 2022

1}

How do the mind, the body, and the soul interact? After years of studying the brain, there are still many questions. Dr. Joshua Farris discusses free will, consciousness, and philosophy on this bingecast with Dr. Michael Egnor. Additional Resources Dr. Joshua Farris Dr. Michael Egnor Buy Dr. Joshua R. Farris’ Book: The Soul of Theological Anthropology Cartesian Exploration What is Read More ›

^{Type
podcast

Author
Michael Egnor
Date
July 28, 2022

Tagged
Andrew Newberg, body, Carol Zaleski, Dr. Andrew Newberg, Dualism, duelist perspective, EEG, Idealism, Idealist perspective, LSD, Materialism, materialist perspective, mental disorders, Methodological naturalism, Michael Egnor, Mind vs. brain, mind-body dualism, mind-body problem, Mind-Brain Distinction, MRI, Near Death Experiences, Negative encounters, Neurotheology, Nuclear Medicine, Phenomena, Psychedelics, Roger Scruton, Schizophrenia, Thomas Aquinas, Thomistic dualism, Tongues}

Mysteries of the Mind

_{Michael Egnor

July 28, 2022

1}

It’s hard to know where the brain ends and the mind begins. How can studying our brains give us insight into our minds? Neuroscientist Andrew Newberg and neurosurgeon Michael Egnor sit down for a chat about all things brain related including neurotheology, methods of studying the brain, and other mind/brain phenomena. Additional Resources Andrew Newberg’s Website Michael Egnor at Discovery.org Read More ›

^{Type
podcast

Author
Robert J. Marks
Date
February 24, 2022

Tagged
Angus Menuge, Aristotle, Artificial Intelligence, Consciousness, descartes, Elon Musk, Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel, human dignity, Human exceptionalism, Jaegwon Kim, Michael Egnor, mind-body dualism, mind-body problem, Mind-Body problem (types of theory), Mind-Brain Distinction, Near-death experiences, Ned Block, Neuralink, Paul Churchland, religious liberty and the law, Richard Swinburne, Robert J. Marks, Roger Penrose, Roger Penrose (on consciousness), Stephen Hawking, Sybil, Sybil (1976 film), Thomas Aquinas, Thomas Aquinas (on perception)}

Discussing Consciousness and the Mind-Body Problem

_{Robert J. Marks

February 24, 2022

2}

What does it even mean to be aware of something, to be conscious? Why do the vast majority of people only have one consciousness? Will computers ever experience consciousness? On this Bingecast, Dr. Robert J. Marks and Dr. Angus Menuge discuss these questions and more. Show Notes 00:01:36 | Introducing Dr. Angus Menuge 00:07:02 | Near-death experiences 00:10:32 | The Read More ›

^{Type
podcast

Author
Michael Egnor
Date
February 17, 2022

Tagged
Boethius, Consciousness, Definition of Science, free will, Free will (as real), Joshua Farris, Joshua Farris (on dualism), Michael Egnor, science, The Prime Mover Argument, Thomas Aquainas on free will, Thomas Aquinas}

Don’t Blame Me; I’m a Meat Robot.

_{Michael Egnor

February 17, 2022

1}

Methodological naturalism invariably draws certain conclusions. One of these notions is that we have no free will, and therefore, no culpability. We are essentially puppets hanging from genetic strings. Dr. Michael Egnor and Dr. Joshua Farris discuss this erroneous idea, as well as other failing conclusions created by ideological science. Show Notes 00:06 | Introducing Dr. Joshua Farris 00:24 | Read More ›

3d rendering of human brain on technology background

^{Type
podcast

Author
Michael Egnor
Date
January 27, 2022

Tagged
Aristotelianism, Bruce Gordon, Franz Brentano, George Berkeley, Idealism, Immanuel Kant, Michael Egnor, N. David Mermin, Near-death experiences, Near-death experiences (distressing), Near-death experiences (evidential), Near-death experiences (prevalence), Near-death experiences (proposed explanations), Near-death experiences (recall), Neuroscience, Pam Reynolds, Plato, Quantum Cheshire cat, Roger Scruton, Roger Sperry, St. Thomas Aquinas, Thomas Aquinas, Thomistic dualism, Werner Heisenberg, Wilder Penfield}

Neuroscience, Quantum Physics, and the Nature of Reality

_{Michael Egnor

January 27, 2022

2}

Dr. Michael Egnor and Dr. Bruce Gordon discuss quantum mechanics, the nature of reality, idealism and how to interpret the finding of modern neuroscience. Prepare to cover a lot of ground on this Mind Matter News Bingecast. Show Notes 00:00:43 | Introducing Dr. Bruce Gordon 00:02:00 | Idealism 00:03:37 | Plato’s theory of forms 00:05:08 | Kantian idealism 00:09:17 | Read More ›

