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       #Post#: 150--------------------------------------------------
       PSR and the Gap Problem
       By: Dominik Date: May 19, 2020, 11:05 am
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       What is a quick interference from the PSR to the fact that the
       foundation is intelligent?
       #Post#: 153--------------------------------------------------
       Re: PSR and the Gap Problem
       By: Atno Date: May 22, 2020, 11:34 pm
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       This is the main thing for me. I think the First Stage of
       cosmological arguments is pretty much undeniable; Second Stage
       is where debate is more interesting.
       My favorite arguments are the following:
       1- by the PPC (and those who accept PSR tend to accept PPC), the
       First Cause must have the perfections of all possible contingent
       things. That includes the perfections of Intelligence,
       Consciousness, Personhood, etc. So the First Cause is personal;
       2- combine the cosmological argument with a broad range of
       teleological arguments. Basically, the cosmological argument
       tells us that there is a Foundational Cause of all reality. What
       is striking in this first stage is "that it is, not how it is"
       (the universe) as Wittgenstein would put it. But surely the "how
       it is" and "what it is" of contingent reality is also relevant.
       The First Cause has produced, and maintains in existence, an
       orderly universe, with regular natural laws, life, intelligent
       and conscious beings, beauty, a moral landscape, religious
       experiences, etc. Inductively or abductively it seems very
       plausible that the First Cause is personal;
       3- Josh Rasmussen's argument from perfection and modal
       continuity. Look up Josh and Chris Weaver's "why is there
       anything" article. The basic idea is that it would be arbitrary
       and absurd for the Necessary Foundation to have any limitation
       in greatness or power (incl. Knowledge etc). We have defeasible
       reason to believe the First Cause is the greatest possible
       being.
       Those are my 3 favorite arguments.
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