Knowledge of God / Edition 1

by Alvin Plantinga, Michael Tooley

Overview

Is belief in God epistemically justified? That's the question at the heart of this volume in the Great Debates in Philosophy series, with Alvin Plantinga and Michael Tooley each addressing this fundamental question with distinctive arguments from opposing perspectives.

• The first half of the book contains each philosopher's explanation of his particular view; the second half allows them to directly respond to each other's arguments, in a lively and engaging conversation
• Offers the reader a one of a kind, interactive discussion
• Forms part of the acclaimed Great Debates in Philosophy series

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780631193647
Publisher:	Wiley
Publication date:	04/28/2008
Series:	Great Debates in Philosophy
Pages:	280
Product dimensions:	5.90(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.60(d)

About the Author

Alvin Plantinga is John A. O'Brien Professor of Philosophy at the University of Notre Dame. He is widely known for his work in epistemology and philosophy of religion, and is the author of Warranted Christian Belief (2000). He is also editor (with Matthew Davidson) of Essays in the Metaphysics of Modality (2003).

Michael Tooley is Distinguished College Professor of Philosophy at the University of Colorado, Boulder. He is well known for his work in metaphysics and applied ethics, and is the author of Time, Tense, and Causation (1997) and editor of Metaphysics (5 volumes, 1999).

Table of Contents

Acknowledgements.

1 Against Naturalism (Alvin Plantinga).

2 Does God Exist? (Michael Tooley).

3 Reply to Tooley's Opening Statement (Alvin Plantinga).

4 Reply to Plantinga's Opening Statement (Michael Tooley).

5 Can Robots Think? Reply to Tooley's Second Statement (Alvin Plantinga).

6 Closing Statement and Response to Plantinga's Comments (Michael Tooley).

Bibliography.

Index.

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

“Knowledge of God is a work of major significance. There is no other debate-style book in the philosophy of religion that packs the intellectual punches thrown by heavy-weights Plantinga and Tooley. Excellent.”
–Thomas Senor, University of Arkansasz

"A rigorous yet accessible debate on central issues in the philosophy of religion by two leading contributors to the field. When Plantinga and Tooley turn to discuss each other's views, they shed light not only on these topics but on a whole range of further issues, including minds and materialism, propositional content, evolutionary explanation, and probabilistic reasoning. A first-rate exchange, full of philosophical insight."
–Edward Wierenga, University of Rochester

Editorial Reviews

"I would recommend the book to professional philosophers of religion and philosophy graduate students for these significant contributions." (Journal of Religion, 1 October 2010)

"The book's style is very different from other philosophy of religion texts, because it presents the issues within the context of a lively debate, capturing the excitement of philosophical argumentation and epitomizing how philosophy should be practiced." (American Catholic Philosophical Quarterly, Summer 2010)"Alvin Plantinga and Michael Tooley here debate the question whether God's existence is known—or, at least, justifiably believed. As expected from two such distinguished philosophers, their discussion has the originality and intellectual weight to repay careful consideration, as much by philosophers of mind and epistemologists as by philosophers of religion." (Mind, October 2009)

"The book illuminates some important issues in philosophical theology. Recommended." (CHOICE, October 2008)

"I found this book strangely compelling … .Plantinga uses an ingenious new version of the Design Argument to demonstrate 'the epistemic probability' that God exists; Tooley argues that 'the fact of evil' on our world makes the existence of a benevolent God 'very unlikely.'" (Church Times, January 2009)

"The present volume, by two heavyweight analytical philosophers, is rather different from the usual pattern." (The Tablet)

"A very fine book, presenting arguments for and against theism and naturalism by two very distinguished philosophers. I strongly recommend it for graduate level courses." (Notre Dame Philosophical Reviews)

From the Publisher