^{Type
podcast

Author
Michael Egnor
Date
December 23, 2021

Tagged
Andrew Newberg, brain, Dr. Andrew Newberg, Dr. Michael Egnor, LSD, mental disorders, Michael Egnor, Mind Brain, Mind-Brain Distinction, Near Death Experiences, Negative encounters, Phenomena, phenomena of the mind, Psychedelics, Schizophrenia, Thomas Aquinas, Tongues}

Phenomena of the Mind

_{Michael Egnor

December 23, 2021

1}

Endless mysteries dwell inside and outside the brain, and it’s hard to know where the brain ends and the mind begins. Dr. Michael Egnor and Dr. Andrew Newberg discuss near death experiences, speaking in tongues, and many more mysteries of the mind. Show Notes Additional Resources

^{Type
podcast

Author
Michael Egnor
Date
December 16, 2021

Tagged
a dark night of the soul, Andrew Newberg, Carol Zaleski, Materialism, Methodological naturalism, Michael Egnor, Otherworld Journeys, Roger Scruton, Theism, Theism (vs. materialism), Thomas Aquinas, Thomistic dualism, Thomistic Tradition}

Finding God in the Brain

_{Michael Egnor

December 16, 2021

1}

Materialism insists that God is just a figment of the imagination, but there are some interesting phenomena in neurotheology that suggest otherwise. There are also certain methodological challenges when it comes to trying to find evidence of God in the brain. Michael Egnor discusses these issues with Andrew Newberg, who is a pioneer and authority in the field of neurotheology. Read More ›

Beautiful night sky, the Milky Way, moon and the trees. Elements of this image furnished by NASA.

^{Type
podcast

Author
Michael Egnor
Date
August 26, 2021

Tagged
Arthur Schopenhauer, Bernardo Kastrup, Computers, Consciousness, Cosmopanpsychism, Death, dissociative identity disorder, epiphenomenal, Evolution, Intelligent Design, Intelligent design theory, Jerry Fodor, Materialism, metaphysics, Michael Egnor, mind, mutation, Near-death experiences, Panpsychism, Panpsychism (vs. materialism), Philosophy, Physics, Quantum Computing, Quantum Entanglement, Quantum Mechanics, Quantum Physics, Sabine Hossenfelder, sense, Sense of smell, Sense of touch, soul, subjective idealism, Teleology, Thomas Aquinas}

“If Nobody Looks at the Moon, Does It Exist?” and Other Metaphysical Questions

_{Michael Egnor

August 26, 2021

2}

If no one is looking at the moon, does it exist? Why has materialism been around for so long? Will computers ever be conscious? What happens to our consciousness after we die? Bernardo Kastrup tackles these questions and more with Michael Egnor in another bingecast! Show Notes Additional Resources

^{Type
post

Author
News
Date
July 4, 2021

Categorized
Neuroscience, Philosophy of Mind

Tagged
Aristotle, Arjuna, Consciousness, David Papineau, Featured, Franz Brentano, Michael Egnor, Physicalism, qualia, Thomas Aquinas}

Neurosurgeon Egnor Takes on Philosopher Papineau Round 1

_{In the debate, Egnor begins by offering three fundamental reasons why the mind is not the brain} _{News

July 4, 2021

7

Neuroscience, Philosophy of Mind}

Recently, neurosurgeon Michael Egnor debated philosopher David Papineau at Theology Unleashed. Papineau is considered “one of the best defenders of naturalism” (actually, as he admits, physicalism). Egnor talks about how science and the practice of medicine persuaded him that there is a God and that the mind is real. The host is Arjuna and the show is billed as “Eastern theology meets Western skepticism.” What follows is a partial transcript of the first portion, with notes: Michael Egnor: Just as a little background about where I’m coming from, I was raised as a functional atheist, and I was educated as a scientific atheist, so I was an atheist for most of my life. I was a biochemistry major in college, Read More ›

^{Type
podcast

Author
Robert J. Marks
Date
May 6, 2021

Tagged
Angus Menuge, Aristotle, Artificial Intelligence, Daniel Wagner, epiphenomenal, Jaegwon Kim, Materialism, mind-body dualism, mind-body problem, Near-death experiences, Rene Descartes, Richard Swinburne, substance dualism, Thomas Aquinas, Thomas Hobbes}

Dr. Angus Menuge: The Mind-Body Problem (Part I)

_{Robert J. Marks

May 6, 2021

2}

The mind-body problem is much like the chicken-and-egg dilemma: Which came first? In today’s episode, Dr. Robert J. Marks sits down with Dr. Angus Menuge to discuss the basics of the mind-body problem, its philosophical history, and whether artificial intelligence ever has a chance at truly replicating the human mind. Show Notes Additional Resources

IQ test Result, Very Superior Intelligence Quotient.

^{Type
post

Author
Michael Egnor
Date
April 27, 2021

Categorized
Education, Philosophy of Mind

Tagged
Animals (capabilities), Genetics, Heritability, intellect, Intelligence quotient (IQ), Rational powers (Thomism), reason, Sensitive powers (Thomism), Thomas Aquinas, Twin studies, Vegetative powers (Thomism), will}

If IQ Is Inherited, Is the Intellect Simply Material?

_{Michael Egnor

April 27, 2021

6

Education, Philosophy of Mind}

A reader writes: I was reading your writings about mind and brain, and I was wondering about how IQ relates to all of this. Since IQ seems to have a large heritable component to it, and the only thing that can be inherited genetically is physical traits, does IQ and its heritability pose a threat to mind-body dualism? It seems to me that someone with an IQ of 75 would have a very different mental experience than someone with an IQ of 145, and that they would also make decisions very differently, which, to me at least, would pose a threat to free will as well, since wouldn’t a certain level of intelligence be required to make decisions freely in Read More ›

^{Type
post

Author
Michael Egnor
Date
April 25, 2021

Categorized
Ethics, Philosophy

Tagged
Astrology, Beatrice (Divine Comedy), Dante Alighieri, Divine Comedy, Featured, free will, Materialism, Materialism (as modern astrology), Purgatorio (Divine Comedy), Thomas Aquinas, Virgil (Divine Comedy)}

One of the Greatest Poets Asks, Can We Be Good Without Free Will?

_{As a centuries old poem shows, materialism is a logical mistake and not really a coherent system of belief} _{Michael Egnor

April 25, 2021

6

Ethics, Philosophy}

Medieval Italian poet Dante Alighieri, exiled for life from his native Florence, took the opportunity to write a magnificent trilogy — the Divine Comedy — in which he tours Hell, Purgatory, and Heaven. The Comedy is more than a poetic masterpiece. It is a profound philosophical and theological reflection on this life and on eternity. Remarkably, although Dante’s immediate guides through the unseen worlds are, famously, the Roman poet Virgil (70 BC–19 BC) and later, a childhood sweetheart Beatrice (who died young), his philosophical guide is the philosopher and theologian Thomas Aquinas. The metaphysics, the ethics, and the theology of the Divine Comedy deeply reflect Thomas’s influence. That is remarkable, considering that Dante (1265–1321 AD), who was only a child Read More ›

Purple transparent molecule model over purple

^{Type
post

Author
News
Date
April 22, 2021

Categorized
Mathematics, Science

Tagged
Aristotle, Bruce Gordon, Macroscopic superposition, Michael Egnor, Quantum Mechanics, Quantum Physics, Thomas Aquinas}

Could the World Above the Level of the Particle Be Superposed?

_{It’s been done with molecules. After that, there are barriers} _{News

April 22, 2021

6

Mathematics, Science}

In last week’s podcast,,” our guest host, neurosurgeon Michael Egnor, interviewed idealist philosopher of science and physicistBruce Gordon on how the quantum physics that underlies our universe makes much more sense if we have a non-materialist view of reality. Even then, it challenges our conventional view of how nature “must” work: We were introduced to the quantum eraser experiment, which showed that what happens at the level of individual particles depends on whether you choose to measure it or not and to non-locality, the Cheshire Cat’s science of being in no one particular place at any time. Particles can do that even if we can’t. But wait: Is it possible that things larger than particles can in fact do that Read More ›

Creative background, the human brain on a blue background, the hemisphere is responsible for logic, and responsible for creativity. different hemispheres of the brain, 3D illustration, 3D render

^{Type
podcast

Author
Michael Egnor
Date
April 22, 2021

Tagged
Aristotelianism, Aristotle, Idealism, metaphysics, Near-death experiences, Neuroscience, out-of-body experiences, Plato, soul, Thomas Aquinas, Thomism}

Bruce Gordon on the Meaning of Neuroscience (Part III)

_{Michael Egnor

April 22, 2021

1}

In this third and final episode with Dr. Bruce Gordon, host Michael Egnor picks Gordon’s brain on the overlaps between historical metaphysical perspectives and modern neuroscience. What does St. Thomas Aquinas have to say about metaphysical realities, and how does that compare to Plato’s idealism? Who is right? And what can near-death experiences and other phenomena tell us about the Read More ›

^{Type
post

Author
Michael Egnor
Date
April 18, 2021

Categorized
Philosophy, Religion, Science

Tagged
Essential causal chain, Featured, First Cause, Five Ways (Aquinas), God (as First Cause), God (as First Reason), God (as Prime Mover), Jerry Coyne, Prime Mover, Principle of Sufficient Reason, Thomas Aquinas, Torbjörn Larsson, Universe (as First Cause), Universe (as self-existent)}

Why the Universe Itself Can’t Be the Most Fundamental Thing

_{Atheist biology professor Jerry Coyne is mistaken in dismissing my observation that proofs of God’s existence follow the same logical structure as any other scientific theory} _{Michael Egnor

April 18, 2021

7

Philosophy, Religion, Science}

Jerry Coyne has posted in reply to my observation that God’s existence can be demonstrated by the ordinary methods of science. That is to say, all proofs of God’s existence are scientific theories in the sense that they have the same logical structure as any other scientific theory that proposes explanations for the natural world. Scientific theories are inductive in that they depend upon evidence in the natural world to reach a conclusion. Thus demonstrations of God’s existence, for example Thomas Aquinas’s Five Ways, are scientific theories in the sense that Newton’s Law of Gravitation, Einstein’s Theory of Relativity, Quantum Mechanics, and Darwin’s Theory of Evolution are scientific theories. Scientific theories can demonstrate the existence of things outside of nature Read More ›

Dark energy with quantum waves, scientific concept

^{Type
podcast

Author
Michael Egnor
Date
April 15, 2021

Tagged
Aristotle, Idealism, Quantum Mechanics, Quantum Physics, Thomas Aquinas}

Bruce Gordon on Idealism and Quantum Physics (Part II)

_{Michael Egnor

April 15, 2021

1}

Continuing their discussion on idealism and the nature of reality, Michael Egnor and Bruce Gordon delve into the mystifying realm of quantum physics. What does quantum physics say about the nature of our reality? And how does this relate to philosophical theories about the world around us? Show Notes Additional Resources

Side view of young man brain and thinking concepts

^{Type
podcast

Author
Michael Egnor
Date
April 8, 2021

Tagged
cosmopsychism, Franz Brentano, George Berkeley, Idealism, Immanuel Kant, ontic theistic idealism, Panpsychism, Plato, theistic idealism, Thomas Aquinas}

Bruce Gordon On Idealism and the Nature of Reality (Part I)

_{Michael Egnor

April 8, 2021

1}

What is the fundamental nature of reality? Is reality more like a mind, or more like a physical object? What is panpsychism? Tune in to this week’s podcast to hear guest host Michael Egnor interview Dr. Bruce Gordon on idealism. Gordon explores different varieties of idealism, the insights of past philosophers, and the theories of contemporary thinkers. Show Notes Additional Read More ›

Vice grip tool squeezing a plank with the word free will

^{Type
post

Author
Michael Egnor
Date
February 7, 2021

Categorized
Neuroscience, Philosophy of Mind

Tagged
Aristotle, Benjamin Libet, brain, Featured, free will, Hylemorphic dualism, Meat robots, Sam Harris, Thomas Aquinas}

A Reader Asks: Does Neuroscience Disprove Free Will?

_{Materialists sometimes misrepresent the evidence for free will, especially Benjamin Libet’s work} _{Michael Egnor

February 7, 2021

6

Neuroscience, Philosophy of Mind}

Here’s the question: I have a question regarding free will. Sam Harris in his interview with Dan Dennett said that “If we decide to do go to somewhere we experience it later but our brain decided it much earlier than our experience to this decision. If we scan the brain at that time we will tell you before you came to know” Now it raise a question because we decide through intellect. You said that free will is due to intellect so intellect is challenged here. It’s an excellent question. The answer in brief is that we most certainly do have free will. We can see this from three perspectives: scientific, philosophical, and logical. The scientific evidence The scientific evidence Read More ›

A girl in a hat on top of a hill in silence and loneliness admires the calm natural landscape and balloons.

^{Type
post

Author
Michael Egnor
Date
December 7, 2020

Categorized
Philosophy of Mind

Tagged
Closer to Truth (video series), design inference, Featured, Fifth Way, Franz Brentano, intentionality, Materialism, Matter, mind, Robert Lawrence Kuhn, Teleology, Thomas Aquinas, William Dembski}

Why Consciousness Shows That Materialism Is False

_{The mind refutes materialism in a rather straightforward way} _{Michael Egnor

December 7, 2020

5

Philosophy of Mind}

My friend and colleague Bill Dembski, a leading advocate of intelligent design of the universe and life forms, has done a superb short interview with Robert Lawrence Kuhn on Closer to Truth. Bill takes a position that will surprise many fellow Christians—he doesn’t believe that consciousness represents an insurmountable challenge to materialism: Bill makes the point that much of the popular argument hinges on shifting meanings of “materialism” and “consciousness.” By contrast, he argues, the design inference in biology is a much more effective challenge to materialism. I agree that design in nature is an effective challenge to materialism. But I also believe that the mind refutes materialism in a rather straightforward way—and in much the same way that evidence Read More ›